After a hearty breakfast and three cups of strong coffee, Trini and I headed for the Old Town where the famous Palma Cathedral and other historical sites and museums are located. It was a Mediterranean sunny day hovering in the low 40’s Fahrenheit. We walked along the marina occasionally dodging bikers and joggers – it was a Sunday and I surmised these were the weekend “health nuts”.
After about a mile we got closer to the Cathedral and realized how imposing the structure is in the background! The spires looked like missiles awaiting to be fired into the cosmos. The facade undoubtedly Gothic in style.
We finally arrived with our heart rates faster than usual. We made our way through several dozens of stairways eventually reaching the cathedral level. The African vendors were just starting to set up their knock off Michael Kors and Chanels on the sidewalk. Beggars already strategically positioning themselves at the top of stairwells and outside of the church’s cavernous doors.
When we tried to enter the cathedral, a gentleman stopped us and told us that there was a mass going on and that we will have to come back at noon. It was only 10:30 a.m. so we followed several tourists who, like ourselves, were turned away. We strolled through the narrow cobblestoned streets with no specific destination – just trying to kill time. We ended up in the back end of the cathedral and rested in the palm tree-lined park and watched several boat enthusiasts racing their toy speedboats in the man-made lake nearby.
I decided I needed another caffeine boost so we ended up in an already crowded cafe across the street. We noticed some of the tourists were already drinking beer and wine. After people-watching (love those young local fashionistas walking their dogs) for what seemed like an interminable hour, we went back to the Cathedral. This time, we were allowed inside but not after the guy asked me, “visiting or attending mass?”. I guess, some tourists were there to just take photos of the interior so when they answered “visit”, they were told to come back at 1:00 pm.
The interior was not as impressive as the other cathedrals I have visited in Burgos and Leon but it was spacious and the height was very impressive. The floors were just plain stones – no marbles. Even the columns and walls were “austere” compared to the other cathedrals.
It was freezing inside since it would not be practical to heat such a huge space. I was glad when the mass was finally over. By now, the souvenir shops outside the cathedral were open so we went in and browsed and bought another refrigerator magnet to add to our collection. We explored the old city and admired the various styles of the buildings’ façades.
We saw the tourist stall selling the hop on/hop off bus ticket. We bought our senior-discounted tickets for tomorrow since it was already past 1:00 pm. We wandered towards the commercial district where the department stores are located; however, the majority of the shops were closed. For some reason, these stores have a magnetizing effect on Trini (and most women) so I had to tail her like a lost puppy going in and out of these establishments.
Finally, Trini wanted to go back to our hotel but she did not want to walk anymore so we took a taxi. I looked at my iPhone’s health app and it showed we had walked 4.7 miles (13,624 steps)! No wonder I was tired…
This is the Capilla de Adoracion Perpetua de Mallorca which was only a couple of blocks from the Cathedral.
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