Mallorca has about 80 beaches surrounding the small island which measures 3,640.11 km² (but not as small as Singapore at 694km²).

That is basically the reason tourists flock to this Mediterranean island by the million (6 million in 2010).

 

S’Amarador, voted Best Beach in Europe since 2008.

 

There are many other attractions in Mallorca: Historical sights, museums, golf, food and wine, sea cruises and water sports. But for the two weeks Piers and I were there, all we wanted to do was laze around to soak in the scenic views wherever we happened to be.

 

View from a lookout point at Cap de Formentor.

 

Everywhere was sky, sea, clouds, mountain and sand. You can’t get enough of the scenery.

But you can get enough of the sun. Almost every day, the sun beat down at us mercilessly, making us wish we were back in England for the wonderfully cold English summer.

I stayed in the shade as much as I could. I bought a giant hat and we got a big beach umbrella. The air in Mallorca is quite dry so you won’t perspire unless you’re walking about under direct sunlight. It can be pleasant as long as you find yourself some shade and don’t go for long walks in the day.

 

 

Many shops and services in Mallorca are closed between 1 pm and 5 pm for siesta. It’s the hottest time of the day and no one wants to work or walk out to the shops. Beach and souvenir shops will usually be open for tourists, though. And supermarkets. There is no lack of mini marts where you can get supplies.

During our many long drives around Mallorca in the two weeks, we kept passing through “ghost towns”. They are small streets flanked by two-storey buildings, structured around a sort of grid pattern. And they are entirely deserted except for cars parked by the side.

If not for the cars, which look serviceable, you would totally think the towns are abandoned towns because you cannot see a single soul out and about. All doors and windows are shuttered. You can’t see anyone indoors or outdoors.

It was quite creepy to be honest.

 

 

The first time we drove through such a town, we had been on our way to our next hotel.

As we remarked on the absence of living souls apart from ourselves, Piers suddenly said with a smile, “Oh, here’s our hotel, darling.”

“Yeah, right,” I had retorted.

“Would you be happy if I had really booked us a hotel here?”

“No. This is the kind of place people get murdered in movies.”

 

 

Anyway, we basically spent two weeks being slugs at the pool or beach or, when it was too hot, indoors on the sofa. We did do a bit of sightseeing and also went on a sea adventure but it was just pure relaxation most of the time.

It was the most relaxing holiday I’d ever been on, in no small part due to the fact that I didn’t have wifi and therefore couldn’t blog. In my other holidays, I tended to spend like a third of my time blogging.

 

 

It was an amazing holiday for me, the only downside being that I got a tan.

I do not like being tanned because I had spent my entire childhood being teased for being a lot darker than the average Chinese. (Somehow, my skin gradually lightened as I grew up.)

This vacation, despite my obsessive use of sunblock, turned my skin many shades darker. It’s going to take me forever to reverse that because I tan quickly and recover slowly.

But it’s a small price to pay, even if I have to buy a new shade of makeup to match my new tan. I would do it all over again.

And, this time, I would remember to bring my bikinis.

 

 

England’s summer seems to have gone, with the temperature around 17°C tops this entire week. While I generally love this temperature (so much better than dreadful heat), I am a bit disappointed because I had wanted to go to nearby Sandbanks for a beach picnic. Piers had told me that Sandbanks beach is as nice as Mallorcan beaches.

And I desperately want to wear my new bikinis after having to tolerate two weeks of wearing that crappy replacement I bought in Mallorca.

But how are we supposed to have a beach picnic in 17°C temperature and no sun?

I guess this means I can now start on my de-tanning process. Staying home to blog all day is a good plan.

Today’s post is just an overview of our Mallorcan holiday. I’ll go into more detail in my next posts, highlighting the cool places you can check out in that spicy little island.

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