17 Comments

Your post just took me on a mini vacation. Thank you! 🤗I've never been to Mallorca but I might visit one day. I'm a big fan of Corsica which I visited already three times. Have you been to Corsica? You might like it as well.

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I'm glad you liked the post, Rebecca. I have never been to Corsica, but it sounds interesting. I asked my husband, Gerhard, if he had been there, and he said his high school graduating course (from Austria) had gone there together. He said it was very mountainous and beautiful.

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Such a lovely story.

Mallorca sounds wonderful, it's been on a short list for me for a while.

Your photos are fantastic!

Oh, and I totally understand your thoughts about the cycling. My husband is also an avid cyclist and "enjoys" those hilly ascents as much as the descents. Me, I will stick to the flats of the beach areas 😀

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Thank you, Laura. I'm glad you liked the piece and the photos, too. There is so much more to Mallorca than simply bathing on a beach and partying in bars--neither of which interested me when I was young and interest me even less now! Im sure you would enjoy it, and your husband would have a great time cycling.

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I'm sure he would.

Now to convince him to go somewhere warm instead of hitting the slopes. (I don't ski anymore or like the cold)

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Clarice, Your photos are astounding and I love the history, history buff that I am, and what a rich one Mallorca has. Also your use of maps is a delight. I love maps too and the use of them always grounds me when reading about travel. Also didn't realize how far north the islands were, until your map. Thanks!

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Thank you, Jeanine. I love maps because they help me visualize where a location is and how it fits in to the countries/histories/cultures around it. And I'm glad you like the photos, too!

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Map lovers unite! haha.

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I’ve been to Mallorca on holiday once before which perhaps supports the stereotype that it’s full of English tourists, but it is lovely! Had no idea about the history of piracy there so that’s so interesting

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Thank you, Mikey. I will probably write about this in the next post, but did you ever notice that there is a Port of Sóller and about 20 miles inland the town of Sóller? Or a Port of Pollença and an inland town of Pollença? And wonder why? To my understanding, the inland villages were built so they had more protection from the pirates. The history of the Mediterranean is so fascinating, isn't it?

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Love details like that!

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I had no idea that Mallorca had such a turbulent history, it's not something that Americans usually learn about in school. But many islands in the Mediterranean have a similar history. Sicily was also invaded continuously by many different armies over the centuries.

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The history of the Mediterranean is fascinating, isn't it? So many different cultures interacting with each other, with powerful countries and empires invading each other and dominating weaker countries. Considering its location, it is easy to imagine that Sicily has also suffered the same fate. Do you know if Sicily had pirates, too?

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Of course it did even in Roman times. I just read that the Barbary pirates not only raided Sicily but also the coastlines of England, Scotland and Ireland. All these countries also built watch towers.

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A fascinating blend of history, nature and food - all suffused with hints of warm sunshine, which we're in need of right now. What a delight!

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Thank you for your lovely comment, Alan. I really appreciate it.

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Interesting. Ireland built watchtowers, too, but it was when they were afraid they would be invaded by Napoleon.

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