This title was inspired by one of our rally mates last year in Indonesia. Since she said it, I've thought of so many travel moments for which it was applicable. For instance, if you're traveling in Israel and are going to be there on a Saturday (the sabbath), plan to go to Petra, Jordan. There's nothing going on in Israel in Saturdays. Unfortunately, Ken and I did not know about this the first time we were there, and we wasted a valuable travel day.

So....we are still here in Mallorca. We spoke to the agents at the marina office, and they suggested driving up to Pollenca, Port de Pollenca and then continuing on to Cap de Formentor. OK. Sounds like a good plan. We like local knowledge. The trip through the promontory was beautiful. The cliffs are majestic; the road up was a typical narrow, squiggly mountainous road....the Captain's fav. We were amazed by the number of bicyclists flanking us...up and down and up and down...the hills. Some were geared up for the Tour de France, with very hi-tech bikes and clothes to match. Others were geared up for driving to the local park to watch their kids play soccer with the kind of bike one would expect ...and clothes to match. That said, they were all chugging along up the 18 kilometers...or was that 180 kilometers to the top. The road seemed endless. ...Why they were doing this, I couldn't imagine. They seemed to be very nonchalant about this (what I considered arduous) ordeal. We were also joined on the side of the road by goats making the trek. They, too, were enjoying the climb. (How do I know? I asked them and they told me. It's not for nothing they call this type of road a 'goat path'.)

The cars ahead were going slower and slower until they came to a halt. We could see the road winding ahead, and cars lining it end to end. AHA! They're waiting to get into the (very small) parking lot at the top...the top being a landing with a lighthouse. There were some cars which were parked anywhere along the road they could find with a few extra inches of space...and the passengers were getting out and hiking up...but that wasn't on our list. Anyway, eventually, Ken suggested that I get out and walk the rest of the way while he waited for his turn. I did...(1200 steps on my Fitbit) took the requisite pictures (see above) ...yes, the view was spectacular....and I found a shortcut through the rocks to get me down. Ken and car had barely moved. These hundreds of cars were waiting to get into about 20 spaces at the top. Not a good formula! Fortunately, the road had a spot which was just a little wider, and I encouraged Ken to make a U-turn; he did; we got out of Dodge.

So...there are two lessons here. Lesson one: I now understand why these bicyclists were willing to go through what they did to get to the top. They knew they would eventually get there..unlike the drivers like us who might not. Lesson two: (Back to the title of this blog) If you find yourself in Mallorca and want to go to Cap de Formentor, here's the helpful hint: get up at first light, drive up for sunrise and get one of the 20 parking spots....mid-week.

On the way down, I decided to check our Fodor's to see what they had to say about this trip. (Yeah, I know....fine time to check.) It described the 'splendid' (their word) drive up. Now, I would not have described it that way...which is why I am not a travel writer.

PS: After all of this driving, Captain Ken is going to ace his driving test when he gets back to Florida.