Sadly we had to say goodbye to Helen this morning so that left only 4 of us and it felt a bit strange. We packed up and left our villa for the last 5 nights and headed to Valldemossa via the longer but easier route! There are lots of wiggly roads through the Tramuntana mountains and so we decided to take the motorway for as much as possible before heading into the mountains for the last few miles.
We had a plan! Follow a walking route that should take about 3 hours 30, and then have time in the town to look around the monastery and museum, and if possible listen to a Chopin recital. By the time we had got to Valldemossa, parked and had a coffee it was already 11.00a.m, and we decided the sensible option was to check out times before we went walking. There was a recital at 11.30 so we paid up and went to hear this, knowing that our tickets would also get us into the museum and lasted until closing at 4.30. Plenty of time.
The recital was beautiful. Only 15 minutes but an accomplished pianist on a grand piano and it sounded wonderful.
Then off on our hike. Another circular walk that we knew was more tricky than yesterday but a little shorter. The first 3km were easy. A straightforward path on a gentle incline that took only 45 minutes, from the town and into olive groves and woodland. Soon after that we stopped for our first lunch - a 2 lunch strategy today!! - and it was a good job we did. After this the path just climbed, not gently but steeply, leaving you feeling that you might just topple backwards if you weren’t careful. No one did!! Up and up it went, through holm oak woods so plenty of shade from the sun, until eventually we reached a bit of a plateau and were able to walk on the flat before the last bit of climb up to Puig Gros at 938m. This was the spot for the second lunch with a view!
The path after that was easier, gently descending and the book we were using was pretty accurate, that was until we reached a point further along. We had passed a lookout with views to Palma and were supposed to carry along the path but there was a fence and gate and a sign to Valldemossa pointing back the way we had come. 🤔 After some discussion we turned back and found another path to our destination, but in places it was steep and rocky, my most unfavourite of circumstances!! It said it was a 30 minute walk, so 50 minutes later we arrived back only to be too late for the monastery. Never mind. 4.5 hours, 12kms, about 500m of ascent and descent. A good work out with the bluest of skies and views to the sea on both the north and south coasts. Stunning.
So back to the car and the drive to Banyalbufar. Interesting. For Geoff who was driving anyway. Much of the journey was on a road that could only just take 2 cars passing, with some steep sided hills. Then we arrived in the little town where the roads were even more narrow with concrete walls and houses. Unforgiving!! We missed the small turning we needed so had to drive on quite a way to find somewhere safe to turn around and then when we had taken the turning we realised the road we needed was not only very steep but also only wide enough for one vehicle!! And it wasn’t one way 😱. Geoff stopped and pulled into a parking space for officials only 😂 and then waited whilst David and Alex ran up the hill to investigate not only where the hotel was but also the suitability of the road for him to drive up. They returned with instructions. Go up the hill. Turn round. Come back down to nearly where you started as that is the only way to get to the front of the hotel. Stop. Empty the car. Then the staff and Alex will help you swing round a 90 degree turn where there is only room to do it in at least 2 moves, to reach the hotel parking space. He left rubber on the road at the point where the road was so uneven one tyre was hanging in the air🤦♀️
However, this small hotel is perched on the hillside giving us wonderful views.
A quick shower and change and then out for a lovely meal where we enjoyed a sunset from the terrace.
And then continued to enjoy it from our hotel room again.
Tomorrow the car will be staying put and we will be walking from the hotel!!!
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