It is always difficult traveling, arriving in a strange country, jet-lagged with no clue where to go and what to do. And when you arrive and find out that (once again) United/Lufthansa/Spanair managed to lose our bags, you just wonder why bother going anywhere. (The airlines manage to "misplace" 3,000,000 bags per year but this makes twice in a row for us!)

However, it was impossible to stay depressed on the 15-minute ride into Palma. The massive Gothic Cathedral stood out against a perfectly blue sky, palm trees, greenery, flowers waving in the wind, the beautiful Bay of Palma, a clear azure blue with resorts/beach hotels in the distance.

We stayed at Hotel Almundaina, in the center of town, on Jaime III Street, right in the middle of all the action. The resort areas are on the outskirts of Palma, but we prefer the old city - ancient buildings, narrow streets, restuarants and boutiques. Thanks to the Hotel Almundaina staff, Paola and Daniel, their phone calls to Spanair paid off and six hours later, there they were....OUR SUITCASES! Ole....clean clothes!

Hotel Almudaina serves a buffet breakfast, usually included in your rate. Eggs, bacon, ham, salami, meats, cheese, yoghurt, juice, doughnuts, a form of crullers, different kinds of breads and rolls including my favorite dark bread with lots of little grains and sunflowers seeds - more than enough to stoke up on.

typical street in Palma