Yesterday, some 1.698 participants competed for the first ever Mallorcan Ironman, a triathlon competition that covered a swim course of 1.9 km, a cycling distance of 90.1 km up to Selva and down through Inca and Sa Pobla, and a running circuit of 21.1 km in and around Alcúdia. The Ironman was won by the German, Andreas Raelert in a fast 03:53:07, and British Emma Lidbury in the female category with an amazing time of 04:33:00. Congratulations.

The sports event somehow altered the travel plans I had for my Saturday afternoon. I had wanted to spend some time in Alcúdia but, my ambitions seemed somewhat ill-timed with Mallorca’s Northeast being sealed off for any traffic for most of the morning and midday. I finally made it somehow from Muro to Sa Pobla and on a diverted secondary road to Inca but, could not continue to anywhere near Alcúdia or Pollença, until about 13h35 when we were allowed to leave Inca heading for Selva and Lluc.

In the end I had a great unplanned time in the Jardí Botànic (Botanical Garden) in Lluc, a small oasis with some 200 wild plants native to Mallorca all shown in a natural setting. There, we watched some amazing Macroglossum stellatarum, known as the Hummingbird Hawk-moth, feeding off flowers of a sage bush and pollinating them in the act. Sometimes an unpredicted detour can bring some unexpected rewards. If you should be interested, the Botanical Garden is open daily from 10h00 to 13h00 and from 15h00 to 18h00, except Sundays. Admission is free but, a small donation would be expected for the upkeep.

I finally got to Alcúdia at around 18h00 by which time all I wanted was something to eat. I had left Felanitx shortly after 10h30 and had not eaten anything since, quite unlike the Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

The photo (top) was taken in Lluc, Escorca, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 14th, 2011. The time was 14:40:42. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of photo.net and the photographer, Tom Lusk. Thank you very much.