Category Archives: Sightseeing

A Thousand Roads to Sóller

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

I reckon that one does not really know Mallorca in all its beauty until one has been to Sóller and Port de Sóller. There are a thousand ways (well, not quite) of getting to that part of the island, a task that not all that long ago proved quite a daunting and challenging one.

Those of us who have children or even grandchildren, have probably already enjoyed the experience of boarding the Palma to Sóller train, leaving from Palma’s Plaça d’Espanya seven times every day and coming back again, five times (see photo centre). Now would seem like a good time to embark on this journey, as the Tren de Sóller has just completed its first centennial. This trip on the old train and its wooden carriages is like a magic journey to the past. There are no longer any excuses for not boarding the train, even though charges have recently gone up, again, to 19.50 €  for adults (14 € for Balearic residents) for the round trip. Up to 1,000,000 tourists take the one hour train ride to Sóller every year, but that should not deter you from enjoying the landscape on the way, especially now when most of the tourists have not arrived on the island yet for this year’s holiday and when temperatures are not hot and scorching.

Of course, you could always take the car to Sóller via the tunnel. The Sóllerics more than welcomed the new Sóller tunnel when it was inaugurated fifteen years ago. This new connection cut their travelling time to Palma down from some 60 minutes to less than twenty; not a mean feat when you are going about your daily business instead of, like most of us, going about our leisurely ways. These days, taking the car to Sóller through the tunnel, which starts not far from the splendid Alfàbia gardens, would cost you a fare of 4.80 € (one way). The Sóllerics are not so enthusiastic at the moment at all as they were promised to have their fares subsidised by the Consell de Mallorca, with tolls being paid in full upfront and subsidies being reimbursed at a later stage. However, these subsidies have not been paid for the last 15 months or so. Thus, the tunnel was recently blocked for hours on end in protest against the high charges and broken promises. Be warned that the Sóller tunnel has one of the worst test results on safety standards, according to the British AA, with 39 points out of 100, even though no accidents have ever occurred.

If you want to see Mallorca and one of its most beautiful landscapes, I would like to suggest that you take the road from Palma to Sóller by car, and up into the mountains along that almost alpine road full of serpentine bends at a length of some 14 km. When I went with some friends up to the Coll de Sóller and down again last week (see photo top), there were plenty of cyclists tackling the challenge. Of course, they wouldn’t be allowed through the tunnel, and the mountain climb is a welcome physical endurance test for them as it is.

You could also get to Sóller from Port de Sóller by tram. Fares have gone up to the ridiculous amount of 5 € (one way) for the ten minute ride, but still worthwhile at least once in a blue moon (see photo bottom).

And you might want to sail from Palma to Port de Sóller, a bit like Junípero Serra in 1749 when he set off from Port de Sóller to Mexico to set up numerous monasteries in Baja California as well as in what is now California, USA.

The photos were taken in Sóller, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 14th, 2012. The time was 14:15:14, 17:08:36 and 18:29:37, respectively.

La Porta de Xara in Alcúdia

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

The old town of Alcúdia used to be surrounded by a fortified Mediaeval city wall, built during the 14th century and modified during the 16th century. The Southern and Western remnants of this bulwark are still largely intact; one can climb up and walk along most of its remaining expanse. Two massive gates are part of that wall, Porta de Mallorca, also known also as Porta de Sant Sebastià (the Western gate) and Porta de Xara, also known also as Porta de Moll (the Eastern gate), shown here. The Porta de Xara still preserves its original Mediaeval portcullis, carpentered in wood some 400 years ago (photo below).

The photos were taken in Alcúdia, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: March 30th, 2012. The time was 13:11:13 and 13:07:22, respectively.

The Centenary Railway to Sóller

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

April 16th, 1912 was the date of the first ever train journey between Palma and Sóller. Today marks the one hundredth anniversary of that inaugural trip (see photo bottom).

When the railway line was built, the always clever Mallorcans were listo (smart) enough to resort to a trick. The length of the line from Palma to Sóller was only 27.3 kilometers but should have been a minimum of 30 km to qualify for some state subsidies. Hence, the construction of an additional 4.9 kilometer track was begun at the same time, linking Sóller to Port de Sóller.

