Palma de Mallorca in November

A glimpse of summer right before Christmas

This weekend I was in Palma with a dear friend of mine. Finally, after three years when we decided to go on a trip together, we made it. Our treat – we both turned 30 this year – was to go to Mallorca for three days. Coincidentally all these threes popped up when we thought about it for a while. 🙂

Fleeing the German fall was nice: from below zero to a good 20 degrees Celsius felt energizing, though we watched the brave bathers with respect who dared to set more than their big toes into the Mediterranean Sea. With such great weather it was strange to be on the island at the first weekend the Christmas decoration is lit.

Sightseeing

The Cathedral in Palma is definitely a must-see and the entry is free except during church service. We also visited Castell de Bellver (trust Google Maps with the directions when you dare to walk up the hill – halfway up we saw a sign that would take cars up but sends pedestrians on a huge detour) and enjoyed the fantastic view on Palma. We didn’t pay to go inside as we read it’s not worth it and also felt we didn’t miss anything. Two hours before closing time there was no queue at all, so if you want to go inside, afternoon is probably a good time to visit the castle on top of the hill. Instead, we sat down in a café to rest a bit before we would walk down again, and had a few Aperol Spritz in the yacht harbor on the way back to the hotel. The third, but rather disappointing, attraction we visited was Pueblo Español. It should be great in summer, but for 10 Euros entry per person, we expected more than original architecture in a pittoresque little town, because almost all but two shops were closed. Off-season is definitely not the time to go there, we were the only visitors…

Where to Eat & drink

Mercat de l’Olivar – the place where the “ham bag” was born and a perfect place for snacks and drinks in the afternoon
quirky hidden cocktail bar – Abaco
our favorite place – 49 steps in the yacht harbor