May 18, 2022 to May 19, 2022
Valencia to Palma, Mallorca
We are off to Mallorca tonight! We have heard so much about the island being a Mecca for cyclists that we are keen to check it out over our 11 day stay. First things first though, there’s an 11pm ferry to catch for the 7.5 hour overnight cruise.
We are super glad that we decided to figure out how to get to the ferry terminal this morning in the light of day, because it would have been a nightmare at night not knowing where to go. The roads in the port are completely torn up for construction and there is minimal signage to indicate how to make your way around the obstacles and temporary roads, along with the constant threat of getting run over by the steady stream of huge trucks.
With the reconnaissance done, we knew we’d be fine. We picked up our panniers left at our B&B and found a beachfront restaurant for a relaxed supper. At 9:30pm we set off for the ferry. What took a painful hour this morning took us 15 minutes. What a difference when you know where you are going, and a plus, there were no trucks. The terminal was quiet, in fact, we were the only pedestrian/cyclists there. At 10pm, we were ushered (just us) on to a bus for the drive to the ferry, all 40 feet in distance! It was for our safety as there were lots of trucks rolling onto the ferry. (I guess they must have arrived earlier.)
We found our seats in a lounge with 3 other passengers and made ourselves as comfortable as possible despite the blaring TV and glacial air conditioning. (Ann knowingly brought her down jacket. Steven thought the cold part of the trip was over and left his in a pannier in the hold of the ship.)
We woke after our short night to the sun rising over the Port of Palma. What a spectacular view and sunrise. We were soon pedalling the dedicated bike path along the waterfront looking forward to coffees and croissants in town.
At 7am in the morning, things were still quiet so we cycled the small streets and alleyways until we found a coffee shop in a square with just the perfect old church and steeple and delicious coffees. The only other customers on the patio were three senior gentlemen, each at their own table leisurely drinking coffee and reading the morning paper. Steven fancied himself doing the same thing one day in Palma, but more realistically he's hoping to do it in our new neighbourhood in Montreal as we move into our condo in June.
After our caffeine infusion, we rode the 17km coastal bike trail to S’Arenal. It’s a gorgeous ride beside fabulous beaches, cute summer homes, many beach hotels and with the early morning exercise crowd - cyclists, runners and walkers.
Since it was too early to check in, we left everything at our hotel’s storage facility. That is everything except our bathing suits, and went looking for more food, then water and sand. We have found the tourists we’ve not seen since Córdoba. Not overly crowded, just enough people enjoying the beautiful weather, warm water and white sand to feel like you're on holidays in a happening place. At least that’s how we are feeling. We can’t believe we are here; the sand is white, the water turquoise AND warm. We love Mallorca so far, and yes the cycling today along the coast was awesome.
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Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 1,804 km (1,120 miles)
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