The ports of call are coming so fast that it’s difficult to keep up, so 2 ports in one post.  After out localised ‘blow’ on departure from Valletta, by 10 p.m. that same evening one would have thought we were on a different planet; the wind eased and the seas dropped, as a consequence our legs to Palma and Barcelona have been under blue skies and calm seas.  Our arrival in Palma reminded me of Katakolon in Greece, they are almost exactly the same manoeuvre.  Jan, the Staff Captain, took her in.

Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the Balearic Islands and as such has a large port, mainly used for the continual ferry traffic which go to the mainland.  Lovely palm tree-lined promenades and a main street which is eerily similar to that of Barcelona; a central walkway and expensive shops on either side, they’re even named the same, Las Ramblas.  It was the hop-on bus for us here, although we had to wait a while, each passing bus was packed, it is an Easter Bank-Holiday in Spain and as a consequence the streets, restaurants and cafes were packed.    We took a shuttle-bus from our pier (€6 return) and that deposited us on the promenade, (along with countless other buses).  Across the street was the hop-on stop and while waiting Olly and Emily relieved the boredom by playing….

 Eventually a bus arrived which had sufficient space and the 8 of us, (moi, Karen, Hazel, Sam, Ant, Olly, Emily, Garry and Linda) got a top-deck seat in the open air. 

The island has historical significance; a massive Cathedral, on the site of a church, built in the 1200’s by the Knight Templars which was then a mosque after the island was taken by the Ottomans.  A castle, (Bellver) and quaint streets.

 I have been on board today, it’s Jan’s turn to have some time off, consequently no photographs as yet.  I can however post the arrival video and the ‘charts’ of our arrival.  You may have noticed that they’re back, yes, we got the pesky thing running again  🙂

We have tomorrow, (Thursday) here and then sail in the evening for Cadiz, Spain.  Passing through the Straits of Gibraltar on Friday night around 11 p.m. we will ‘breaking out’ into the Atlantic and arrive in Cadiz on the 15th.