A trip on the old carriages through beautiful Mallorcan landscape including 13 tunnels is recommended, even if a bit pricey. You could consider a one-way trip to Sóller on the Centenary train and come back on the bus.

A commemorative act will be celebrated tonight at 19h00 in Sóller’s Estació de tren.

The photo (top) was chosen from my archive. It was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: April 11th, 2008. The time was 16:59:43. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of canprunera.com.

Moltes gràcies.

The Davallament in Felanitx

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

As a blogger, you sometimes have to take risks. Such as today when I run the risk of boring you. I know, I have been going on a bit over the last week or so about Easter celebrations in Mallorca and processions and other such traditions. And I know that I have reported in past years about the spectacular performance of the Davallament (Passion Play) in Felanitx, my hometown for the last 25 years.

But, here I am again. This year’s Davallament performance took place last night, as always on Divendres Sant (Good Friday). Luckily the rain was holding off. The show was organized by the Creuada de l’Amor Diví amateur group, as always for the last 37 years, and directed by José Luís Fernández. The Davallament is a synopsis of the suffering, the death and the crucifixion of Jesus. The play is made up of five acts (Last Supper, Ecce Homo, Encounter with Maria, The First Fall, and El Davallament [Taking off the Cross]). As every year, I am amazed how relatively little this show is attended. Yes, there were a few thousand locals around and one or the other tourist, but truly speaking, the performance should warrant recognition on a scale way beyond the borders of Mallorca, and certainly, beyond Felanitx.

After the performance, a procession involving all of Felanitx’s fraternities took a statue representing Jesus Christ to the Església de Sant Agustí, where it was entombed in a ceremony called Enterrament (see photo bottom), awaiting resurrection. The Christ figure will be brought back from Sant Agustí to Sant Miquel tomorrow morning, Sunday, to be reunited with a Maria statue in a rather moving procession called L’Encontrada (The Encounter).

The photo (top) was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: April 6th, 2012. The time was 21:35:24. The photo (centre) was taken at the same place, the same night, by my friend Guenter Woehrle. The photo (bottom) was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Spain. The date: April 23rd, 2011. The time was 00:18:15. Credit goes to Manolo Serra Serra.

Tausend Dank, and

muchas gracias.

The Crucifixion

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

Good Friday, today, may well be the most important day in the calendar of the Mallorcan community. Today is the end of Cuaresma (Lent, the 40 days long period of fasting). There will be further Easter processions of the brotherhoods, wearing hooded capes in red or black or white or green, the last ones of the year. A Vía Crucis performance will be staged on the steps below the Cathedral in Palma (12h00).

In the evening, after the church service, a Passion Play will be performed in a number of Mallorcan pueblos, such as S’Alquería Blanca (Santanyí), Felanitx, Artà, Pollença, Sant Joan, Alaró and Son Servera, culminating in the Davallament (Taking off the Cross).

Later at night, some parishes will celebrate an Enterrament (Burial), a most festive ceremony in Felanitx (see photo below), Artà, Campos and Porreres.

The photo (top) was taken in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. The date: April 5th, 2012. The time was 22:31:00. The photo (bottom) was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Spain. The date: April 23rd, 2011. The time was 00:28:26. Credit goes to Manolo Serra Serra.

Muchas gracias.

The Basilica de Sant Francesc

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

The Basílica de Sant Francesc is one of the finest church buildings in Mallorca and would probably be the contender for the top spot were it not for the Cathedral.

The church was built in the late 13th century in the Gothic style but later underwent frequent alterations. After lightning struck in the 16th century, its Gothic façade was rebuilt with an impressive Baroque doorway and pediment. Inside, you will find one of Mallorca’s beautiful historical organs created by Jordi Bosch in 1772. There is also the tomb and sepulchre of Ramon Llull, the 13th century mystic.

You can enter the Basilica’s cloisters through the church. They are well worth visiting; you will not find a more peaceful oasis in all of Mallorca. The beautiful claustro has recently been restored. When the church is closed, as it mostly is, you can still enter through the adjoining monastery and its cloisters. The convent is now a secondary school. Admission to the cloisters is 1.50 €, worth every cent.

The photo was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 30th, 2011. The time was 15:36:15.

The Easter Week

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

Semana Santa (the Easter week) is truly underway in Spain, and here in Mallorca. Lots of magical scenes can be seen all over the island, and plenty of powerful images can be taken.

