No Regrets!

I woke up in the morning with my right nostril in full compliance.

Our RedLevel hotel privileges entitled us to an extended breakfast menu, so I put together a lovely meal of eggs Benedict, an açaí bowl, and rooibos tea. The only thing weird about this hotel are the impossibly skinny and uncomfortably bright elevators, making rides with more than two people uncomfortable, even if you know them. Farts make it funnier.

Due to yesterday’s travel drama and today’s late start, we had to rejigger our schedule. I hastily led us on an organized walking tour of Palma’s old town, using my phone to navigate. We wandered through beautiful alleys that felt so much like Italy or Greece, stopping at historic buildings and churches to hear some facts and learn more about the island’s shared Muslim and Christian history. Things are so much more interesting when we know the history of what we’re looking at. There’s such a rich history here, making Mallorca a much more interesting cultural stop than Ibiza.

Then it was time for lunch. We stopped at an outdoor café at Plaça de Cort, home to Palma’s most famous olive tree, for a quick meal and more Cava sangria.

The rest of the afternoon was reserved for our day trip to Cuevas del Drach. I drove our rental car across Mallorca through varied landscapes that reminded me at times of the American Southwest, Napa, and Appalachia. We passed through Rafael Nadal’s hometown of Manacor, whose surroundings looked a lot like the American Old West. Dave and Matt were passed out for most of the drive.

We arrived at Cuevas del Drach almost an hour late for our timed-entry tickets, but the woman at the ticket window changed them for us without issue. It’s a pretty big operation, with a giant parking lot, restaurant, gift shop, and hundreds of people waiting to go in. I wasn’t expecting that.

The caves were a lot like others I’d visited, expansive and impressive, but not as creatively illuminated as they could have been. They also let in way too many people at a time, cramming the narrow pathways with tourists jostling to get ahead while others stopped to take photos.

What made this place really special was the bleacher seating in one of the chambers, where everyone took a seat, the lights went out, and we were treated to a live classical concert performed from boats. Musicians slowly glided across the water and played four pieces, all familiar, and it was beautiful. The experience would have been truly sublime if not for the crying babies, chattering toddlers, and staff barking at people to turn their cameras off.

We made it back to the hotel just in time for tapas happy hour on the patio overlooking the harbor. We turned that into an extended, luxurious hotel dinner as night fell. My meal of lamb shoulder was lovely.

I dragged the guys out for a late-night drink, finding that Café Lisboa in the Santa Catalina neighborhood was the only place with much activity. While waiting for a drink, I enjoyed some easy flirting with a cute South African woman, only to discover that she was a lesbian at the bar with her girlfriend. One of her friends was straight and had a thing for older guys, but apparently I was too old even for her.

We started talking to a couple of German guys, Jan-Louis and Hendrik, who were fun and enjoyed a good laugh. Matt enjoyed Jan-Louis in particular because he looked like a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger, complete with the big frame, wide face, and toothy smile. Hendrik was quieter, and his English wasn’t as good. He took playful teasing from everyone all night. I told Jan-Louis that there were two things I don’t like about Germans, and the second is that they usually have no sense of humor. Jan-Louis agreed!

There are indeed a lot of Germans here, and we’d noticed the heavy German tourist influence earlier in the day. Turns out Mallorca has been a top destination for Germans for generations.

After a couple of drinks at Café Lisboa, Dave called it a night, but Matt and I kept going, walking with Jan-Louis and Hendrik to a dance club called FITZ Mallorca. We ran into a ticket seller on the street who sold us discounted tickets, then headed inside for more drinks and music. After a few minutes, Matt grew concerned that the Germans had taken us to a gay club, but I didn’t think so. Some quick Googling confirmed that we were in the clear. In the end, a great night. Matt and I have an open invitation to join them in Germany next year for Oktoberfest.

Up this morning for another RedLevel breakfast of eggs Benedict, an açaí bowl, and rooibos tea. Dave has become my rooibos tea buddy. It’s adorable how he cuts the rinds off his Brie. Matt enjoys a Coke Zero with every meal.

Today was our driving tour around Mallorca. Behind the wheel, it occurred to me that the drivers are really nice here. I hadn’t experienced any obnoxious honking or hand-waving.

Our drive took us along fun, winding roads, through Greek-style hills and valleys, revealing majestic villas perched on cliffs. Bicyclists hogged the road, but we took our time since we weren’t on a tight schedule.

All the towns we visited were jammed with tourists and day-trippers, but quaint and charming nonetheless. Valldemossa is a little old town nestled into a hillside, with charming alleys. We stopped for a short walk and explored the palace, but found the interior mediocre.

Cala Deià was my surprise stop for lunch. We parked and walked down a trail to a tiny cove where we found a restaurant called Ca’n Lluc nestled into the rocks. Another good seafood meal, and more Cava sangria. Matt had lots to say about the stairs and railings to and from the restaurant.

A few more stops. Sóller featured more beautiful alleys and another impressive Baroque cathedral.

Back at the hotel, we all chilled out a bit to rest up before dinner. Our steak dinner at The Merchants was delicious, and the indoor dining room was historic and elegant.

Bar Abaco was our nearby stop after dinner for a drink. It’s a Baroque-style cocktail bar and a really impressive space, converted from C’an Marcel, a 17th-century mansion, and elaborately decorated.

Our effort to find further nightlife was a bust. Not much going on out there tonight.

Tomorrow is our last day in Mallorca, with a visit to the cathedral in the morning and a catamaran trip in the afternoon. Should be a good finish to the vacation.