This is last destination in Spain for now, as my 90 day Schengen allowance is coming to an end. I have always wondered what these islands were about so here is a little taste. These are my first impressions of Palma de Mallorca.
Travel Day
It was a quick and easy trip using Vueling for the first time. The budget airline was standard. I did not pay the minimum of €11 for a window seat so have absolutely no photos of the actual flight journey. Leaving Malaga was simple and straightforward, no long lines or waits.
Arriving into Palma was also easy and simple. Nothing out of the ordinary to report, which is just the way we like a travel day.
Hotel
I’m staying in a hotel here, which is a rarity for me. I’m an Airbnb girl, but I could not find anything at all that was reasonably priced near the historic core of the city. It surprised me, being winter and off season, but hotel it is.
I checked the price of Uber before leaving the airport and they wanted €23.98! That was not going to happen, so I hopped on the bus A1, that departs the airport and has various stops around town. It was standing room only, but that’s ok, I had my big suitcase to manage and costs only €5 that you can pay to the driver.
I hopped off within a 10 minute walk of my hotel, which was just about perfect. Traffic was moving freely; the weather is nice and I saw some pretty scenery along the way.
Graffiti
There is so much! I was not expecting this at all. My image from reading and seeing photographs of Mallorca is expensive, boujie and lux. The last thing I thought I would see is buildings covered with graffiti, not even street art or murals.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is not a negative in my books. I love it and document as much as I can, especially the figural pieces. This is a bounty for me and I’m happy to see it.
Not So Glamorous
Again, I had imagined the streets to be sparkling, full of luxury shops and boutique stores and there is an area like that to a certain degree.
But for the most part, its actually kind of gritty. There are loads of old buildings left intact, which I love to see, especially down near the cathedral. The rest of the historical district is super touristy, full of souvenir stores, gelato stands, cell phone accessory shops, tacky tourist candy stores, you get the drift.
Lots of Space
Especially down near the coastline. In front of the palace and Cathedral is a man made lake and beyond that a wide avenue with a long and clear promenade stretching for many kilometres. All of this is open to the view of the Mediterranean sea.
Even walking through the old town, one happens upon plazas and squares at regular intervals. And trees, there are so many lining the boulevards and streets. Its lovely to see, even if they are dry and dusty being winter.
I’m not sure about Palma yet. It is not what I expected at all really. I will have to see how I feel in a few days, once I have had the chance to explore and get lost in these streets. I will be focusing on the historical district as this is my preference, especially when first learning a city. I’m excited, lets see what I can find.
