Palma S'Oliver S'Oliver Palma Travel Date: 2023.09.08 – 2023.09.18
S'Oliver Destinations: Almudaina Palace, Ahn Eak-tai Memorial, Palma, Mirador de Ses Baranes, Restaurant Es Racó d’es Port, io Gelats Artesans
Western Mediterranean Cruise 9 Nights 11 Days – Day 5
Morning on the Costa Smeralda
On the 5th day of the cruise, breakfast was at the main restaurant. Here, you could get made-to-order omelets, and the omelet with plenty of cheese was truly delicious. However, the red ham served with it had a peculiar smell that made it difficult to eat, and even with bread, it was so off-putting that I had to leave it unfinished.
After the meal, we took a commemorative photo at the assembly point. Looking back now, the photo seems to have been over-edited.
Exploring Palma de Mallorca Begins
Palma From the pier, we took a shuttle to our first destination in Palma de Mallorca, the Almudaina Palace. The sea view that unfolded as soon as we got off the bus was magnificent, but the sea breeze was strong. Mallorca was introduced as an island undergoing active development at the time.
Almudaina Palace (Royal Palace of La Almudaina)
Spain Royal Palace of La Almudaina
Carrer del Palau Reial, s/n, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
It was a shame that the Almudaina Palace, which was right in front of us, felt less impressive as I write about it a month and a half after visiting.
We continued walking past the garden next to the palace.
Ahn Eak-tai Memorial
Spain We also found the Ahn Eak-tai Memorial. It was surprising to see a memorial in Korean in a foreign land, and I also learned that his wife was from Spain. The tour guide sang the national anthem, and her performance was so excellent, like a classical singer, that I mistook it for a recorded track.
Familiar franchise stores and street scenes caught my eye. The weather was good, so any photo I took turned out beautifully.
Soyer Train Station and Wooden Train Experience
Spain Train Sóller Station (Palma de Mallorca)
Carrer d’Eusebi Estada, 1, 07004 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
S'Oliver We arrived at Soyer Train Station to ride the beautiful wooden train. While taking a commemorative photo in front of the station, the station attendant grandfather behind us smiled with us, which was amusing when I looked at the photo later.
I took a commemorative photo with my mother. While waiting for the train to depart, it was very hot from the sun, but when I went out to the train car where there were people, it was cool because of the breeze.
Riding the open-air train I had seen in movies, the speed wasn’t that fast, so I thought I could jump off. It was a bit scary when it got dark passing through tunnels, but the windows were open, and even though I was worried about inhaling dust, I just stood there. At that time, the wind felt slightly chilly.
Mirador de Ses Baranes (Mirador del Pujol de’n Banya)
Spain Mirador del Pujol de’n Banya
07100 Sóller, Balearic Islands, Spain
The train made a brief stop of about 3-5 minutes at Mirador de Ses Baranes. We had to quickly get off, take photos of the stunning scenery, and then re-board. The panoramic view was truly overwhelming.
S'Oliver S'Oliver After arriving at Sóller station, we had to take a tram again to Port de Sóller. This tram is used by many people because it is a famous tourist spot. It was hot here too, as there was no air conditioning.
Lunch at Port de Sóller
S'Oliver S'Oliver We arrived at Port de Sóller, the port of Sóller. We had about 2 hours of free time here, so we immediately went for lunch. We found a nearby restaurant with a Google Maps rating of 4.0 or higher and went in.
Spain Restaurant Es Racó d’es Port
Carrer de Santa Catalina d’Alexandria, 6, 07108 Port de Sóller, Illes Balears, Spain
We started by ordering drinks. The highly alcoholic sangria was actually good.
Spain The first dish was gambas, which comes to mind when you think of Spanish tapas. I learned that tapas is not a dish name but refers to a type of appetizer dish.
The second dish was Bolognese pasta for my mother. It was consistently delicious and a safe choice.
The octopus paella, ordered last, was initially rich in flavor like fried rice with crab shells, but it became saltier as I ate it, so I left a lot. My mother also said it was very salty, so please take note.
Sweet Dessert at io Gelats Artesans
After some brief shopping, we enjoyed gelato to cool down from the heat. It melted a bit due to the weather, but it was still delicious.
Spain io Gelats Artesans
Carrer de la Marina, 18, 07108 Port de Sóller, Illes Balears, Spain
On the way back, the sun was less intense, so it was bearable even inside the train.
Souvenir Shopping and Palma Cathedral
In the souvenir shops, the seashells and pebbles were pretty, but since I don’t usually buy decorative items, I didn’t purchase anything.
Palma Due to time constraints, we couldn’t go inside Palma Cathedral, next to Almudaina Palace. The door was open, so I took photos with a zoom from in front of the iron bars. I also quickly captured a picture of a handsome horse I saw passing by.
Dinner on the Cruise
That evening, I didn’t like the fixed menu, so I ordered the onion soup, which was available daily, but it tasted difficult to eat. The appetizer, which was like tuna sausage, was also not to my taste.
The separately ordered Tomahawk steak was a recommended menu item by the tour guide, as it was large in portion and reasonably priced. Even sharing it with other tables, there was still some left. The taste wasn’t outstanding, but we enjoyed it thanks to the atmosphere.
The next day was a full day at sea with no sightseeing, so I drank a whole bottle of wine without worrying about a hangover.
I was disappointed that there were no satisfactory dishes for dinner that day. The french fries served with the Tomahawk were the most delicious.
Gift for Mother
I bought a gift for my mother with money I won gambling. I don’t know if it was filial piety or unfilial, but I felt proud in my heart.
