Day 4: Porto de Pollenca and Alcudia

Wednesday is Market Day in the town of Porto de Pollenca. Remember we mentioned that the coastal town also have a port town associated with them? This may have been where goods were brought in off ships and sold in the market place. Today the goods come in little vans and station wagons. But it is still a lot of fun to go wander, and just as amusing to watch the other shoppers as it is to shop.

But before we set off to the other side of the island, we took a nice walk though our own neighborhood here in Sant Augusti. We strolled along the beach, watching the surfers enjoy the higher winds that were coming in, then seeking higher ground to appreciate the view of the blue, blue sea.

Then we all piled in the car and drove to market. With all the traffic circles (or roundabouts) on the island, and my father still thinking he is driving his old Porsche, it is always an adventure setting off with him.  We arrive in one piece, though, and start exploring. My dad and J. head straight over to the olive booth, ostensibly to get olives, but they both seemed kind of flirty with the young lady selling them...

I was more interested in the non-edible items that Customs would actually allow to pass through! The market is full of color, and I stood a moment to admire this display of scarves.

I was also amazed by the abundance of fruit and vegetables, and the variety of it all. My mother bought  three different types of peach, some little nectarines, strawberries, figs...pure heaven!

After we had shopped, we stopped briefly for a cold drink to revive ourselves, and walked along the beach, admiring the work of the local artisans.

Then we drove around to the other side of the bay to my vary favorite restaurant, the Mirador de la Victoria.

There is an ermitage where one can stay overnight here, and this wonderful restaurant where you can sit and look out over the entire bay, and see all the way to the Cap de Formentor.

Pollenca Bay

Cap de Formentor
(the tiny boat in the foreground gives you some perspective)

I used to always order the rape, or monkfish, but a few years ago I tried the cuttlefish, and that is all I want now!  It is sooo good! Joe had a Mallorquin fish stew which was amazing, and of course we had the chipperones (tiny fried squid).

After lunch we definitely needed to walk a bit, so we headed up the trail, enjoying the scent of the warm pine trees, and stopping to sit by Las Tres Creus (The Three Crosses) before turning around.

Our next adventure was to explore the Roman theater ruins at Alcudia, a beautiful walled city, but we could not find the old road that used to take us there. We drove around for some time, stopped at a field that at least had this old ruin, although not quite Roman...

One sees little ramshackle farm buildings like this one all over the island.

 ...pilfered some figs from a tree, and then piled back in the car to drive off into the sunset. We were tired!