FIFTY-FIFTH
DAY
A VISIT
TO NEDAL’S HOME
November
6-7
The
Windspirit is a known quantity. This is
our third Windstar cruise and even though it has been 10 years since our last
one, we know how this all goes. We like
this group because they feel younger and more interesting than the bigger
boats. There are no elevators and no
2000 people. The ship holds 148 passengers
and does not have free booze or 20 bars.
Dinner is open seating and you can come from 7:30 to 9:30. I know, I know, 9:30 is a little early for
the Italians and Spanish, but at least it isn’t the Sonoma 6:30 start
time. We booked this trip late and only
got in on a cancellation. Our agent and
friend Troy Hightower must have a special power because I think this is the
same room that we had years ago. A snug
cabin and mostly Indonesian staff brings comfort and lots of smiles. Coming out of Barcelona, the seas are
surprisingly bumpy, but by the middle of the night we are riding to Palma de
Mallorca in smooth seas and under full sail.
For better or worse, the food is better then expected. Our last cruise with Stanford to Sicily had
the worst food so this is good. If I
didn’t exercise I would weigh 600 pounds.
We wake
to beautiful sunshine and the smiling port of Palmas. We have booked a tour and while I hope not
to go into too much detail there may not be enough to see in Palmas. Our guide takes us first to the
Cathedral. It is big and well done, with
an altar and lights by the inimitable and busy Gaudi. We move back to the bus and the tour goes on
and on. The guide who for some reason is
a Russian woman, talks endlessly and between the bus diesel and the droning on
I either fall asleep or get queasy. We
get to the final stop having not bought the Mallorca pearls or learned very
much. I will say the island is large,
about the size of the big island in Hawaii with a population of 800 thousand,
Palmas having about 400,000. I resolve
not to ride any more buses or take any more tours on this trip. Kim will go to the Alhambra, which I saw,
long ago and I will stay put on Wednesday.
One of the big unknown facts about Mallorca is that it is part of the
Balearic Islands and the home base for Rafael Nedal, the new king of clay court
tennis. The tourist season is ending here and we are the last boat at our next
stop, Ibiza, until next year. Much
smaller then Palmas but with lovely shops and elegant trendy clothes, it is
very quiet even though it is Monday. Our
search for an Internet location is long and involved. We finally find a spot and get some of our
E-mails. The equipment is PC and we are
Mac so it is not easy. Also, because the
keyboard is old and has been trashed by thousands of eager users, the space bar
and other keys sometimes don’t function.
It is 45 minutes of tough sledding.
I am very worried about what we will do in Rome for Internet
connections. My most reliable team has
told me that every time you connect with AOL in Rome it costs $6.00. A high price when phone card service is so
cheap. Incidentally, some of the women
in Ibiza and men too, are dressed more fashionably and better then any place we
have been so far. It is a rich and
famous outpost for the well to do European set and you can see it.
The gym
on the boat is just ok, but I am at least getting some cardio and Kim is
walking on the treadmill everyday. We
are spoiled by the food and service, the people on the boat with us are
friendly. The weather continues to hold,
we are in some sort of high-pressure zone but the Captain says it could change
in a minute. Today we have been at sea
with no stops and tomorrow we come to Malaga.
Kim will take the dreaded bus to Granada and the Alhambra and I will
take a personal tour of Malaga hot spots.
I must admit that it is all a welcome respite from the must see everyday
touring of Rome and environs. There
ain’t much going on here.
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