I MAY have mentioned before that this cruise was a bit "spur of the moment." It came up and we booked it, much closer to its departure than we normally do and without much of the pre-planning. It was scheduled to go to some places we had never been, and it sounded like fun, as well as getting ourselves introduced to a new ship.
OUR NEXT port was Palma on the Island of Mallorca (Majorca), Spain. Mallorca is the largest of 4 islands of the eastern coast of Spain, in the Balearic Sea (part of the Mediterranean). These 4 islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibzia and Formentera) form the chain of islands known as the Balearic Islands, which together are an autonomous region of Spain. Palma is the capital of the region, and is a large, modern city with great seaports and a busy airport (one of the busiest in Spain).
ALL FOUR of these islands are popular vacation spots for Europeans - particularly from the U.K., Netherlands and Germany. Mallorca translates (very roughly) from the original Latin as "Largest Island." Being geographically about 4 times the size of the largest other, Mallorca is perhaps the most popular.
ORIGINALLY SETTLED by natives of the Iberian Peninsula around 2500 B.C., the islands were later "discovered" by the seafaring Phoenicians, who colonized parts of them. When Roman conquerors dominated the world, they eventually controlled the islands, around 123 B.C. They founded Palmeria (Palma), among other cities. Over the next few hundred years (like much of Europe, western Asia, and the North African Continents), control changed hands several times, first being invaded and very briefly controlled by the germanic Vandals. The Romans regained control but suffered constant raids by Muslims (mainly from North Africa). Eventually, in around 900 A.D., the Muslims gained control. They made may changes and improvements to the cities - particularly Palma, during their rein. Other than a brief period where the islands were overrun by a group from Catalon and Pisa, the Moors (Muslims from primarily Spain and Portugal) ruled until 1299, when King James I of Aragon invaded and established Mallorca (and presumably the other islands) under the Kingdom of Aragon. The islands remained under Spanish rule of various forms from then on.
WHAT MAKES the above information pertinent in my mind is how the different cultures contributed to both the architecture and the current culture of Mallorca. During our day in port, we had a hired guide/excursion. We met another couple that we have become friends with on this excursion (and they were among the group in yet another excursion in Barcelona later in the week), Steve and Janice Disbrow. It has been fun for us to keep up with the others' travels on Facebook, and we hope to find ourselves on the same ship again soon. From the port our guide took us up to Bellver Castle, high above the city. The castle was impressive enough, but what I really appreciated were the views down to the water and the city from up there.
AFTER SEEING the city from this viewpoint, we traveled north out of the city and up into the mountains to visit the town of and a monastery: Valldemossa. In addition to the very old buildings and architecture.
ORIGINALLY BUILT the site of a summer palace by King James II (Jaume II - Catalonian) of Aragon in 1310, Valldemossa is a place of architectural wonder. The original "Palau de Rei Sanxo" has many rooms of medieval architecture, which were full of old, period furniture and other items of the day.
THERE IS always some history to be learned on these excursions and stops. The history and drama, here, involves the Polish classical musical composer and artist, Frederic Chopin. In 1835, the Spanish government confiscated the monastery at Valldemossa and sold the properties of the monastery and palace private owners. The former monastery grounds - known as the Charterhouse - were used for visitors to come to the island for its comfortable "Mediterranean" climate particularly during the winter months. During a perhaps chance meeting at the home of contemporary Hungarian composer, Franz Lizt, Chopin met and became romantically involved with the sometimes controversial, Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, a French journalist and novelist, who wrote under the pen name: George Sand. Chopin and Sand spent the winter of 1838 -39 in Mallorca, with all but the first few weeks spent at the Charter House in Valldemossa. While waiting for their accomodations in Palma, Chopin caught a cold. Rumored to have tuberculosis (years later found to be false), Chopin and Sand were not particlarly welcomed by the inhabitants of Valldemossa. In fact, their left-behind belongings and furniture were burned out of fear of transmission of the disease.
HISTORY HAS been more favorable to Chopin. During their stay, Chopin had ordered a piano to be shipped from England, and due to multiple circumstances, the piano's arrival was delayed until just a few weeks before they departed from Mallorca permanently. Rather than hassle with additional shipping, the piano was left behind, donated to a banker (perhaps in settlement of some debt). It can be seen today in the museum that was once the Charterhouse. Years later, Chopin's history is more favored. Since 1930, a Chopin Festival has been hosted in Valldemossa at the monastery. The entrance fee to the museum includes a short piano performance which is a similated Chopin performance. We saw it and it was quite good.
I FOUND some of the small, quiet spaces in and around the monastery to be very photogenic. I could see how the monks might find these spaces inspiring for their contemplations.
WE FINISHED our visit in Valldemossa in the small downtown village, at Sa Foganya: a small cafe where our guide recommended a local almond cake pastry that was extremely popular. After trying it, with a cappuccino, we could see why. The restaurant is highly recommended (with four-star ratings on Tripadvisor and Foursquare).
AFTER OUR snack, we had a few minutes to walk the tranquil streets of the small village before boarding our van to head back to the port city.
BACK IN Palma, our guide took us on a walking tour of the city center area, which was very near the port.
THE ROMANS had made Palma (and Mallorca) a primarily Christian nation, but during the Moors' reign, there was also a significant Muslim influence, which can certainly be seen in some of the architecture.
THE GOTHIC Palma Cathedral (La Seu) is impressive. With one of the tallest knaves in the world, it is built on the site of a Moorish Mosque. Originally begun by James I of Aragon in about 1229, it was never fully completed until 1601. In the mid-1800's a major restoration was begun, and once again, years went by. In 1901, the famous Antoni Gaudi was commissioned to work on it. Only some of his ideas were accepted. Like many such projects, time, money and personalities conflicted with completion, and in 1914, following a dispute with a contractor, Gaudi abandoned the project. Today, the interior spaces are impressive.
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