November 7th – Sampling Palma’s Big City Feel

Yesterday, sleepy Mahon had felt decidedly "small town" – and, after a day in cosmopolitan Palma, it felt even more so. Because, Palma's an enjoyably lively town, where you firstly forget that you're on one of the most touristy islands in the Med, and secondly, you forget that you're on an island at all – it has a big city feel that you don't expect of an island town.

We had a day of just general wandering around its historic streets (which bear more than a passing resemblance to Barcelona's), ducking down narrow medieval alleys, strolling down wide 19th century boulevards, and visiting chilled out bars and cafes.

Now that I'm writing this blog, I'm struggling to think of what we achieved in the 8 hours that we were out exploring, but it was good fun and definitely makes me want to spend more time in Palma. Actually, I can think of one achievement that I particularly enjoyed – we went to the wonderful market to have some of the best, freshest, and cheapest calamares that I've had in a long while. Superb.

Great weather, great views, and great food – a good combination before we get to our final destination, Barcelona