En vacances – farewell sea
I have finally found the swanky bits.
Yes, after a good week here in the north east of the island I have managed to take a walk that included everything I yearned for. Gorgeous coastlines, fascinating greenery, and dare I admit it… why not? Jaw dropping gorgeous houses.
It was fab.
Here is the map if ever you want to find the route I took.
I could have saved my legs some serious kilometres and just taken the road towards the Victoria sanctuary way along the peninsula through the town of es Mal Pas.
But instead I did what everyone would do who loves gardens, houses and the sea. I stuck to the small rocky path right on the headlands. Starting in the port, walking through Alcúdia then reaching the coast at es Barcarès and following the path to the right.
es Mal Pas.
And then the road quietened to just me and the cyclists.
And then I ran out of time and decided to trek back to one of the only restaurants on the coast I found for a late lunch. I was about 30 minutes short of reaching the summit.
Plus factoring in 30 minutes back down and you would have found me a puddle of hunger at the bottom of a ditch.
The few cafes here along the coast were tantalisingly shut.
Along the way I continued my ridiculous habit of stopping and photographing almost every wall I could see.
Mallorcan wall builders… they put my very paltry efforts to shame.
That photo in the opening shot is from the restaurant. And would you believe that is senecio cineraria. Growing wild.
Or just thriving. Ragwort. What a dull name for a such a plucky plant.
And I was delighted to see euphorbias at last. I felt they were missing from the incredible sea blasted shrubs I found on my walk.
Here they are in a quarry on the coast.
This was the only tamarisk shrub actually in flower.
All week I have been plodding past the trees definitely looking like dead trunks with twigs.
Add in lots of gorgeous asphodels…
And all you need is the lesser spotted tapestry tourist…
And the picture is complete.
But here is my take home from the trip. (And we don’t count the gum leaves I looted from a tree that I walked into on a path.)
Idleness does not suit me.
I was playing that game of ‘what if’.
What if I lived here on this island? Could I count it a result to swim every day in the sea, and walk this route and have grilled fish for lunch? (I didn’t quite nail the perfect coffee location.)
And the answer is, sadly no.
Because seeing these plants and these houses made me think that I would be yearning to grow things of my own.
To do months of research learning all about salt tolerant plants and then finding a place like this.
It is just crying out for someone to surround this modest home into a garden of delights.
Modest? Yes, but it’s right on the seafront at es Bacarès… and I don’t have a few million to spare to buy it.
But damn it needs some sort of garden.
I leave you with this one I walked past.
Price on request. I dare you.
We could all make an amazing garden here.
One more diversion to the mainland before heading home.