Easter processions in Spain are celebrations of penitence and sincere repentance. Last night, there were six  different Easter processions in Palma alone, starting from various churches such as Sant Francesc (photo above), Santa Clara, Sant Joan de Malta or Sant Jeronimo.

There will be more processions tomorrow, April 3rd, in Palma and in the pueblos, such as the Procesión del Silencio in Felanitx, a solemn affair full of spirit and fervor. There will be other processions all week long in Palma as well as in a village near you.

The photos (top and centre) were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. The date: April 2nd, 2012. The time was 20:44:12, 22:22:02 and 22:25:40, respectively. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es and the photographer, Tesa Juan.

Muchas gracias.

24 Hours in the Life of an Island

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

(near Felanitx, at 00:40:23)

Twenty-eight years ago today, I orchestrated an exciting photo event in Los Angeles, California, in collaboration with one Red Saunders. Together, we edited the book that covered that event: 24 Hours in the Life of Los Angeles. All those years ago, we had assembled a team of 145 people, including 103 photographers from all over the world plus 16 local school children, to capture the life in this metropolis in the run-up to the 1984 Olympic Games.

Today, I have the pleasure to invite you to sample a similar adventure, somewhat different but nonetheless exciting, albeit without its results ending up in a glossy coffee-table book. I endeavour the making of a comprehensive portrait of Mallorca, my home for the last 25 years, by taking photographs over a period of 24 hours in the life of this island. This time, there is no team and there are no other photographers involved or invited. I will upload photos every few hours, depending on broadband connection, and today’s post will grow bigger and longer as the day progresses. The first photo was taken this morning at 00h40 on top of Puig de Sant Salvador near Felanitx, and the last one will be captured just before midnight in Plaça d’Espanya in Felanitx. Let’s see how it goes and let’s witness, if I will last the Tour de Force.

(Portocolom, at 01:28:42)

(Porto Cristo, at 02:03:46)

(Son Servera, at 02:52:00)

(near Canyamel, at 03:10:01)

(Cala Rajada, at 03:32:23)

(Cala Rajada, at 03:43:12)

(Felanitx, at 04:39:18)

I made a scheduled return to Felanitx to upload the first photos of this self-set challenge. Quite unscheduled, I fell asleep and had a 45 minutes nap. I was still good on time and schedule, though.

(near Petra, at 07:41:13)

(near Petra, at 08:00:33)

(Santa Margalida, at 09:24:54)

(Muro, at 10:44:09)

(near Muro, at 11:35:52)

At this time, I was still running to schedule, more or less. But it began to dawn on me that the task I had set might be a bigger one than I had calculated. I may have underestimated the challenge and the sheer distance between places, and I may have overestimated my abilities as a one-man-band. I decided that Mallorca was, in fact, a continent.

(near Muro, at 12:11:55)

(Port de Pollença, at 13:59:13)

(Pollença, at 14:18:33)

By now, it was quite evident that I was running late, and well behind schedule. I decided to alter my route plan. Instead of returning south via Crestatx, Sineu and Sant Joan, I decided to go up into the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana to see if I could catch up on time by eliminating some of the planned stops.

(near Pollença, at 14:58:40)

(near Sa Calobra, at 15:23:18)

(near Sa Calobra, at 15:25:40)

(near Sa Calobra, at 15:32:31)

(near Sa Calobra, at 15:33:02)

(near Fornalutx, at 15:37:35)

(near Fornalutx, at 15:43:27)

It now was clear: there was no way I could complete the whole island portrait, and comprehensive at that, within the self-elected time frame of 24 hours. For a start, there was no way that I could upload any photos during the course of my parcours. There were just too many kilometres to be driven from point to point. Mallorca is too big an island to be ticked off in one single day by one individual. I realized that I would have needed to employ the good services of a driver to allow me to concentrate on the scene selection and the location, instead of me minding the business of getting there in the first place. And it would have been wise to seek the support of an assistant to keep my back free from the logistics of the task. Me, on my own, doing the driving, route planning, rescheduling, time keeping, scene selection, setting up the tripod, shooting, editing, copy writing, Lightroom-ing, WordPress formatting and what have you, was just too much for one elderly man. And I was getting tired, sleepy, red-eyed, exhausted and anxious. I needed a hug, or a helpline, or something.

