Mallorca Bound, I am!
I took the noon Dartmouth Coach from Lebanon to Boston Logan, short flight to Newark and now I’m happily ensconced in the ridiculously posh spanking brand new United lounge awaiting my non stop flight to Palma.
Landing Monday at noon local time.
I’m super excited!
This is my first trip outside the continental United States since March 2020 when I flew back from the Yucatán with Emily, Hannah and William on the day the Covid lockdowns began.
All was status quo when we left for the Yucatán on March 4 but on March 9, we returned to a world that likely will never again be status quo ante.
On that trip we visited Chichin Itza, one of Conde Nast Traveler’s New Seven Wonders of the World. After visiting Petra with Emily in 2016, I set myself the goal of seeing them all.
I saw Petra in 2016, Taj Mahal in 2018, the Great Wall of China and Machu Pichu in 2019 and Chichin Itza with the kids in 2020. I still need the Coloseum in Rome and the Christ statue in Rio but for now it’s Mallorca.
Mallorca is the 4th largest Island in the Mediterranean, largest of the Baleáric Islands, about the size of Long Island.
The Balearic Islands which include Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Fomentera has been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983.
Palma the Capital was established by the Romans (Palmeria) during the second century BC, conquered by the Moors in the 10th Century becoming Medina Mayurka, one of the most prosperous Muslim capitals of Europe and when reconquered by Christians in the 13th Century it was called Ciutat de Mallorca or Ciudad Capital.
Today Palma has more than 400,000 inhabitants and is said to be Mallorca’s greatest treasure. The Gothic Cathedral is its geographic and historic center from which medieval streets lined with aristocratic townhouses, baroque churches, public squares bohemian neighborhoods and markets extend in every direction.
I have a couple of days to explore Palma and then a few days to make excursions to places around the island. For certain I’ll see the Deia, Valldemossa, take the train from Soller, Medieval Arta, Palma’s Art Trail, see Miro’s former home Fundacio Pilar and I’m gonna sun on some beaches and read Aciman.
And then beginning on Saturday, I have a week long Ashtanga intensive program with Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann at Balearic Retreats. Kino and Tim are among the most sought after yoga teachers in the Ashtanga world. I have attended workshops with each of them but the opportunity to practice and learn for a whole week with both of them at the same time is exceptional and even more so at Balearic Retreats.
If you can’t spend a couple of months in Mysore, India, practicing and learning with Paramaguru Sharath Jois (something I intend to do in this lifetime) then a week long yoga program with Kino and Tim at Balearic Retreats is the next best thing.
It’s my first time to be at Ballearic Retreats. I’ve heard stories of its humble beginnings but today its the premier destination for Ashtanga escapes.
Other than the physical practice, I’m not really yogic enough in my daily life to consider myself a yogi but I’m bringing along with me my annotated volume of Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras and my mala beads from my Yoga Yatra in India so while I’m at Balearic Retreats, I’m all in.
And then the adventuresome part of my Mallorca adventure begins. I’m headed into the Serra de Tramuntana to hike the Ruta de Pedra en Sec.
Mallorca‘s most well-known hiking trail spans the length of the Tramuntana mountain range. The route got its name from the construction method used to line the route which didn’t use cement but instead only stones, dry stacked, precisely lain on top of each other using a special technique. The technique was used to build terraces, roads, wells, water canals and lime kilns all of which can be seen along the Ruta.
This hike is said to be both diverse and challenging. I’m planning to hike 5 stages over 4 days from Polenca to Can Boi.
My big decision was whether to tackle it on my own or join a group or hire my own guide. I’ve walked hundreds of kilometers on the Camino de Santiago without need of guidance but the Ruta de Pedra en Sec is a different kettle of fish.
On the Camino Frances, at least the final 400 kms which is the part with which I am most familiar, it’s very walkable, lots of other peregrinos, lots of places to stop and socialize, many way stations, towns and villages. And there are services that will ferry your baggage to the next location so you only need carry the things you need to walk for the day.
Not so for the Ruta de Pedra en Sec. In the mountains, there are no populated or built up places to speak of and the only accommodations are government owned dormitory style “Refugios” that provide basic meals and a bed.
I have 3 nights in the mountains so I have to carry with me everything I’ll need for 4 days (other than bedding and meals). I bought a new bigger 50 liter back pack which is going to be heavy especially since I need to also carry extra hiking shoes to implement my new program of changing footwear during the day to avoid blisters.
And the 3rd day looks quite challenging, it’s only 28 kms but it has big elevation changes and some sections that I might not be comfortable facing on my own. The stage includes some of the highest mountains of the Tramuntana-L’ofre and Colom – as well as breathtaking canyons – the Barranc de Biniaraix, which are said to provide impressive panoramas and a side of Mallorca that few tourists get to see.
The guidebook says it’s 9 hours but that’s if you don’t get lost which is something I can never count on.
Nonetheless l really wanted to do it on my own, you know man against nature, that sort of thing, but my “better judgement” suggests I should join a group or hire a private guide.
Fortunately I still had my “better judgement” available to me having opted against using it during my “Walk Home from the Alamo” (reference Episode 4).
So first I looked to join a group. I thought a group would be good because if one member of the group grew tired of listening to me I could bend the ear of another and so on until they were all exhausted but alas there were no groups to join.
Seems July actually isn’t the ideal time to attack the Ruta due to the oppressive heat which one faces. Of course being from South Texas, I’m accustomed to and not deterred by oppressive heat.
But with no groups to join, I was left to consider hiring a private guide. My concern hiring a private guide is that I’ll be with the guy all day for several days running.
And what if I don’t like him or worse what if he’s not a good listener?
But I found a sweet guy named Fernando, had a zoom call with him and like him a lot. He’s Mallorcan, knows the Ruta, it’s fauna and flora and history. I’ll get to practice my Spanish with him, I’m going to learn a lot and he’ll make the adventure all the more fun and enriching (and safe).
And I won’t have to worry about getting lost!
And in the event I need an air-evac out of there, Fernando will be sure my gurney is properly secured to the helicopter before take off!
So that’s the plan for my Mallorcan adventure, I’m going to publish some hopefully interesting, entertaining and fun blog posts and you are each invited to come along with me.
Should you care to subscribe to my blog you can be among the first to get notice when I publish each new episode!
Bienvenidos a mi aventura Mallorquena!
