Midnight in Mallorca

After spending the early part of the day in old town yesterday we decided that we needed to see it with its light’s on so we abandoned the plans we had to go to an out of the way but highly recommended restaurant in favor of the action and the lights of Palma at night .  We arrived back at Plaza Joan Carlos in the heart of old town about 8:30pm and just as it was starting to come to life.  It has always been amazing to me how places like this one transform themselves from the brightness of daylight to the cover of darkness.

As we walked down the street the lights were on and the restaurants all had a barker or two in front hawking their virtues.  This is probably my least favorite thing about the Mediterranean, the hawking; you had better have looked at menus during the day while the restaurant was closed or you will have no chance to do it in peace after the restaurant has opened.   Luckily I’m experienced at all of this and we had already selected our restaurant of choice earlier in the day, Carmen’s.  It was tucked away off of the busy streets with an inviting menu and what appeared to be a friendly atmosphere.  We were delighted when we rounded the corner on our way to Carmen’s and found we were on one of the most charming after dark Palma street we had yet discovered.

Our timing was perfect and we were seated immediately at an upfront table.  Our waiter, a handsome boy, moved with the speed of lightening and spoke even more rapidly in at least three languages and we think maybe four.  He had this way about him that I have found here with many of the Spanish male service persons.  They make you feel somehow that you are special to them and that they are going to take slightly better care of you than anyone else.  I realize that they are doing this with everyone but it still somehow makes me feel special none the less.  Our order for drinks was placed and almost at the same moment our nightly dish of olives arrived.  On Mallorca they serve the olives with a mayonnaise based sauce with herbs intended for dipping.  I really don’t care for mayonnaise but for whatever reason love this stuff.  Bob’s not a huge olive fan so the dish is pretty much all mine which is fine with me.  We had skipped lunch and consequently devoured our dinners the minute they arrived.

After dinner we wandered up and down the streets amazed that places that had only looked like a closed garage door during the day were now very much alive and loud large disco bars.  Yes, I said disco and this would be complete with disco balls hanging from most ceilings.  It still surprises and personally delights me that most of the music being played here and pretty much everywhere else in the world is North American, English and Irish music, most of which I know.  Since Bob has old music favorites but not really current ones this is all still foreign music to him!!  We had to search a bit but finally found the after dinner bar we were hoping to find.  The Lennox was billed as a pub but was not the ‘much used type’ instead a very stately bar with elegance and charm.  This would be the perfect way to say good-bye to old town Mallorca.

Unfortunately Mallorca had experienced an ETA bomb attach two days before we arrived that killed two police officiers.  There was a large but unobtrusive presence of police on the island while we were there.  Another reason for this police presence was that King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were also on the island vacationing at their summer home.  You can kind of say we were vacationing with the King and Queen of Spain in Mallorca.......welll, I said kind of!!

Our plane home today didn’t leave until 3:30pm giving us lots of time to get organized and enjoy a nice leisurely lunch before we were to hail a taxi to the airport and there was still one thing Bob really wanted to do before we left Mallorca.  He had heard that of countries and places that serve red wine sangria, Mallorca’s is the very best and he wanted to try one so after lunch we walked the boardwalk and tried to select the café we thought would serve the best of the best sangrias.  I gave the opportunity of choice to Bob as this was his dream!!  After great consideration he made his decision and in we went. 

The sangria was different than those that I had enjoyed in Barcelona, lighter red and with a little bit of sparkle to it.  We tried to ask our waitress how they were made and although I think she told us we never actually got it but thanked her profusely anyway.   Was it the best in the world, well, it was the best in my world at the moment.   While Bob was enjoying his sangria I realized that the door handles that were just over his right should were in the shape of ‘pig’s feet’.  I thought this was absolutely hilarious.  If you look really closely at the picture of Bob with the Sangria you might be able to see them.

This is a trend here in Spain that I think has it origin with Gaudi.  Door handles are often representational of something: like the baby store with rattles, the restaurant with a knife and fork, the pet shop with dog bones, the stationary store with fountain pens, and the bar with beer mugs!  And now the café with pig’s feet………I find this whimsical and creative……..way to go Spain!!