Covid-19 has put travel on hold for most of us.  Until the pandemic relents or the medical community produces an effective treatment or a vaccine, I’ll be staying at home.  My travel posts will cover unreported pre-coronavirus trips.  This post shares sights from an afternoon stroll in Palma de Mallorca (Palma) in October 2019.  I hope the post brightens your day and stirs interest for future travel.

The bus from Palmanova dropped me near the marina.  The terrace of a second floor restaurant offers good views of the surrounding area.  Palma is the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands of Spain.  The population is about 500,000.

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Catedral de Santa María de Palma de Mallorca

Catedral de Santa Maria de Palma de Mallorca dominates the Palma skyline.  Perched on a small hill overlooking the city and the Bay of Palma, La Seu is visible from every neighborhood in the city and no doubt a good distance at sea.

La Seu is built on the location of the largest mosque of the Moorish period of the Mallorcan history.  It is built in gothic style.  Perhaps the arch on the south side hints at the islamic heritage of the site.

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La Seu from Parc de la Mar

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I visited on a Sunday, the only day when La Seu is closed to visitors.  Admission is seven euros.  Interior features include a huge stained-glass window and a nave that reaches 44 meters in height, one of the tallest of any cathedral in the world.

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Construction began in 1229 and required nearly 400 years to complete.  To the people of the times, the giant cathedrals and churches of Europe would have been awesome symbols of the power and importance of the religions they represented.

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Gardens and fountains are found on the street level in front of the cathedral.

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Old City

The gardens in front of the cathedral are adjacent to the Old City.  Turn off the few main thoroughfares clogged with traffic and tourists to find quiet streets and narrow walkways.

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This sidewalk restaurant on a main street had an interesting name.

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The side streets are not just less busy they are cooler and have restaurants and shops with better prices.

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Overall Impression

The self-guided, free walking tour of central Palma was a fantastic way to spend a warm October afternoon.  A guided tour would have visited more places and provided more information, but it was fun to figure out what looked interesting and explore at my own pace.  Do you know Palma?  What other places do you recommend for a list of places to see in the area near La Seu?