This morning we move the Tangaroa to a less busy part of the harbour where we had more swinging roomMid morning we decide to go ashore as we plan to visit the main town of Palma todayBy taking the 100+ year old tram to Sòller, we would from there take a train to Palma, the capital city of MenorcaAs we leave the port by tram we pass by the beach once againIn the distance we can see the Tangaroa on the other side of the bayOn our way to Sòller once again we pass many orange orchardsOn arriving in Sòller it appeared to be market dayWe remain on the old tram until we reach the stationThere was very little time between getting off the tram and boarding the Victorian mohogony train to PalmaThere were not a lot of passengers on the train this morningDuring the trip we traveled through some spectacular sceneryThe train took us through valleys and mountains on the way to Palma…….and past towns, orchards and olive grovesFinally we enter the outer districts of PalmaThe train trip from Sòller to Palma took us one hour and conveniently stopped in the heart of the cityAlthough we intend visiting Palma later by boat, we were told the train trip from Sòller was certainly worthwhile doingPlenty of buskers in town, however this one looked amazingOne of the many shopping streets of Palma which is quite a big city with a population of around 400,000 peopleWe have a quick coffee with a typical local fruit custard tart at the busy Forn Son Ferriol PatisserieTo save our feet and our energy in the heat, we decide to buy tickets for the red tourist buses that take you around the cityThe ‘Hop On Hop Off’ buses are great to take which makes it easier to get around in larger citiesFrom the distance one can see how large the Gothic style Cathedral of Palma actually isThe marina and yacht harbour is quite large in PalmaWe pass several old buildingsWe finally hop off at the Castillo de BellverThe main part of the castle was constructed between the years 1300 and 1311Tower of the Homage of the CastleThe circular floor plan of the Castell de BellverA number of well preserved statues are displayed on the ground floorThis groove of cistern in the centre of the circular courtyard indicates that in the subsoil there is a great cistern to store water belowWe visit the Museu D’Historia de la Ciutat which is situated at the Castell de BellverWe climb many steps to reach the huge circular terrace of the castleFrom the terrace of the castle we could see several cruise ships that were visiting Palma todayGreat view of the massive Palma Cathedral which is one of the breathtaking and magnificent buildings in all of SpainThe view over the city and harbour is one of the most spectacular vistas of a coastal city we have seenLooking down into the circular open area from the rooftop terrace
After the visit to the castle we hop on the bus again to resume the trip around the cityPassing the large port where the cruise ships are moored, we drop off a few passengers that had spent the day touring on the busThese large cruise ships cater for thousands of people and have several swimming pools and even a huge yellow water slide like this oneWe pass by a tree shaded long walking street which had many cafes and bars which looked niceFinally we decided to get off the bus near the busy central area by the large CathedralThe magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Palma is located by the waterfront, in a very dramatic locationThe cathedral is built of golden limestone which was quarried from Santanyi which is on the east coast of Mallorca, the next island to the south westWe took a long stroll down the lovely Passieg Des BornReturning to the area of the Cathedral we find a small chic eatery where we thought we would have a light dinner and drink before boarding the last train back to Sòller at 7.40 pmWe take a seat on the terrace of Cuppuccino Palau March situated just beside the cathedralWe order our usual drinks, a Mojito and a MargaritaWe share some freshly made delicious salmon sushiRic happy with his refreshing drink and his omelette with saladI order a lovely vegan salad with beetroot and green leavesMargarita, my favourite refreshing drink while in Spain!!We join in with the crowd doing the passeggiata on our way to the stationThe last train departs at 7.40 pm for our trip back to SòllerMore comfortable seats on our return trip to SòllerWe arrive in Sòller and at 9 pm we catch the tram back to the Puerto de Sòller where the Tangaroa is moored
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