From time to time our children ask us if we can spend time exclusively with one of them. This time the middle child wanted to spend a few days just with her mom. Nothing better than that! Although it wasn’t easy, we looked for a free time slot in the family calendar in which my husband could take care of the other two while working. Our choice fell on the Easter holidays. Now there had to be a goal. When a good friend heard about our plans, she invited us to Mallorca. A few months later we were on the plane to Palma de Mallorca and had four days on the Balearic Island ahead of us. Conveniently, we were picked up directly from the airport by our friend, arrived in Son Servera late in the evening and went straight to bed after a small snack.
I had never heard of this little town before, but I hadn’t been to Mallorca very often either and the last time was over 10 years ago. So the next morning we explored the surrounding area. After two churches, a few (really good) restaurants and shops for your daily needs, the pedestrian zone was already over – a bit sleepy, but cute and very nice!
Cala Millor is less than four kilometers away, so we strolled there in the not so sunny weather. Unfortunately, most of the path runs along the road, but due to the low traffic it didn’t particularly bother us. It was obviously not yet high season on the Germans’ favorite island and so many restaurants and shops were still in hibernation. However, we were able to find the typical souvenir shops and a few cafés and ice cream parlors. And the middle child in particular thoroughly enjoyed having the beach almost to herself. With an ice cream to give us strength for the way back, we started heading home.
In the evening our friend took us to one of her favorite restaurants on the island – the Binicanella. Located at the end of an inconspicuous turnoff from the highway, perhaps the best meat in town can be found in a lavishly renovated old hermitage. In the outdoor area with a bouncy castle and a small playground, the kids can spend the waiting time until or after dinner, while parents can enjoy a good drink or two in the typical rural atmosphere of Mallorca after a delicious meal at very fair prices.
On day 2 of our stay, we drove to Palma. After breakfast there we went to the parking lot directly behind the train station, from where we wanted to take the historic train to Sóller a little later. No sooner said than done – like, unfortunately, many others. The one-hour train ride, including a short photo stop, was quite entertaining, but at €28 per person it wasn’t exactly cheap. When we arrived in the small town, we felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of visitors who had already arrived. We had the choice of exploring Sóller ourselves or taking the old tram to the port of Sóller. On the advice of a friend, we stayed in Sóller itself until the return trip. Despite the large number of people, we were able to walk relatively relaxed through the small alleys and streets and stopped a little later in one of the somewhat overpriced cafés by the fountain. Unfortunately it looked increasingly like it would rain and the train back to Palma came at just the right time.
I realized that Mallorca and especially Palma have a lot to offer in terms of cuisine when I read a newspaper on the flight here. There are no less than ten Michelin Star restaurants on the island, most of which run at least one other restaurant to suit every budget – including star chef Maca de Castro. As luck would have it, her “second restaurant”, Andana, was right around the corner in the train station building – which came in handy after the long trip. The small but fine and somewhat unusual menu left nothing to be desired (at least for me). The culinary creations were a bit too wild for the middle child, but everyone was fed up.
Unfortunately, the rain didn’t wait any longer, and we had to cancel our planned shopping trip through Palma’s shopping streets. Instead we spent a cozy evening with Rummikup and good conversations.
The beach weather that the middle child had longed for was finally announced for the next day. At breakfast we didn’t really trust the roast and set off on a little exploration of the nearby port city of Porto Cristo. It was significantly emptier here than yesterday in Palma and Sóller. Strolling past the souvenir shops and small shops, we took a walk around and arrived back at the parking lot at the harbor. From there we were even able to marvel at ex-tennis professional Rafael Nadal’s catamaran.
Back in Son Servera we chose the Italian “Peperoncino” for lunch. Here, classic Italian dishes are reinterpreted with regional ingredients and served at a high level of quality in a family atmosphere. Thank God the middle child was perfectly happy again. I have rarely eaten Italian food so deliciously.
In the afternoon we finally went to the beach of Son Moll in Cala Rajada. We were lucky and snatched the last parking spot opposite the beach. I don’t even want to imagine what’s going on here in the summer… In addition to the two surfers in long wetsuits, you could also see the middle child jumping into the waves in a swimsuit a little later. With 16 degrees air temperature was 16 degrees and the water certainly not being much warmer, I would have frozen to death immediately. But happy child, happy mom ;-). My girlfriend and I were content with only dipping our feet in the cold water and preferred to lie down in the sun on our beach towels. After the child was dry and warm again, we strolled along the promenade of Cala Rajada and rounded off our stay in the evening with an ice cream sundae.
The next day we had to say goodbye to our friend and this beautiful island and start our journey back to Germany.
The last time we were on Mallorca (at that time there were three of us) was with a baby and neither time was during high season. Mallorca has so many beautiful corners, but I wouldn’t want to imagine them being completely overcrowded in summer. But away from the tourist crowds and outside of high season, I would come back any time!
With that in mind: Adiós!
Helpful Links:
restaurante-binicanella.com
trendesoller.com
andanapalma.es
peperoncino.es