We’re both feeling like we could be on the mend, at least in that we both got in a good night’s sleep with considerably less of the hacking and wheezing that’s been our norm for the last week. We’ve heard the advice of our friends though and are listening to our bodies. Rachael drops any thought of a hike and will stay in the room all day, save for an outing to the bakery to pick up a chicken curry panada (empanada) for dinner, the same mouthful I could only down part of yesterday.
I start the day with a bowl of muesli and then head down to the bakery myself for a cafe con leche and croissant. It’s a short distance, barely a hundred yards - but walking back up to the room afterwards the heaviness in my step reminds me that I’m far from recovery myself. Even with the sun out, it’s chilly and windy enough that I’m not tempted to do anything but sit in the room myself for the next four or five hours.
The short walk back up to our small hotel, just to the left. It looks like the bike racers must come through here, past the memorial to cyclist Francisco Alomar. You have to really like a town that honors a racing cyclist like this.
Four hours of rest later though, I feel invigorated enough that I decide to take a short walk through town. I’d like to get a feeling for this place we’re stalled in for four days and see if I can get a view to the Serra de Tramuntana, just ten or fifteen miles to the west. I’m out for what - maybe 45 minutes or an hour, slow-walking a mile or so? Nothing approaching a workout, and I feel none the worse for it when I return.
Climbing toward Santa Maria parish church, the landmark structure that crowns the hill.
Many of the streets in the historical center look like this - fairly uniform two and three story buildings line both sides of the street, limiting sight lines.
And it’s very quiet, at least on this Sunday afternoon. I see only a few others walking about and barely any traffic. And, come to think of it, no dogs or cats.
Over the crown of the hill the Tramuntana range is visible, where you can see through to it. This is about the best view I could get until I dropped down to the margin of town on its west side.
Turning back, I slowly work my way back toward the hotel, using the church as my landmark. Once there, it’s a just short two or three blocks down the other side to our room. I’m not following or consulting the map, but just following my nose and hoping to get a good view of the church. Until I’m right in front of it though the best I can find are partial looks blocked by the steep-walled streets.
This is a different structure, the Palace of the Kings in Mallorca. With a little more energy I’d have detoured down that way for a better look. Maybe tomorrow.
It takes me awhile finding my way back to our room, even though it’s so close. I eventually break out the map to get my bearings and am surprised to see I’m only a block away, standing right by the bakery. I didn’t recognize it from this side though and was about to walk away from the hotel until I saw where I was.
Later, not long before sunset Rachael looks east out our window and sees something I hadn’t noticed before, a fine windmill atop the nearest ridge.
If I’m still improving tomorrow maybe I should head off in this direction.
Betsy EvansI’m sorry to read that you’re feeling rotten. It sounds like you’re making very good decisions about taking it easy. Reply to this comment 2 months ago
