We set off for the north coast of Mallorca looking forward to sunshine and blue skies; we encountered torrential rain and dire warnings from the Spanish Government about being outdoors. But that didn’t matter to us, as T had gone down with a bad dose the day before we left and I caught it from her. We huddled in our apartment with thunder, lightning and tropical downpours for company. T was coughing so badly that I called the doctor. He diagnosed bronchitis and prescribed an inhaler and antibiotics. I began to improve fairly quickly and could tend to T, who was slower to recover.
Thankfully,
after a very stormy week, the good weather returned. T took it easy, painting and
reading by the pool. I cycled inland to explore the old hilltop towns that
populate the interior of Mallorca – each with narrow winding streets, a tree-lined
central square with a church on one corner and a bar on the other and a traditional
market one day a week.
By the end
of our stay, T had done plenty of local walks and I had managed to complete two
of the classic Mallorcan cycling routes. The first to the Santuari de Lluc,
situated high in the mountains, via a switchback climb through a pine forest
with wild goats to the Coll de sa Batalla at 1870 feet. The
second, along the very hilly promontory to the lighthouse at the Cap de
Formentor, with steep climbs and magnificent costal views. So the holiday that
started so badly, had turned out fine, just like the weather. We’re already looking
forward to going back next year.