(near Sóller, at 15:51:15)

(Sóller, at 16:45:14)

(Sóller, at 17:03:36)

(Sóller, at 17:11:26)

In Sóller, I accepted the inevitability of defeat. It simply was impossible to cover all of Mallorca or at least, all 48 locations that I had scheduled, in one day and on my own. I would barely manage half that number and not even half the total distance. By now I had done some 300 kms, and I would surely need to do the same again, or more, with more than two thirds of the time already gone. I would need to be fitter (and younger), less mad, better equipped, better supported and assisted, and more realistic. I should simply have listened to my wife.

(Alfàbia, at 17:46:32)

(Alfàbia, at 17:54:46)

In Alfàbia I decided to go home. I needed to upload some of my photos and take stock. I might go out again after that to cover some of the Mallorcan hinterland, Porreres, Campos, Llucmajor, Sant Joan, Villafranca, Sineu, Llubi, and so on. For now, I certainly would not be able to cover the western parts of the island, Andratx, Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Valldemossa, Deià, Orient, Alaró, Bunyola; I might have to have another go at the region at some later stage. Palma, I was pretty sure that I would skip Palma for now.

(Felanitx, at 23:43:43)

Having aborted the project and not having gone out again once I arrived back home after 20 hours on the road and in the hot sun, I was busy photo editing, photo optimizing and uploading. I now did not need to do that final shot just before midnight that I had scheduled from earlier this morning. But I wanted to do it anyhow to have a pair of bookends, so to speak. As it happens, I met my friend John and he kindly agreed to pose as another mad hatter for mad me. No. This is not me sitting there, just in case you wondered.

Good night, and thank you for joining me on this ride and this very long day indeed. I need some sleep now.

The Cort de Palma

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

The Cort in Palma was initially the court or residence of the town elders. Now, the Cort is the seat of the municipal Ajuntament (Town Hall). The building in Plaça Cort was built in the 17th century and boasts an impressive Baroque façade. The main portal is Gothic though and dates from the old Hospital de Sant Andreu which stood in this spot originally (1230-1249).

You must have a look right up the façade to be able to admire the impressive cantilevered overhangs with an unusual depth of 3.60 m, having been skillfully carved by the carpenter, Josep Vanrell, following a design by the sculptor, Gabriel Torres. You can enter the Town Hall lobby and admire the beautiful imperial staircase and the two imposing giants made of papier mâché, Francinaina (left) and Tòfol (right). You can also visit the Municipal Library on the ground floor, now in its 151st year. If you are a resident in Mallorca you can borrow books there; if not, you can still browse through books and newspapers or magazines.

Upon leaving the Cort building, you will find a most beautiful, centuries old olive tree opposite. From there, have another look up over the top of the Town Hall’s building where you will see a rather intricate bell tower, holding En Figuera, a masterfully crafted clock tower with bell and Glockenspiel, dating from 1849. The bell and clock date back to the 14th century and were then on top of the Torre de las Horas in Calle Victoria. Now, En Figuera chimes twelve times on New Year’s Eve, each year, as well as chiming every hour on the hour, all year round.

The photos were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 30th, 2011. The time was 14:16:25 and 14:23:52, respectively.

The Castell de Bellver

Posted by mallorcaphotoblog on

The Castell de Bellver (Bellver Castle) just outside of Palma is unique among Spanish castles in being entirely circular. It was built between 1309 and 1311 for Rey Jaume II, when there was the Regne de Mallorca, a proper Mallorcan kingdom. Now it is one of the main sightseeing attractions of the island.

Today, the castle contains Palma’s museum of municipal history, with pottery from Talaiotic, Roman, Arab and Iberian periods. In the past, the castle was used for many centuries as a prison; the widow and sons of Jaume III were imprisoned here for most of their lives. The intellectual and writer Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811) was one of the most famous prisoners of the castle. I’ll tell you more about him in a future blog entry. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was used as a military prison for French soldiers serving under Napoleon, and again, during and after the Spanish Guerra Civil. Emili Darder Cànaves, the erstwhile mayor of Palma (1933-34 and 1936) was also imprisoned here before he was executed 75 years ago last week.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca. The date: February 24th, 2012. The time was 17:36:38. The image (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of fabian.balearweb.net.

Muchas gracias.