Food, Wine and Villas -- Adios, Mallorca!
Food was uniformly good to excellent everywhere we ate. You'd have to live in Mallorca to eat your way through all the various restaurants. My favorite foods were: Tapas (assorted appetizers); Aioli (a very garlicky mayonnaise); Tumbet (a ratatouille-type dish made with eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes and potatoes); Grilled Calamari (or Squid); and Almond Cake.
The group's farewell dinner took place at Tiberi where most ordered a set 19 Euro menu which included huge plates of fried calamari, prawns in a roquefort sauce, fried vegetables, huge salads, pasta - then came an assortment of entrees....AND an assortment of desserts, followed by a "peachy" tasting liquor. Practically had to crawl away from the table, stuffed to the extreme.
Wine - Never had a bad one. All the reds, "vino tino" were good. Even the 2 Euros glasses we tried (about $2.40 U.S. including all taxes and tip) were very good.
Villas and Farmhouses - There is an abundance of rentals all over the Island. Seven-bedroom villas, Mallorcan Farmhouses (some even include taxi transfers, automobiles, cooks, nannies, babysuitters, Satellite TV, DVD's, CD players. Apartments, Hostals, Hotels and so on. Something for every budget.
Frederic Chopin (accompanies by George Sand), Joan Miro, Michael Douglas (who has a "little" holiday home here), and the Spanish Royal Family are just a few of the "rich and famous" who have chosen Mallorca for their holidays. How about you?
Our group was very compatible and self-sufficient. The younger ones had a great time going off together until all hours of the early morning - hey...they're young! For the single members of the group, there was always someone to pal around with if desired. We had many discussions over families, travel (past and future), food, careers, and commiserated over each other's aches and pains. The hiking was excellent and varied, and Tom was the perfect leader - flexible, easy-going and informative.
Mallorca was so much more than I had ever expected. Unbelievably green, scented with flowers, multiple activities, and gorgeous mountains really overwhelmed me - and left such a positive impression. View image It's no wonder that Europeans come in droves, sometimes just for a weekend. If we didn't live 4,000 miles away, it would be one of my getaways too.
Have you ever seen such a sandcastle?
Visit and enjoy!
