Mallorca is the most well known western Mediterranean island and it justly deserves its fame. Although our journey has only touched on the coastline from the north east tip to the southwest Baia de Palma on which the capital of Palma sits, it is apparent that the island has more than something for everyone. Mallorca is an island where characters from marvellous tales passed from generation to generation live alongside real personalities who belong to a fashionable world of popular legend.
Mallorca's cuisine is the result of a fusion between available foodstuffs and the gastronomic heritage of those people who, for one reason or another have passed this way, such as the Romans, Jews, Arabs and Catalans. Additionally, there is the creativity that comes with the need to eat, the desire to enjoy doing so and the isolation in which the Mallorcan people lived prior to modern day communication channels. The symbolic foods of Mallorca include sobrassada ( a sausage type), and ensaïmada ( a circular cake created by coiled sweet pastry) but almonds, olive oil, honey and liquor such as hierbas and palo are fundamental to Mallorcan gastronomy.
When it comes to pigs everything is used. The traditional Sobrassada, made at the time of slaughter, is made from raw meat without blood and cured before it is consumed. The indigenous breed of pig is the so-called black pig, bred in the wild forest groves and scrubland. This animal accumulates a great deal of fat and at seven to eight months is taken to the pig-fattening farms and at eighteen months - when it weighs around 200 kgs- is duly slaughtered.
The Ensaïmadas are still made today from traditional recipes, albeit now with a variety of fillings. The original ones probably weren't filled but later there appeared many tempting varieties, both savoury and sweet. The origin of the ensaïmada is uncertain: it could have been sourced in either Hebrew or Arab cuisine.
Following our overnight in Cala Caragol, which is a popular destination for day trippers, we discovered next morning that there was a rocky bottom in spite of the pilot book stating it was sand and weed. We freed the anchor without too much difficulty and headed for Cala Pi, which is a beautiful and very popular bay. It is extremely narrow and has high cliffs, so on arrival, as we could tell there was bedlam within the Cala, we chose to muzzle our way into position to anchor at the mouth of the Cala. We were fully entertained while having our lunch as charter yachts, catamarans and large cruisers pushed in and then retreated out again, many many times, trying to find sufficient space to anchor. The charter yachts only seemed to know reverse and at full speed! We enjoyed snorkelling along the rocky cliffs to the end of the bay, where the yellow sandy beach was covered with crowds of people. As it was a really hot afternoon, we were all happy to chill for a while before GNT hour was announced. Dinner was 'bangers and mash' which was much appreciated, especially given the temperature below in the galley. The mosquitoes arrived halfway through the meal and fortunately burning coffee grounds seemed to be effective. With no Baileys left in the locker, we enjoyed a delicious Limoncello on the rocks while gazing at an ancient stone watch tower on the headland above us. We caused quite a spectacle as lots of people were out walking the cliff paths on dusk observing us eating dinner in the cockpit and many cameras were flashing, as no doubt Trilogy looked quite magnificent and idyllic.
We woke a little earlier than usual, to prepare for our homeward leg to the marina in Palma. The tender was manoeuvred onto the foredeck and Code Zero placed in the sail bag, in readiness for the marina. The conditions were light and the water glassy, so we motored all the way, eating breakfast while underway. After refuelling, Trilogy was neatly tied off on an outer pontoon of the marina.
It is time for me to sign off on this blog, as all that remains is the cleaning and procuring service men to attend to the various problems in the Trilogy systems that have arisen during the journey. Palma looks to be a very prosperous city and if time permits before we depart for Madrid, we hope to experience just a little of its best.