Episode 4-Santa Catalina

This morning after a nice breakfast at an outdoor cafe, I set out to explore the former fishing barrio of Santa Catalina which borders Old Town Palma to the west. Today it’s a hip neighborhood of tree lined streets with gaily painted cottages, art nouveau mansions, boutiques, vintage stores, bars and lounges centered around the centuries old but fully renovated Mercat Municipal Santa Catalina.

The Mercat Santa Catalina is not as large as the Mercat L’Olivar in Old Town but just as lively, modern, friendly and inviting. I had a great time chatting up one fish monger who patiently explained to me the difference between lubina and dorada.

After visiting the Mercat, I still had more than an hour and a half before the 10:00 opening of Palma’s acclaimed modern art museum Es Baluard so I decided to extend my explorations further through Son Espanyolet, the next neighborhood to the west.

I’ve been surprised at the small number of homeless on the streets. In most cities, you see them sleeping in doorways when you go for an early morning walk but I hadn’t seen any all morning either in Old Town, Santa Catalina or Son Espanyolet.

I ended up at a commercial center with a large 1980’s style McDonalds next to a highway that halted my westward advance so I decided to head down a dirt road by the McDonalds that on the map looked to lead to an open green space that I thought was a city park. The road was fairly wide and traveled (at least the first part) so I walked a while and continued on past a sign reading “privado” into an enclave of interesting old houses.

And then on my way out, I came upon them or rather they came upon me, the missing homeless of Palma. Two of them, with the friendliest of intentions, approached me to advise me that it was not permitted to enter that area, they knew from experience. I thanked them and headed further south walking quickly to distance myself and after a bit came upon what looked like an abandoned bull fight ring that now clearly served as their shelter.

Of course the shortest route out was to retreat back to the McDonald’s but I don’t like the word “retreat” much less the action of “retreating,” not to mention the fact that a retreat would mean that I would have to again pass the homeless.

So I continued south and kept going as the paths grew narrower and more overgrown until I realized that I had wandered into an expansive area of confusing, crisscrossing dirt-bike trails that extended in all directions. I could see from the map on my iPhone that a short distance to the East was Avignuda Picasso but there was literally no way to get there so I kept going further south searching for a path out.

Fortunately after an hour of frustration, wandering in the heat, I came upon a path that led to the back of a residential development and blessedly was now on a surface street.

But not so fortunately, I had left the hotel wearing my soft slippery bottomed but very comfortable Adidas tennis shoes which had done just that on the red clay sand and dirt that lined the dirt-bike trails and now covered my backside from head to toe having involuntarily slipped down multiple steep moguls on my butt.

I guess the point is that you don’t always discover fun and interesting things to share and recommend when you set off on an exploration.

Anyway I was at the museum by 11:30, no worse for the wear, and really enjoyed it. The park next to the museum has a number of large sculptures a few of which I really like and there are some really interesting large exhibits in the museum a few of which are so large they occupy entire galleries. The artist creator of one of the exhibits, Maria Ruido, was present, talking about her work with a group of art patrons and it was fun to listen in.

Next stop lunch at Bar Bodega Morey back in Old Town Palma, a white washed, timbered floored, hole in the wall that “deals in classics and nails them.” I wanted to try everything but limited myself to 4 items.

My favorites were the cod stuffed peppers and the pulpo both really delicious and then the albóndigas. The ensalada Ruso (Russia salad) was also really good but I couldn’t even begin to finish it, they had given me a serving large enough for a family of four.

And I thought about the time in 2003 when the US House of Representatives changed the name of an item on their menu due to France’s refusal to support the US war in Iraq. Suddenly “Freedom Fries” were everywhere and it was almost UnAmerican to order “French Fries.” A change that 10 years later looked totally unfair.

And I got the idea that maybe the Spaniards should rebrand “ensalada Ruso” and call the dish “ensalada para la gloria de Ucrania” (“salad for the glory of Ukraine”). A change that will never be seen as anything but fair.

And after lunch on my way back to the hotel, I stopped for an Ensamaida. You can have them plain but this one had a filling of a delicious cream called Cabello Angel. Horno Sto Cristo has been making these things in this spot for more than 100 years!

I was back at the hotel by 2:30 with over 20,000 steps and with temperature rising above 95 degrees, I was ready to hit the roof top pool.

Tomorrow it’s off to Balearic Retreats. I’m just now realizing that I’ve never actually been on a “retreat.” In India, the Ashram was in the heart of Rishikesh on the sacred Ganges vibrant with people and activity, shalas, ashrams, shops, restaurants, cows and monkeys, babas, gurus and yogis in every direction. Balearic Retreats is located miles from the nearest built up area in a quiet serene isolated remote location of great natural beauty.

But as I mentioned earlier, I don’t really even like the word “retreat” much less the action of “retreating.” I don’t think I’ve ever actually been on the grounds of a “retreat.” I’ve never attended a “retreat” and never, not once in my life, have I ever consciously “retreated” from anything, just the opposite.

I think its my upbringing, maybe it’s my nature?

Of course I realize that the word “retreat” has a number of different meanings and connotations. I looked it up in the dictionary. But I’m not sure I’m really comfortable with any of them.

So I’m giving that some thought and will likely share those thoughts in a future post.
After all this is my blog where I write about my adventures “and share my thoughts” so stay tuned.