Western Mediterranean Cruise 9 Nights and 11 Days Journey Day 5: Palma de Mallorca and the Town of Sóller

Mirador de Pujol de’n Banya

Travel Dates: 2023.09.08 – 2023.09.18

Places Visited: Almudaina Palace, Ahn Ik-tae Monument, Sóller, Mirador Viewpoint, Restaurant Es Racó d’es Port, io Gelats Artesans

Western Mediterranean Cruise 9 nights, 11 days, Day 5

​

​

​

Costa Esmeralda

Breakfast was back at the main restaurant

This is the only place where you can eat made-to-order omelets

So delicious when made with cheese~!

But that red ham was really stinky and made me sick

I left it uneaten even when paired with bread..

A quick shot at the gathering point~!

Looking back now, the editing seems way too much;; haha

Palma de Mallorca

Just a short ride on the shuttle from the dock and we arrive at the first tourist spot

The video shows the beautiful sea view as soon as we get off the bus

It’s amazing but the sea breeze was no joke..

And Mallorca Island is said to be under heavy development

(I can’t remember the details lol)

Royal Palace of La Almudaina

Carrer del Palau Reial, s/n, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

And right in front is the Almudaina Palace

Writing this a month and a half after visiting

The emotions I felt then have faded a bit… sigh ㅠ

Crossing the street and passing through the garden next to the palace

Palma de Mallorca

Walking and walking

Ahn Ik-tae Monument

We visited the monument of Ahn Ik-tae..

It’s fascinating that there is a monument with Korean writing in this faraway land

I learned a bit about his background, like that his wife was Spanish

The guide sang the national anthem as a memory

He sang so well that at first I thought it was a recorded video;;

It was almost a solo concert.. If there had been more people, everyone would have applauded

Happy to see a familiar franchise while taking street photos

It was a beautiful day even with random shots

Sólle

Train Sóller Station (Palma de Mallorca)

Carrer d’Eusebi Estada, 1, 07004 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Sóller Train Station

The wooden train that was too beautiful

I took a commemorative photo at the train station before entering

The station master behind me ended up in the picture..

It was funny to realize later that he was smiling in the photo haha

Sóller Train

While waiting for the train to depart,

It was hot in the sun, so I was really toying with the idea of going in standing

Just kidding, there were people in the train connecting section, so I was curious and went over

It was really refreshing thanks to the breeze ㅎㅎ

This outdoor train I only saw in movies was this kind

I could really understand if it was an urgent situation to jump off at that speed

When we entered a tunnel and it got dark, I was a bit scared at that moment haha

I was worried about the dust, so I thought about going in

But the window was open, so I just stayed standing

At that point, the wind was a bit chilly!

Sóller

In the middle, the train will stop for about 3 to 5 minutes at the Mirador viewpoint

At this time, quickly get off to take photos and then rush back to board haha

The open view far away really knocks you off your feet

After getting off at Sóller station, I had to take a tram to Port de Sóller

Many people come for this tram since it’s quite famous

And of course, there was no air conditioning so it was really hot haha

Port de Sóller

Arrived at Port de Sóller~!

Literally means Sóller Harbor

It seems to be a port city

But I’m curious why they call it Port instead of Puerto, does anyone know? Please comment..

Restaurant Es Racó d’es Port

Carrer de Santa Catalina d’Alexandria, 6, 07108 Sóller, Illes Balears, Spain

As soon as we arrived here, we got almost 2 hours of free time

So I went straight to lunch

We looked for a restaurant with a Google Maps rating of over 4.0 and one that was close

Ordered some drinks first haha

Not that, it’s because they take drink orders first

The sangria was quite strong but that made it even better 😎

(After attending a mixology school, I’ve started to enjoy wine..)

The first dish was gambas

When you think of Spain, you have to think of gambas

At first, I thought tapas were famous in Spain and was studying hard, but

I found out that tapas is not a food name, but rather a category of dishes

Something like appetizers that are easy to pick and eat

So gambas actually looked like grilled shrimp or something similar when I ordered it but came out as gambas haha

The second dish was bolognese pasta

A safe choice for my picky mom!

It was indeed a classically good taste, normal but no failures

Finally, the paella

It was a seafood paella with octopus or something?

The first taste was wow… it was amazing, a bit like crab fried rice

The umami flavor was no joke

But the more I ate, the saltier it became, and I couldn’t finish it ㅠㅜ

Mom said it was a bit too salty for her taste, just so you know!

io Gelats Artesans

Carrer de la Marina, 18, 07108 Port de Sóller, Illes Balears, Spain

After a quick shopping stop, we had gelato for dessert!!

It melted a bit since it was hot, but it was still delicious…

Anywhere you go, the gelato tends to melt a bit.

Sóller Train

On the way back, the sun wasn’t shining much, so I could manage staying inside.

Once we returned, we stopped by a souvenir shop

The seashells and pebbles were really pretty

But I didn’t buy anything (I rarely buy decorations)

Palma de Mallorca

This must have been the cathedral near Almudaina Palace

Due to time constraints, I couldn’t go inside but managed to take a zoomed photo through the bars as the door was open.. haha

And as I was passing by, I took a quick shot of a horse that looked very shiny and majestic.

Costa Esmeralda

That day, the fixed menu didn’t suit my taste, so

I tried the onion soup, which was available for order daily; ugh…

It was really hard to eat!

And the appetizer was something like tuna sausage…

That wasn’t my style either~!!

Then I ordered a Tomahawk separately~!

It was quite a portion and not very expensive, as recommended by our guide

It was so much that I ended up sharing with others at my table (but still had leftovers)

The taste was… not super amazing, but the atmosphere helped with the experience.

A quick selfie with the Tomahawk before finishing up haha

You can’t see how big it is well, but you get a rough idea, right?

The next day, there were no tours, so I enjoyed drinking a bottle of wine without worrying about hangovers haha

I was sad that none of the meals that day really suited my taste ㅜ

The fries that came with the Tomahawk were actually the best part!

I used money I won from gambling to treat my mom

I wonder if this is treating her well or going against her?