Calm in Palma

(Fountain on roundabout in Palma city centre...)

Last month I flew to Palma for a long weekend with seven best friends to belatedly celebrate our 50th birthdays, which happened during the pandemic. We left our homes at 2am to arrive at Luton airport and were groggy but excited to check our bags in and go for breakfast together before our flight. It had been way too early to apply make-up, so had to continue with raw faces until a 3pm check in at our hotel. We did what any sane menopausal women would do and went for a boozy lunch once we had arrived until we could enter our rooms. We were giggly, overtired and relaxed all at once, so ended up having hilarious conversations over a lovely, lazy afternoon before staggering back to our hotel. We rested for a bit, changed into our swimwear and then met up again for a dip in the hotel's roof top pool. It was bliss to plunge into the refreshing water after getting hot in the city and swimming whilst overlooking the colourful buildings below. We read our books and sipped cocktails; living the dream we had been having since we had all turned fifty and making this holiday into a reality. Back in my room, I indulged in a disco nap before tapas in town but we were all a little delirious by then from lack of sleep and ended up in bed by 8.30pm.

(Mojito from hotel roof top bar...)

(The hotel's roof top pool...)

(Carrot tapas)

Our rooms were clean, modern but quite compact and I ended up using my luggage rack to hang clothes from as overspilling from the wardrobe and drawers - think I over-packed. The shower cubicle was like Dr Who's Tardis but a misleading one, as it didn't feel any bigger once you were inside and it leaked into the bedroom and toilet area whenever you had a wash, which had to be mopped up with towels or waded through but worked as a foot bath. Apart from that, the hotel was great and the breakfast buffet was plentiful, with a delicious feast to choose from.

We had picked a scorching hot time of year to travel to Palma but that didn't deter us wandering the streets in the midday sun while the locals were probably keeping cool inside having a siesta. We wore sunhats, sun cream and sunglasses but even then, the sweat poured down from our faces down to our freshly polished toes. We ate more lunches in the shade, which ambled on over the afternoon and we ate, drank and cackled like witches, having the best time. We visited the cathedral, which we hoped would provide some respite from the heat but as we were being overwhelmed by it's beauty we had to make do with our Spanish fans for a breeze. We looked up in awe at the high ceilings, imagining how on earth they had managed to build such splendour back in the day. The building was glorious but as we were all glowing, we didn't stay long.  Then, there was nothing else for it but to pop in and out of shops to enjoy a blast of air conditioning and the sparkle of goods for sale like the murder of magpies we are. We certainly got our steps in with all the walking around the vibrant city, with it's cobbled streets and steep steps. I particularly liked the pirate market near the cathedral, taking in the fantastic architecture, walking along the tree lined pathways and the wonderful fountains. We had drinks one balmy evening with a wonderful view of boats and yachts in the distance.

(The Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca...)

(Inside the magnificent cathedral...)

(Amazing architecture...)

(Palm trees in Palma...)

(Plaza Major...)

(One of the wonderful fountains...)

On our last day, we checked out and stored our luggage in the hotel store room whilst we made the most of our time left with more mooching around the shops, lunching and lazing by the pool. There was also a pool in the basement of the hotel, which I cooled down in before we travelled home. As we waited for our taxi to the airport in the lobby, no other than Michael Douglas walked past. There was a film festival event on and paparazzi followed him while he was interviewed. He turned to look at our group before he entered the lift, looking a bit terrified we might pounce. Our flight wasn't until 9pm so we shopped for a bit and got something to eat before flying home, feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and into bed past midnight. We all had a fabulous time and now we want to plan another trip next year...

#michaeldouglas, #palma, #fountain, #cathedral, #market, #tapas