Hi,
Today we had two adventures. Mandy had some things to do in the morning, so she gave us directions to go to a town about twenty minutes away called Santa Maria, where they have a big outdoor market. She recommended getting there early, since it’s hard to park later.
We tend to sleep pretty late here. I had to wake both girls up at 9:20(!) so we could get on the road by 9:45. We had big plates of fruit and some delicious Mallorcan sausage for breakfast before heading out.
It’s a darn good thing Mandy had recommended getting the full insurance on our rental car. It cost about $60 for ten days. Twice already we’ve gone out to the hotel parking lot to find that someone had sideswiped our car. Just minor dents and paint scratches, but it’s very nice not to have to worry about it!
We found our way to the town of Santa Maria and the huge outdoor market. What an experience that was! They don’t have shopping malls here, or big grocery stores with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The locals buy everything they need in places like this. They had everything from sunglasses to bed linens to fresh produce. And hardly any Germans! :-) It was really fun to be there, and we all found fun things to buy. Alaina got a neat cat puzzle made of wood. Claire got a slingshot and a backpack purse. I got a new fanny pack and a silk and pashmena scarf.
Those little meat pies in the picture taste almost exactly like the pasties we had in England! I couldn’t bring myself to buy one, though, because who knew how long they’d been sitting out on that hot day. I ate one a few days ago from café in Palma.
The church was interesting, and I wish we could have gone in. It was locked. It’s interesting how many of the churches have what looks like the minaret on a mosque, since they were built or influenced by the Muslims who ruled here for centuries.
We walked around the narrow streets of the town just a bit, and then actually found our way home with no trouble. What a sense of accomplishment that was!
We were tired, though, from walking around in the heat. So we ate a quick sandwich, and then walked to the beach to have the obligatory ice cream. The crowd with the umbrellas is what we saw there. That’s a typical tourist beach.
Fortunately, our friends like to go to the out-of-the-way beaches, so that’s what we did in the afternoon. Mandy’s husband dropped her and Eli off here around 2, and we headed out to another part of the island, where Savitri and her kids were already settled on the beach. We drove to the very end of a tiny road, and then hiked a few minutes, and then scrambled down a rocky cliff. That’s remote!
It was lovely. Some high clouds rolled in, so we were nice and cool. Mandy and Savitri had extra wet suits and masks and snorkels, so we all had a turn snorkeling. Mandy was SO wonderful with the girls. She helped them get comfortable with the snorkels, and then pointed out the different forms of life they saw. First she took Alaina in with the other kids. Then she took Claire and me. Claire was pretty nervous at first about what kinds of things we might see. I have to admit that I get nervous, too, often imagining what dangerous creature might suddenly appear out of nowhere. But seeing the lovely, peaceful world underwater is worth getting over my fears. And Claire found the same to be true for her. At first she held Mandy’s hand, but after a while, she felt comfortable, and was swimming around on her own, enjoying the sights.
We saw lots of different kinds of fish, and sponges and sea urchins. What I like best, though, is the stark contrast between the choppy waves at the surface, and the serene world beneath. It’s so peaceful down there. Just magical. We were so glad to be able to experience that!
Mandy talked with Alaina about being a field biolgist, and how easy it is to get funding for various projects that sound interesting. Months ago when Alaina saw the Imax movie about marine dinosaurs, she had said she wanted to be a paleontologist. Mandy said she had been an avian paleontologist assistant a long time ago, and they’d discovered the bones of extinct birds no one had ever identified before. Fascinating!
We all relaxed a while and dried off afterward, and then we drove to the little village nearby. Mandy said it’s a place where lots of French people go for vacations. It was just gorgeous, with the resort hotels perched on the rocky cliffs, and the white sandy beach. The kids played there for hours. Mandy and Savitri bought bread, olive oil, capers, tomatoes, salt, ground sesame seeds, and avocado, and we had a little picnic on the beach. We stayed until it was almost dark.
Once again we were all just open to whatever direction the day took us. I’m used to always having a plan, and then finishing one thing so we can move on to the next thing planned. It’s a lovely change to just relax and enjoy whatever the day brings.
Tomorrow we’re going to meet in Valdamossa (which you´ll be glad to hear, Gramma!), where Chopin stayed with George Sand. That’ll be interesting to see. Then we’ll all go to another wonderful beach to do more snorkeling. Rough life!
And on Tuesday, we’ll pick up Jana at the airport! We’re excited to see her, and it’ll be so fun to have her here. We’ll do a trip to the caves, and maybe the train ride. If she wants to do the castle, we can zip up there again because it’s so close. Happy Father´s Day to all you fathers!!
Kathy