Episode 3-Western Mallorca

The villages of Western Mallorca, both mountain and seaside, are storybook each one prettier and more perfect than the others.

It was in the winter of 1838, to Valldemossa (Mallorquin meaning “Valley of Beautiful Women”) that best selling novelist Aurore Amantine Dupin Dudevant (George Sand) fled with her lover Polish composer, pianist and political refugee Fryderyk Chopin (6 years her younger) to pursue their love affair away from the scandal the affair had caused in Parisian high society.

Poet and author Robert Graves lived in Deià from 1929 until his death. He is buried under a great cypress tree in a lovely churchyard next to the church.

Michael Douglas and Katherine Zeta Jones spent most of Covid at S’Estaca, the estate in Valldemosa Michael purchased with his first wife Diandra Luker. He had briefly placed the place on the market preCovid for $29 million Euros but took it off the market during Covid and to the delight of the local populace have announced that they are staying.
They are often out and about and very well liked by the community. Michael established a foundation called Centro Cultural Coste Nord in Valldemossa. Zeta-Jones is often seen at a particular spa in Deia and Michael is said to be friendly even gregarious.
I’m told that when he meets people he enjoys introducing himself by his self-given ersatz Mallorquin name “Miquel de S’Estaca” meaning “Michael from the house of Estaca.”

But Michael wasn’t the first Hollywood star to arrive in Mallorca. It was Errol Flynn. Errol Flynn lived here for long periods in the ’50s.
He really loved circumnavigating his yacht Zaca, a wooden marvel, 36 meters long, around the Island and in and out of every port. That is until his spiraling personal and financial problems, multiple divorces and his way of life forced him to sell her. The same day he was negotiating the sale with the buyer, he felt sick, suffered a heart attack and died.
He was only 50 years old, but his life was so intense it is as if he had lived 500. PreCovid Michael Douglas announced that he would be coproducing a movie about Flynn’s life. It’ll make a great movie. I’d love to see it.

I had lunch at a seaside restaurant in Port de Soller.
It doesn’t get any fresher than this, literally the catch of the day, this Sea bass was caught within the past 24 hours in a nearby village. It’s like just so delicious!
Perfectly grilled with nothing but olive oil, sea salt, garlic and a touch of herb d’province! I eschew the silverware preferring to use my hands so I can lick my fingers. Not done in polite society but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
And the tiny fried pescaditos? As Tony Soprano might say, “fuggedaboutit…!”

After lunch I hopped on the tram from Port de Soller to Soller to await space on the antique wooden train back to Palma. Seems that by the late 1890’s, the majority of the regions bountiful production of oranges, olives and almonds were being exported to France because there was no practical way to get them to market in Palma.
So the town built this delightful tram to Soller and dug multiple tunnels, a total of 7 (I think) through the Serra de Trasmuntanas for this railroad which opened in 1908 and now serves the tourist trade. I got a spot on the 6:00 pm train for the delightful 60 minute ride to Palma.

So yesterday was just a great great day and I feel really really good about it but not completely really really good about it.

Notice those mountains towering above those picturesque villages? That’s the Serra de Trasmuntana. They look really tall to me. The Ruta de Pedra en Sec (which I’m hiking next week) goes across and through those mountains.

Of course I’m not scared of heights (reference Episode 7-Peru with William 2019) but let’s just say I’m glad I got a guide, really really glad I got a guide!

Now I’m off to visit Palma’s enormous cathedral. The book says you need at least half a day so it’s really going to be a test of my attention span.
“It’s” as my Dad used to say “a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.”