January Highlights: The Search for Sun
Updated: Dec 13, 2023
Hello again!
My love affair with the Basque Country hit a snag as the winter months rolled in. Compared to Kentucky, the winters are fairly temperate. Temperatures tend to hover just above freezing in the 30s and 40s, but it rains a lot and I spend much more time outside just walking from place to place. So by the time the holidays hit, I was itching to trade in my umbrella and gloves for a few beach days. Luckily, Spain boasts some beautiful, more temperate areas just a short flight from Bilbao.
New Year's in Mallorca
After a few days in Madrid, my friend Grace and I flew into Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain. We stayed in the city of Palma de Mallorca as a base camp and explored a good amount of the island from there. This did require the use of (my first!) rental car. I take absolutely zero credit for driving the teeny tiny European car we named Paulette, but I think figuring out how to recharge her was a team effort. This particular learning experience came at the most inconvenient time when we nearly ran out of charge an hour outside the city. In the dark. On a bank holiday. After being laughed out of several gas stations, we ended up setting up shop at a public pool for about 2 hours while Paulette charged up, getting acquainted with the neighborhood cats and watching Netflix movies on a 6 inch screen. Scary? Yes. Stupid? Definitely. Potentially friendship-ruining? Probably, but we lived to see another beach day! Moral of this story: American rental companies really know what they are doing when they set that 25-year-old age requirement.
First Stop: Deià
Outside of that hiccup, Mallorca definitely showed us a good time! After all, it's about the journey rather than the destination, a cliché that perfectly fits the natural beauty of Mallorca. Scenic drives around the island to different beaches and towns were so picturesque and gorgeous. Those views were just as magnificent, if not better, than the destinations themselves. But when it came time to park the car, my favorite destination was the town of Deià, a coastal village on the northern part of the island. This enchanting town is built right into the mountains, each building carefully matching its natural environment. I think that's a big part of the town's charm, that it has been built to quietly complement the landscape rather than exploit its beauty with its own agenda, as so many resort towns end up doing. It's nestled over the sea via some winding backroads with stunning views.
Visiting in the off-season meant we basically had this fairytale town to ourselves, but this treasure is far from hidden. In warmer weather, it's a bit of a hotspot for celebrities in search of a respite from paparazzi or a quiet space to write or record. Allegedly, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Princess Diana, Brad Pitt, Kate Moss, Beyoncé, the Beatles, David Bowie, Tom Hanks, Harry Styles, and many more have all spent time in Deià, many in Richard Branson's former hotel or in their million-dollar summer homes. Basically, if they've ever made the cover of People Magazine, it seems like they spent time in Deià.
We took a gorgeous walk past the sandstone homes to the overlook at San Juan Bautista Church, following the ceramic Stations of the Cross etched into the pathway. Then we entered into the church cemetery, a hauntingly beautiful space overlooking both the mountains and the ocean before hiking down to Cala Deià, a small rocky beach at the foot of the mountains. We finished the day with a pit stop in the nearby town of Valldemossa, a beautiful valley town known for Coco de Patata, a sponge cake made of potatoes and dusted with powdered sugar, paired with a cup of hot chocolate.
Caló Des Moro
We also visited several beautiful beaches that, during the high season, are nearly impossible to reach and miserably crowded if you do. But in the winter, many of these beach towns become eerily deserted and charmingly private. A prime example is Caló des Moro, which is supposed to be wildly popular in the summer. Instead, we found this quiet little cove a short hike from a one way road/parking lot and down a particularly hazardous flight of stairs. Calm, crystal blue waters tucked in by the surrounding bluffs made the trek (and the public pool parking lot disaster) well worth it.
More Mallorcan Beaches
These beaches, while less "off the grid" than Caló des Moro, were equally breathtaking and strangely devoid of crowds. Pictured below: an ode to perfect beach days at Playa de Alcúdia, Platja de Can Pere Antoni, and Porto Cristo.
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is a small but lively city on the southwest part of the island. It's dotted with exquisite, colorful buildings and lovely green spaces from which to enjoy the city. It's crowned by La Seu Cathedral, an enormous 14th century Gothic church with an unusual number of windows. These windows allow for the daily rise and fall of the sun to naturally illuminate the cathedral's breathtaking interior.
Spending New Year's in Palma meant we also could partake in a special Spanish tradition. After an impromptu and extremely goofy photoshoot in Plaza Mayor, we gathered at the foot of the cathedral with the rest of the city to watch fireworks over the city's port, grapes at the ready. Spaniards have traded a midnight kiss for the rapid consumption of 12 "grapes of luck". 12 grapes, for 12 strikes of the clock, to represent 12 months of the year, and the 12 resolutions you make.
Málaga Despite my epic failure to consume 12 grapes in as many seconds, I've still enjoyed a pretty lucky start to my new year. Especially since just a few weeks later, I flew down to Málaga, a coastal city in Andalucía, to explore another part of sunny Spain and try some fantastic tapas. It's a great city for a short weekend trip, to simply explore and walk around, because there's always something beautiful to look at. Exhibit A: The Cathedral of Málaga, city streets, and views from the water.
But Málaga is a town with both beauty and brains. It is home to stunning historical landmarks such as the Roman Theatre of Málaga, which dates back to the 3rd century under Emperor Augustus. The theater steps are situated at the foot of the Alcazaba, an iconic fortress built by the Muslims in the 11th century. It features the typical Moorish architecture, similar to the Alcázar in Seville or the Alhambra in Granada: elaborate water features and gardens, detailed adornments of tile and plasterwork, and intricate archways. It also boasts some of the best views of the city, rivaled only by its military neighbor, Gibralfaro Castle.
Contrary to the way I've made it look, I also go to work (most days). Below is the a list of things my students have said to me recently, and I think there is no better way to prove that I work with kids.
"Do you have a skin disease?"
**Playing hangman** 9-year-old chooses the word "sternocleidomastoid"
"When I grow up I want to be a painter and a wizard."
"After class I'm going to buy a cactus. My mom said I can have one when I turn 5."
"Do you want to see pictures of my stitches?" (Unfortunately this was said by someone well over the age of 5.)
Cheers to a great January and wishing everyone a happy February.
Agur
Julia
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