We got off to a good start with a short 20 minute delay of our flights  departure with with Jet 2 com to Palma, Mallorca. Jet 2 com are a cheaper UK airline in the UK who have both planes and specialise in holiday packages.  The plane was really roomy – more leg room and wider than many we have been on. We had pre-purchased an airline cooked breakfast due to the early start and whilst it was a regular airline cardboard box meal it was quite acceptable with good tea and coffee. When booking I saw the flight as 4 hours which I thought seemed long, but it ended up actually being 2.5hrs as the rest was the time zone difference.  The pilot also made up the delayed departure time in the air which was good, and not that it has any relevance but he had a Liverpool accent.

When we left Edinburgh it was 11 degrees and on approach to Palma the pilot informed us it was a pleasant 30 degrees.  Wow what a shock to the system – I anticipated my respiratory afflication fleeing in terror! It was quite exciting flying in and seeing the island which is bigger than I expected. Very mountainous on one side, and very dry on the inhabited side all surrounded by deep blue water with turquoise green and aqua shallow bays. On exiting customs Vern asked a Jet 2 staff member – information person what was the best way to get to our hotel at Can Pastilla – shuttle or bus?  He advised us to take a taxi for a 15 euro minimum fare and less than 10 minute drive, vs. a shuttle which could take up to an hour.  We were sold with that logic and in what seemed a few minutes we were at the waterfront and our hotel. The nice taxi driver did not charge us the minimum – only the meter at 7.50, so we just thanked him with 10 euro and thought ourselves on a winner.

Check in went smoothly with Roberto and we felt even happier as we threw our bags on our bed and opened the ranch sliders to our little balcony facing the bay.   The room is compact to say the least, but modern and recently refurbished with a huge comfortable bed and frontal sea view.  This booking is a bit of a splurge one for the next 4 nights as a birthday treat for Vernon (Thursday) and some well deserved R&R.  We also get free breakfast at this hotel which comes highly recommended, so looking forward to that (like we need it!).

Despite dressing lighter this morning we needed to change into more local weather appropriate clothing, and feeling happy and energized we headed downstairs for lunch with a quick stop for some recommendations from Roberto. We chose one of the two he recommended which was just across the road and specialised in seafood and Paella. Vern agreed to share a Paella with me despite not being fond of crustaceans so we chose the mixed one which of course includes meat.  Easy to decide who gets which bits. They only cook them fresh for minimum of two people, so that was a nice compromise of him so I could get to try it.  When the waiter asked us if we would like something to drink Vern ordered a juice and I was a little undecided as he asked a white wine, a red, a rose and I responded with ‘a beer please’ to which he burst out with a unrestrained laugh – clearly I did not look like the beer type.  The thing was at 30 degrees and lunch time, if I had a wine it would be siesta time for me for the rest of the day.  Beer is refreshing and just the thing for alfresco dining in my opinion.  He came back with a good sized glass and an even bigger smile.  All good.  We got complimentry bread, olives and aioli – the latter I am unsure if that was for the bread or paella but it was fine and kicked a punch.  I am also not that disappointed that Vern is not fond of olives; all the more for me!  You tend to get served nice freshly marinated and seasoned ones here – not the jar variety.

The Paella was delicious, although the crabs, scampi and prawns were overcooked in my opinion.  The overall flavour of the rice  dish was beautiful and garlicky, salty and the stock which I think was chicken based was very flavoursome. There were hints of tomato and lots of saffron.  I have tried this dish twice before and never been overly excited – found it bland and thought a lot of rave about nothing, but this dish was really tasty and I could overlook the overdone seafood because of it.  The rice was a little al dente and had a nice amount of sauce like a good risotto – maybe not quite as much sauce but you get the idea – definitely not a dry offering. On the way back across the road we popped into the superette to get some milk and left with some cute half bottles of local rose to try and um some juice. Wine is cheap here, and very nice for the price – about 1.50 for half bottle or 3.50 for your basic full. Of course there are more expensive ones too, but the el cheapo’s tend to go down quite well in my experience.

After the nice relaxed lunch we went back upstairs for a rest and for me to catch up on a blog which I did to the tune of Vernon’s snores that were coming from the bed within 5 minutes of him laying down.  When he woke up we paid some bills, sorted out our plans for the next few days and headed out for dinner at the second place Roberto recommended which was one block away and up a shabby looking narrow street.  It was not a flash looking place from the outside or inside, but we had asked Roberto where locals ate – not tourist traps and this was it.  The prices were mid range to slightly higher and they had an interesting menu that did not include the boring ‘chips and salad’ options that are so prevalent everywhere else (in all countries we have visited other than NZ, Aussie and maybe Asia).  It was a more upmarket tapas, which had a few traditional ones, and a few upmarket ones.

I went with a local Rose that the waitress recommended and Vern had a beer – not Spanish as they were lagers and he is not as fond of those and we shared some wonderful tapas, ordering way more than we needed being unsure of their portions. In fact they were all so good including the wine that we committed to coming back again.

First off we had a typical meat selection which was notable for the freshness of the moist, tender and sweet jamon and chorizo of  a lovely fragrant quality. The plate included smoked beef jamon style too.  Spanish do great croquettes- even if they were prawn flavoured – Vern enjoyed them.  Next was an amazing dish of ‘aubergine strips with honey and sugar’ – which were chip cut eggplant boiled I think a bit first, then basted in honey and flash fried and served with a drizzle of treacle.  OMG moist inside, lightly sugar crisped on the outside. NOM NOM.  Very hard to imagine but they were not oily or dry, yet just cooked through and ever so lightly candied in places on the outside.  I also had a calamari dish – crumbed strips with a very spicy mayo dip. The final dish we ordered not realizing how big it was – was really interesting; a Spanish black sausage with pine nuts and raisins served with char grilled capsicum and toasts.  Whilst it looked like black pudding, and I am sure is made with a similar method and ingredients, it has more delicate seasoning.  Needless to say it was nice and we love tapas – one of they key reasons for coming back to Spain.

As we were sitting there in the still very warm evening enjoying our meal in a simple courtyard with Spanish being spoken around us, I had to have another pinch me moment to think and take in the fact that we are actually in Mallorca doing what we enjoy.  Feeling very blessed and happy after a long day – and yes the cold is in the departure lounge and I could enjoy the full experience of the days meals.

Paella

Eggplant chips

Black sausage

Meats platter