Day 4 – Palma de Mallorca

6 November, 2024

Castell de Bellver

We were supposed to visit Valencia, but that was cancelled due to the recent flooding. Mallorca was substituted, so we chose a "low intensity" bus tour overview. Synopsis: the island is beautiful, but generally not compelling unless you are after shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Our guide was "useful" (that term can apply to people, too) but not inspiring.

Our first stop was Castell de Bellver, unfortunately we didn't have time to tour the castle, we only got a brief glance of the perimeter before loading back on the bus to head to our next stop, downtown Palma.

We followed a circuitous route through town that exposed us to the primary shopping district, which no one was particularly interested in. The parking area for tour buses was a fair distance from the shops, so those among us with canes and walkers were faced with a round-trip walk of about 3/4 mile. What is a non-issue for most of us is an monumental struggle for some, and perhaps rating this as a "low intensity" excursion may not have been the most accurate description.

Catedral-Basilica de Santa-Maria de Mallorca

We trekked along with the crowd, my paramedic eye keeping a close watch on those who were not well-suited to the task. Fortunately I didn't have to pick anyone up from the ground! The walk, while a bit hot and unpleasant (thanks to the distraction of being concerned about the possibility of having to perform chest compressions at any minute...) was picturesque. 

The walk took us directly towards the Cathedral, which presented a stunning view across the lagoon. Construction began in 1229 and continued into the 17th century. Restoration work was overseen by Gaudi from 1903-1914 but was terminated due to disputes with the local authorities. The Cathedral boasts the second-largest Gothic rose window in existence, with a diameter of nearly 14 meters. The Cathedral is, understandably, the most popular tourist destination in Mallorca.

Street vendors were in semi-stealth mode all around, peddling counterfeit handbags and football (soccer) jerseys displayed on open tarps. As soon as someone spotted a police officer they would gather up the corners of their tarps and quickly walk away, often circling back to do it all again as soon as the officers passed.

We continued past the Cathedral (no time to go inside!) to a row of shops and cafés, where we purchased a few token souvenirs, then sat and enjoyed coffee, tea, and pastries while listening to uneducated Americans pontificate loudly about international politics. One individual was shocked to learn that Canada doesn't have a president and demanded to know if they were "some kind of dictatorship or something."

And people wonder why Americans are scoffed at by the international community.

After a sweaty walk back to the bus and a short ride to the ship we went to LocoFresh on Deck 14 for lunch. It was a bit crowded thanks to the recent return of multiple excursions, but we were lucky enough to find a couple who were just finishing their lunch who offered us the empty seats and their table. A crew member quickly came over and wiped down the table as we put our bags down. Loco Fresh offers a variety of Mexican dishes and everything we had was quite good. (Several steps above "useful.") When I returned to the table the same crew member overheard me asking my wife what she'd like from the bar and he insisted I take my seat while he located a bar waiter. At that point I made note of his name (Thatin) and sat back to observe his work flow, since it seemed he was everywhere and heard everything. This young man was a force of nature. He flowed from resupplying the toppings bar and condiments to cleaning tables, assisting guests, and answering questions for guests as they stood in line to place their order. He instigated all of the guest interaction (with a radiant smile) and earned a "thank you" from everyone he assisted. I hope Royal Caribbean recognizes what an asset this young man is and mentor him appropriately.

After lunch we returned to the cabin and enjoyed much-needed showers. Cooled and refreshed, we headed to Two70 to enjoy a couple of icy-cold libations and watch the sunset as we departed.