Day 6: Jardins d'Alfabia and Es Vergers

In the mountains that run the length of Mallorca between Andratx and the Cap de Formentor are many old monasteries, and some fabulous old houses.  The Gardens of Alfabia surround the former estate of a 12th Century Moorish governor, and has been the home of a succession of noble families.  

Entrance through outer wall to the inner courtyard.

Across the courtyard is a large manor house with several rooms open to the public including period rooms, and a library with hundreds of really old books.

 The back of the house has a long terrace that overlooks the gardens.

Balcony.  The old library is the room straight ahead.

The gardens have seen better days but are still beautiful and have numerous fountains that are fed by an ingenious irrigation system, much of which is hidden under ground.  All water flows from a large cistern where water is fed into stone channels, some of which line the paths that run through the gardens.

Cistern.

Here are a few additional photos of the Jardins d'Alfabia:

Olives are a major crop on Mallorca and olive trees live for a very long time.  And as they age they get become twisted and gnarled--no two look alike.

Old gnarled olive tree.

After a few hours at the Garden, our next goal was to find and explore the ruins of an old moorish fortress, the Castell d'Alaro. We failed...but a great time at it!

First we drove through the town of Bunyola.  Photos included because it is a typical Mallorcan town, with impossibly narrow streets--on which cars drive really fast--and the ubiquitous green shutters.

Street in Bunyola.

Another street in Bunyola.

After Bunyola we drove into the mountains toward the town of Orient.  The mountains are thickly forested and the road winds back and forth up the steep slopes.

Into the mountains.

Hairpin turn.  One of a long continuous string of them.

Along the way we passed many mountainsides lined with stone terraces. You see these all over the island.

Terraced mountainside.

The ruins of the Castell d'Alaro turned out to lie atop a very tall and steep-sided mountain.  The easiest way to get there is to drive three kilometers up to a parking lot and hike an hour up the ruins.  Of all the insanely twisted roads I've driven on this island the road up the mountain was the worst (or the best depending on your perspective). Many of the hairpins on this road are completely blind and slope to the downhill side of the curve.  The roadbed itself is gravelly and riddled with potholes and other hazards that one shouldn't have to think about when trying not to slide, roll, or otherwise careen into the abyss. OK I'm exaggerating for effect...but not by much!

Ginormous boulder beside the road.

When we got to the end of the road and saw the faint outline of the ruins a thousand feet above us we realized it couldn't be done in the time we had left that. Luckily for us there is, quite surprisingly, a restaurant called Es Vergens at the end of the road...and there were at least twenty others who'd apparently driven up just for dinner.

Es Vergens.

The food was really good and the beer was timely!