Palma De Mallorca

So, my first taste of somewhere I have always previously thought to be a tacky, cheap holiday destination for English people with a lack of adventure. (And Flybe fly here direct from Southampton) How wrong could I be?

Well, the first night here, Cannabis killed any interesting conversation I was trying to have with some Australians that we met in a very English-type bar which took offence if you ordered any form of soft drink...

So my opinions of Palma were spot on then.

But that all changed this weekend, when on Friday, I found Buena Vista Social Club playing live just around the corner from the boatyard, and despite arriving late, I found myself with a private gallery all to myself to get probably the best view in the house!

View over Palma from the balcony

View from the garden

On Saturday I had a phone call from my old friend Malcolm; He was my captain from my first yacht, an Irishman, who lives 20 minutes out of town here in Mallorca, on one of the hills overlooking Palma. Not sure if he'll thank me for saying it but his house is a typical style of the houses in this area of Mallorca, and with great views overlooking Palma to the sea. I'm pretty sure he was banking on me coming round to fix his old Triumph- no such luck. I am ashamed to call myself an engineer...

View from the Garage

 So where am I living these days? Well, here's a photo of my room, below. My new contract started this week, on a very special sailing yacht which I am very excited about. It's called "Shenandoah", It has 3 masts, 10 sails and is a whopping 109 years old! I'm only on the boat for a month or so, to take it across the atlantic, after which I will be travelling to Brazil again. (More on that another time...)

Yes, it's a photo of a photo, but I'll never get a photo this good myself, so here you go. Complete with annotations!

 So, what else? Well, I've been playing golf. For the first time in my life. And I was simply awesome. At least, from this set of action photos you will probably think I am awesome, all I can say is in 9 holes, I hit a 200 yard drive twice. AWESOME.

 As I finish this blog, I actually don't know where I will be for my next update... Hopefully wherever it will be, I will have more photos to post. For now though, here is probably one of the more spectacular sights in Palma De Mallorca. The Cathedral standing tall above the city, with the palace next to it. A very magnificent sight.