Our ship traveled throughout the night which made for a fantastic night's sleep. The gentle sway of the ship through the waves was like being a baby, lulled into blissful slumber in their mother's arms. It was hard to get out of the bed this morning but we had things to do and places to go. After a quick breakfast we headed into the city of Palma De Mallorca. One of the first sites to greet us was the 600-year old Cathedral. It is mind-boggling to imagine how they could erect such amazing structures without the use of modern machinery. As the city is very old and the streets narrow, the bus dropped us off quite a distance from the center of town. Jim, being the consummate romantic that he is, hired a horse=drawn carriage to take us on our tour. Some of the highlights that our driver pointed out despite the language barrier (you know, I am coming to understand that the ONLY barriers between cultures are those we choose to put upon ourselves) were this quaint outdoor cafe and this beautiful old hotel . This hotel is apparently the crown jewel of the city as it was designed by some very famous architect (obviously I didn't get his name) and is the tallest building in the city. We also saw the King's Palace, the Queen's Gardens and the town square where they were having a children's Christmas festival. I must admit, I felt a bit like a princess riding through the cobblestone streets in the open horse-drawn carriage... with my handsome prince beside me. I better practice my "royal" wave for the next time. :)
We got back on the ship and went to the 11th deck to grab lunch. This is the view of the harbor from up there. Then we went back to our stateroom for a little "down-time" befor the evening activities. We watched the afternoon pass into evening from our balcony Come on now, you HAD to know the obligatory "watching the ocean from the rail" pictures were coming! The ship pulled anchor and headed out to sea just as this yacht was pulling into port. The marina was absolutely crammed with yachts and the shops were full of high=end merchandise and designer clothing. So, beautiful as it is, probably not going to put this spot on our list of places to buy a vacation home in Europe. Now for a real post=card moment. We were lucky enough to catch this site just befor we had to head up to the restaurant for our dinner.
Dinner was once again a gourmet affair. We were seated with 3 couples, one from Ireland, one from Scotland and one from Augusta, Georgia USA. Incredibly, our "buddy" from last night, Edgar, was seated at our table.... still in search of the elusive girlfriend. Jim enjoyed a baby shrimp salad topped with a burgandy cream sauce and cavier as his started, Mustard crusted roast beef with potatoes gratin for the entree and the absolute best pecan tart topped with ice cream to end it all. I had the Lentil soup, Asian noodles with shrimp and the poached pear with cinnamon ice cream. A nice hot cafe latte put the finishing touch on it nicely. We then walked through the art gallery. There is an auction tomorrow but we are not sure we will go. Last time we attended an art auction with the idea of "just looking" we ended up about $3500.00 lighter than when we went in. So maybe it is best to avoid. Hmmmm.... next stop was the jewelry store where I spotted the most gorgeous aquamarine necklace (my birthstone incidentily). I stayed strong and resisted but I cannot promise I can hold out the rest of the cruise without a return visit there. We ended the evening by attending the main theater for the headline performer. Her name is Jane Curry and she is a singer from England. Her style was mostly broadway in feel and she was excellant. She was also very funny and engaged the audience throughout the show. So, back to the room for a nice hot shower, let me just say that taking a shower in a circular tub while the ship is rocking in the waves is an adventure all its own. Especially with my balance issues. But proudly I will say I managed to stay on my feet. Well, sweet dreams everyone. Nighty-night
It is mind-boggling to imagine how they could erect such amazing structures without the use of modern machinery. As the city is very old and the streets narrow, the bus dropped us off quite a distance from the center of town. Jim, being the consummate romantic that he is, hired a horse=drawn carriage to take us on our tour. 
Some of the highlights that our driver pointed out despite the language barrier (you know, I am coming to understand that the ONLY barriers between cultures are those we choose to put upon ourselves) were this quaint outdoor cafe 
and this beautiful old hotel 
. This hotel is apparently the crown jewel of the city as it was designed by some very famous architect (obviously I didn't get his name) and is the tallest building in the city. We also saw the King's Palace, the Queen's Gardens and the town square where they were having a children's Christmas festival. I must admit, I felt a bit like a princess riding through the cobblestone streets in the open horse-drawn carriage... with my handsome prince beside me. I better practice my "royal" wave for the next time. :)
