home again

After an exhausting flight from Helsinki, Alan and I arrived home last Thursday.  Alan managed to pick up a little something on the flight and is suffering from the flu, or something similar.  I am still a little jet lagged, but its great to be home again.  We do have a nice apartment!  And lovely family to welcome us! Sigh!

Mallorca

This is a  very pretty island and Palma, the capital, is a beautiful city.  It helps that the weather has been lovely and warm and we have been swimming at the city's nearby beaches.  Alan has hired a bike and been riding and today we hired a car and went to Trenc, a clothing optional beach on the Island's southern coast.  We had lunch at a restaurant recommended by Tony but we all agreed that the paella Alan cooked the other night was much nicer and way cheaper.
The top photo is the Cathedral, which is enormous and dominates the city.  The beach is Playa de Palma, and short bus ride from our place.

A swim in the Mediterranean

Do you know that the last time I swam in the Mediterranean Sea was in 1975?  I think I was overdue for another dip and today was the day.  We are staying in a beautiful apartment in Palma, Mallorca.  That's an island off the Spanish Coast.  We have a two week home exchange here in a lovely apartment in the old city.  We have 7 windows overlooking 4 different streets and each one has a wonderful view.
But that's not telling you about my swim.  We took a day trip to Soller on the island's west coast.  We caught a vintage train there from Palma - that made Alan happy - then a vintage tram from Soller to the Port - then a boat to a small village called  La Calobra.  That's where I had my swim in crystal clear water that was the perfect temperature.  There was a small taverna on the beach where we had drinks and something to eat afterwards.  A beautiful day.  This picture is of Port Soller.