USS Enterprise

July 9, 2011October 15, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

The illustrious ship of the USS Enterprise has graced our shores here in Mallorca. USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, commemorates a name which has been a continuing symbol of the great struggle to retain American liberty, justice and freedom since the first days of the American Revolutionary War. She is the eighth ship of the Fleet to carry this illustrious name that is literally defined as boldness, energy, and invention in practical affairs.

From the Mallorca Daily Bulletin:

U.S. Navy gives Petra museum a helping hand

Palma – Members of the 5,000-plus strong crew on board the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, which is moored in the Bay of Palma, yesterday volunteered to help carry out some much needed repairs to the birthplace of Fray Juniper Serra, the founder of present day California, in Petra.

Accompanied by the President of the Association of Friends of Fray Juniper Serra, the former United States Consular Agent Tummi Bestard, his successor, Amy Christiansen and US naval officials, the volunteers spent the day carrying out a series of internal and external chores at the Fray Juniper Serra Museum and the house in which Fray Juniper Serra was born.

Serra first travelled to Mexico to teach in 1749 and on March 12, 1768, he embarked from the Pacific port of San Blas on his way to the Californias.
Once he arrived, he began setting up a string of missionaries and parishes, many of which still operate today. Serra’s history is part of the school curriculum in California as he is considered the founding father of the State and for decades, ever since the United States Navy has been visiting Majorca, groups of sailors and Marines have always volunteered to help renovate and preserve the museum and his birthplace in Petra.

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Son Mercadal

July 5, 2011October 16, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

Before Felix and I moved to Mallorca we had already visited the island several times. And except for our very first trip here (awwww – we had JUST met) on the very first night we always stayed at Son Mercadal. We affectionately call it The Farm. I still love it, and I miss staying there. It is a rustic finca (which is basically translated into a farm, but can also be a large country estate to a small rural property). However you want to define it, a finca is always in the country and I have never seen one that I don’t love.

But Son Mercadal has a lovely charm about it. It is a family run hotel and every single room has its own special characteristic about it. Whether you have one of the upstairs rooms with its own private balcony or one of the room downstairs where you have your own private door to go outside, it is a fantastic place to get away from it all.

The pool has lovely oak trees surrounding it and a walk in the gardens can make you feel a million miles away from everything. Don’t forget to say hi to the donkey and if you want to ride a horse or a bicycle – guess what, you can! Isn’t this place amazing?!

And when you think you are completely in heaven you get to eat! And I love to eat. Breakfast (usually coffee or tea with toast or ensaimada) on the terrace is included in your room rate (which is super inexpensive btw) and if you have dinner there in the restaurant, you won’t be disappointed. I remember a mouth-watering feast of a mallorquin stew followed by suckling pig all washed down with local mallorquin wine.

What are you waiting for? Book a stay at Son Mercadal. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Excursions a Cabrera

September 1, 2010October 23, 2016 GOING NINETY MILES2 Comments

Cabrera island, so close, yet so far. I see it practically every day, calling out to me to come visit. Just south of my lil town of Sa Rapita and I have been wanting to take a boat ride there to check it out. Finally, with my friend Perla in tow, I did.

Cabrera is sometimes called Goat Island and measures four by three miles (about 6.5 x 5 km). It’s a charming rocky island, much frequented by pirates in days of old. On a darker note, it also served as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Napoleonic Wars. Many died on this island during this period. Cabrera is beauty incarnate, rich in wildlife and plants, and the island has been a national park since 1991.

Daily excursions by boat run from Colonia de Sant Jordi. The boat leaves at 9:30 a.m. and arrives back on the mainland at 5:00 p.m. You can also visit with your own yacht, but you must get permission in advance, and only 50 boats are allowed in the harbor (the island’s only legal mooring place) at one time.

Perla and I got up early, drove over to Colonia de Sant Jordi, had a quick café con leche and boarded the small boat. We made a reservation a few days before and everything was very easy peasy japaneasy. We headed for the back of the boat and pulled on our rain jackets, the day was starting out a bit cloudy. The trip took about an hour to get to the main island of Cabrera.

Once there, we had a “guide” give us some “guidelines”: There are no trash cans, so please bring your trash back with you. There are very few toilets, so please use the one at the port while you can. There is one small cafe and there is not a hotel on the island, so if you miss the boat back, well, have fun roughing it. After that, we were on our own for about five hours.

Perls and I had packed a deeeelish picnic and we decided the castle on the cliff was our destination for lunch. The castle was built in the late 14th century to ward off pirates, and later it held mostly French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars. Pirates and prisoners, sounds treacherous. Let’s go! Climbing to the castle …..

We picked out a cozy spot where many prisoners probably once sat. But I bet they didn’t have as good of a spread as we had; Mallorcan Pere Seda rosado wine, Mallorcan olives, pickled onions, grapes, yummy Mahon cheese cubes and a baguette from the local bakery.

Even the ants enjoyed it ……

The castle (which dates to the end of the 1400 century) was the popular place to see once the boat docked. But Perla and I stayed long after everyone had checked it out. It was only us, and the ghosts for the remainder of our stay. We looked down towards the water 80 meters below, pretended we were prisoners for awhile ….

The prisoners probably never looked as happy, or pretty. And then, sadly, time to head back down so we wouldn’t miss the boat. Back down the skinny stairs.

Cabrera is famous for its population of Balearic lizards, of which there are about 10 subspecies. Here is one lil dude we saw. Cutie.

Past the graveyard where the prisoners who died are buried. Of 9,000 sent to Cabrera, only 3,600 survived.

And to the cafe for a cerveza.

Life is good.

But wait, the trip isn’t over yet. There is one more stop. Picture a bright bluejay. Picture the vibrant blue of fresh turquoise blue paint. Now mix those up, multiply it by 1000 and you are a little bit closer to the color of the water in the cave. Cova Blava was incredible. The boat enters the cave where you can jump in the water and swim around. And though it was a bit chilly out we didn’t want to miss out on anything. So swim we did! And it was cold. And beautiful.

Alas, the trip is over. The clouds started to rain. And we became the captain of the boat. Go see Cabrera.

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