With my love for the Spanish language and my fascination for Mediterranean landscapes, the island of Mallorca has been one of my dream destinations for a long time. A couple of months ago or so I had finally decided that 2009 was going to be year for my visit to Mallorca. Spring is the perfect time to visit southern Europe the weather is usually great, and the hordes of Northern European tourists have not arrived yet.So I had booked a very...more
I love unearthing small, quirky cocktail bars in London. When you open the door, you get transported to another world, a magical world away from the hustle and bustle of London. After a lot of searching I think I have found my three favourite quirky bars! 1) Bourne and Hollingsworth (West End)Walk down the stairs, off Charlotte Street and be transported back to a 1930s / grandmas dining room. This may not sound very appealing but it...more
On my last full day in Mallorca my plan was to explore the eastern part of the island. I had spent the vast majority of my time in the north of Mallorca, where the dramatic Serra de Tramuntana mountain range had held an almost magical spell on me. Today my destinations were on the eastern part of the island.Around 10 am I left Port dAlcudia and started driving south. The first big attraction along my route was the Parc Natural de sAlbufera, a large protected wetland that features many kilometers of walkways that allow visitors to view the fauna and flora of this nature area. More than 200 species of wild birds can be admired up close at this conservation area. Close by is the town of Can Picafort, a tourist town located in the centre of the Bay of Alcudia which is particularly popular with tourists from Germany. From here the road turned inland through flattish countryside with occasional rolling hills.My first stop was at the hilltop town of Arta whose name derives from the Arabic word for garden. I drove through the narrow streets of the town to a parking lot below the fortification, parked my car and hiked up to the top of the hill which is crowned by the impressive Sanctuary of...more
After a tasty home-made breakfast on the balcony of my studio apartment in Port dAlcudia I was ready to head out for a full day of explorations. Somehow, the northern mountainous part of Mallorca has an almost magical spell on me. I had already spent the major part of my entire first week on this island in the northern Tramuntana Mountains, and I...more
We had thoroughly enjoyed our drive through the Tramuntana mountain region yesterday and our discoveries in the town of Sller. After a restful night of sleep I got up at 8 am and walked to the main house of our rural hotel, Finca Cas Sant, to use their Internet connection. Then it was time for an outdoor breakfast on the terrace of our hotel,...more
Our second day in Mallorca greeted us with bright sunshine. After a restful night at Finca Son Pont, we got ready to have breakfast in this historic rural hotel. Tables were set up in the shady inner courtyard and we were going to have breakfast in the fresh air. We picked up some cereal, yoghurt, some fresh bread and locally ripened fruits and joined in the conversation with other couples who had sat down at the tables next to us. Two other couples were in town from Germany to attend a large wedding in Puigpunyent and one couple was visiting here from Holland, the second time that they were visiting Finca Son Pont.After a leisurely conversation I took some more pictures around the property and we packed our luggage, ready to head on to our next destination. We thanked Hector, the older gentleman from Argentina, who is in charge of administering the property. We both agreed that we could have handled spending some more time in the rural serenity of this impressive rural estate.Shortly before lunch we hopped into our small rental vehicle and drove the 12 kilometres back into Palma de Mallorca. Traffic on this tiny island that is populated by more than 700,000 people (and many more...more
Our second full day in Mallorca started with an early morning stroll along the Pine Walk promenade in Port de Pollena, a beautiful seafront town on the northeast side of the island. The expansive Bay of Pollena was shimmering in front of us in...more
Our location in Palma Nova on the western bay of Palma was very convenient with one exception: several of the hotel guests came home between 3 and 6 am in various states of inebriation and were hollering loudly to each other. Their incomprehensible...more
As the late afternoon sun had come out, I was continuing my action-packed day in Prague. After a guided tour through Pragues Jewish Quarter, a savory and informative lunch in Pragues oldest kosher restaurant, followed by a tour of Municipal House,...more
One of Pragues key attractions is the Jewish Quarter, the former Jewish ghetto of the city. So on this bright, yet blustery day I strolled from my hotel on Wenceslas Square over to Old Town Square to meet my personal tour guide for the day who would...more
Always on the lookout for historical structures, I had planned a visit to another renowned Prague establishment: the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, established in 1932 at the height of Art Deco as Pragues premier hotel of that era. Martina Pavlikova from...more
On a somewhat cool and breezy day, bright sunshine woke me up and I stepped out on to the balcony of my room at the Hotel Jalta. This four-star hotel is located on Wenceslas Square, the main square of Pragues New Town district. To my left, at the top...more