Another island, this time off the coast of Spain

Only an hour flight from Barcelona, the island of Mallorca is covered with orange trees, mountains, stunning beaches and grand architecture.

I stayed in Palma de Mallorca and made a day trip to Sóller (explained below).

First Palma – the narrow streets are like a maze and one could easily get lost, but somehow always find a way out. I enjoyed exploring the streets, finding coffee shops, colourful buildings and oranges.

Catedral de Mallorca – the grandness of the cathedral speaks for itself. It can’t be missed, as it’s located along the waterfront and can be seen from a distance.

Palau de l'Almudaina – right next to the cathedral (on the left in the first photo) sits the royal palace. I didn’t get too many photos as I was mesmerized by the cathedral next door.

Plaza Mayor – the main square, is much smaller in size than the one in Madrid, and wasn’t as lively but included plenty of restaurants

La Llotja – this building was built in the 15th century and served as an exchange and meeting place for merchants as they arrived at the port.

Baños árabes (Arab Baths) – these baths were the beginnings of how we know a spa to be today. The baths were built back in the 10th or 12th century and used by wealthy Muslims. The rooms were made of stone and outside the baths they created gardens where one would sit and enjoy the sun.

Spa - I was in Palma so decided to do something “luxurious” and head to the spa. Hotel El Llorenç Parc de la Mar is right in the centre and has a beautiful terrace rooftop overlooking the water. After walking 10-20km per day for the last 3 weeks, a massage was certainly desired!

Passeig La Rambla - a fairly big street in the centre of Palma had me pleasantly surprised as it was covered with flower shop stands. There were many roses, irises, orchids, sunflowers and everything else in between.

Beach - Palma has many beaches of course, and so a sunset was something I couldn’t miss.

Kaizen Sushi Bar & Shabu Shabu - I found this Japanese restaurant accidentally. It’s fairly new and features many dishes with unique flavours.

*bao bacon crunch Chinese style, with spiced mango, chiles and ginger mayo.

*nigiri - Seared salmon, kimchi mayo, eel, pickled red onion and crispy tempura

*nigiri - Hamachi (Lemon fish), passion fruit gel , coriander

*nigiri - Chutoro, caramelized foie micuit and pecorino and truffle powder

*wok rock mussels with yuzu and miso sauce

Day trip to Sóller + Port de Sóller -

I took a bus from Palma to Sóller and the views were breathtaking. We drove through the mountains, past the sea, lemon + orange trees, small stone villages, sheep, horses, cheery blossoms and I definitely don’t know how the bus fit on some of the most narrow roads I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture any good photos, so I hope my description paints a nice mental picture.

Market + Church - I walked through the town and into the main square. Since it was a Saturday, they had a market and I found many tempting goods. There was lots of meat, olives, pottery, flowers, honey, clothing and jewelry.

I jumped on the tram and headed to Port de Sóller . The tram is an experience in itself, I truly felt like I was taken back to 1913, when the first tram in Sóller started running.

Once in the Port, I walked around exploring the shops, took in the views, had lunch on the beach and headed up to the lighthouse - Far del Cap Gros.