70km, 3:10, one market, many beaches
The weather continued to be a bit dicey. It had been unusually windy and a bit on the cool side. We’d had more rain than I had experienced the first time I was here. The group had planned to go back to the mountains this day, but because of the forecast it was postponed until Saturday.
So instead, everyone went off in various directions. We started out with others to pick up the pottery we had purchased the day before from the potter in Santanyi.
While others continued on, Christina, Nadia and I headed back to the hotel. It was looking like it could clear up so we were going to try to get a ride in. As we arrived back at the hotel, the boys (Peter, John, Kris & William) were heading out for a 1pm ride. We were thinking of going to Manacor (I wanted to check out a bike story) so got some direction on how to get there on the back roads.
The three of us went and got ready and met back with our bikes just as it started to rain. So, we decided to have lunch instead. We went to nearby Paparazzi, a nice wood-fired pizza place around the corner from the hotel. Based on good advice from Christina, we took our bikes and went in biking gear to see if it would clear up by the time we were done. It was good advice because it was cold and I suspect if we hadn’t had our bikes with us we may never have made it out that day.
(The last time I was in Majorca two years ago, I guess I must have spent some time at Paparazzi since the first night when I dropped by one of the owners said “welcome back!” to me.)
We had a lovely lunch, sharing antipasti tapas and a pizza and, as luck would have it, just as we were finishing up the sun came out! While we had originally intended to go to Manacor it was now 3pm already, so we decided to head down the coast.
Nadia, me & Christina
It was a great, meandering kind of ride. We really didn’t have a destination in mind, but we did keep trying to find a route along the water so we could stay off the main road. This led to a number of stops to check the map, a few wrong turns, but some nice finds.
Just short of Porto Christo, we stopped for a drink and decided that given the late time, we should probably start making our way home. In an effort to stay off the main roads, we tried going along back roads, across country to one of the main roads south to Felanitx and then home.
It always amazed me how Peter, John and Kris could pick their way through the stone-walled roads so well and get us where we wanted to go. I had a renewed appreciation for how great an addition to our experience it was after trying to find a route through the countryside with Nadia and Christina.
After a couple more wrong turns, some stops to read the map, some stopping for directions & clarification that the roads we wanted to take were, indeed, paved – thankfully both Nadia and Christina speak Spanish – we made it back. It was probably after 7:30 by the time we got to the hotel and the sun was lying low on the horizon.
Every ride is a different ride and this was a nice combination of adventure and good companionship. Sometimes it’s nice not knowing where you’re going and instead simply relying on serendipity.
(As mentioned in a previous post, I’m writing these in hindsight. I’m now home, of course. Day Seven was Friday, April 13. Funny, while I was in Majorca I found myself asking more than once what day it was. I don’t think I knew it was Friday the 13th.)
A Year of Living Intentionally 