… to Palma de Mallorca …

… one of the Balearic Islands, settled during the Bronze Age around 2000 BC. Early natives hunted using leather slings or “ballo,” giving the islands their name. Father Junipero Serra was born in Mallorca, leaving to work in Mexico and California as a missionary and mission founder. Famous tourists like Frederic Chopin and George Sand helped popularize the island, and Joan Miro did some of his finest work while staying there. It’s a very hilly place, filled with stairs and steps. 
Curiously, Princess offered no excursions in Palma, although there is clearly a lot to see and do. It was a lovely day, sunny and warm, so we took a hop-on bus near the port, and rode it to the Plaza Mayor Christmas crafts market. This market had many stalls filled with intricate pottery sculptures of people working at various tasks. Although I didn’t actually see a librarian, I’m sure there was one! A bonus was spotting two nearby buildings designed by Gaudi.
 
After spying more crouching figures and smiling logs at a larger market at Plaza Espanya, I finally asked one of the vendors to write down the Spanish names of these two local customs so I could do some online research. Our nutritious lunch consisted of fresh roasted cashews and hot sugared churros from market vendors!
  
Driving through the city, the bus took us up onto the mountain past the imposing Bellver castle and the Spanish village, then back to the immense cathedral, La Seo, one of the world’s largest Gothic style churches.
 
Under construction for more than 300 years, the cathedral was finally completed in 1587. Antoni Gaudi remodeled the interior in the early 20th century, designing beautiful rose windows and an intricate and unusual wrought-iron canopy or baldachino over the main altar. 
   
The city is a contrast in styles; because of its long history of domination by outsiders, it includes Greek, Roman, Moorish and Spanish influences. Next door to the cathedral is the equally-imposing Moorish alcazar or palace, Almudaina, an 11th century building converted into a royal palace in later centuries. The only remnants of Roman Palma are a few walls in this castle.
  
As we sailed out of the harbor, a never-ending string of sailboats returned to the marina. It was a beautiful ending to a fabulous day!