Mallorca

October 12th is Spain’s National Holiday, which is celebrated in Madrid with a military parade, and that’s about it. It’s not like our Independence Day with village parades and activities. My classmates said there are no BBQ’s with friends and neighbors, and sadly there are no fireworks. The good news is that this year, October 12th fell on a Thursday and the Spanish government made a puente or bridge extending the holiday over Friday, resulting in a four-day weekend. So, we decided to take a pass on the military parade and fly to the island of Mallorca (or Majorca) off the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Palma

Palma, the largest city in Mallorca, is a major port town with a beautiful harbor lined with gorgeous yachts and sailboats, and an immense cathedral overlooking the water. However, what I liked best were the winding pedestrian streets through the old town. Each turn revealed a new boutique, ice cream shop in a quaint architecture. I was in search of Avarcas, popular Spanish sandals that come in every possible color, and were originally fabricated on the neighboring Balearic island of Menorca. I figured I was as close to Menorca as I was going to get to this year, so I wanted to find a pair. I tried on one pair after another and finally found the perfect Avarca. My mother and sister also joined the trend and picked up a pair of these Spanish footwear classics.

Cathedral and port

Strolling through the old town

My favorite street in the old town

Mountains, Beaches and Caves

We rented a car and traveled throughout the island at our own pace. Driving through a large mountain range, we discovered coves along the coast that set the stage for our picnic lunch. On the northern end of the island, we enjoyed beaches and went paddleboarding. Much to my surprise, I loved the caves. Cave visits seem to be advertised on big billboards and in brochures and I always felt that they were a tourist trap. However, the caves of Mallorca are the biggest caves in Europe and even a classmate raved about the caves. So, into the caves we went. Yes, they were large, obviously cavernous, and had more stalactites and stalagmites that I could have ever imagined. My sixth grade science teacher would have loved this! At the end of our descent, we were brought into an immense space in front of an underground lake. The lights went out, it was pitch black and in the distance we saw candlelit boats slowly approaching. Musicians on these boats played Pachelbel's Canon. Here I was on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, in the dark, hundreds of feet underground, in a cave, listening to a classical music concert on floating candlelit boats. These were no ordinary caves.

Paddle-boarding on the Mediterranean Sea

Sporting our Avarcas after a picnic in a cove

Underground lake in the caves

Pearls

I love pearls and Mallorca is where the best man-made pearls are manufactured. To better appreciate these man-made pearls, I had to educate myself on the different types of pearls. Natural pearls are formed in an oyster when an irritant enters the oyster and layers of layers of nacre coat the irritant to form a pearl, a very expensive pearl. Cultured pearls are the result of artificially inserting a small irritant, initiating the making of a pearl, which takes 2 to 7 years depending on the size. These pearls are expensive. Imitation pearls are made from a variety of glass or plastic beads that are painted, glazed and coated in a variety of different materials.  

A hundred years ago, however, a German engineer developed a new pearl-making technique, and established his factory on the island of Mallorca, naming his pearls Majorica. These pearls are made by dipping and coating a glass core into a secret mixture consisting of fish scales, mother of pearl and other unknown organic ingredients from the sea. After repeated dippings (around 40 times), the resulting pearls are beautiful. At the Majorica store, I had so much fun trying on different styles of necklaces before finally selecting an imitation pearl necklace that I hope will last a lifetime.

Majorica pearls being dipped in the secret formula

Leaving the Majorica store with the goodies