Puerto Pollenca Apartment and MALLORCA

(A few notes that you might find helpful - sorry the diagrams are, for the moment, a bit primitive.).

Geographical Description. —Mallorca is 3.640 km². in area. It’s coast line extends for about 300km. The whole population of the Island is around 650.000.

The Plain (Es Pla) covers the southern part of the Island, it is devoted to agriculture. Its great fertility is owed to its situation, because the northern mountains give great protection from the violent gales. The surface is level and low and makes possible the subterranean water supply around Palma at Sant Jordi as well as La Puebla. One can see water mills with motors by the hundreds. In this part of the Island mountains are scare and low.

If Mallorca were a Continent we could say that Formentor is a Peninsula terminating in Cape Formentor, the extreme north of the Island. In clear weather one can see the island of Menorca with Ciudadela at the nearest point (4OKms) between Mallorca and Menorca.

About 6 kms inland from Puerto de Pollensa/Puerto Pollenca lies the "Old Town" with its small narrow, older world streets and local shops. On Sunday the town is brought to life by the local market in the morning. It has plenty of noteworthy features and picturesque surroundings which can be the aim of’ many excursions. The principal ones are:

This is the ancient capital of Mallorca, in those days called "Pollentia". The walls of the old city still remain intact and it is just by these walls where they hold the market on Sundays and Tuesdays mornings. A wide choice of souvenirs is available from leather goods to embroidered tablecloths. Remember to bargain and as always beware of pickpockets — especially the gypsies!!.

In Campanet the Parish Church is worth a visit. It was begun in 1717, and its outstanding feature is the sculpture on the altar. The Church conserves the relics of the Martyr San Victoriano, the complete body of the Saint dressed as a warrior. After this visit one can follow the road bordering the stream bed (Torrent de San Miquel) until reaching a bridge. After crossing we arrive at the HERMITAGE, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CHURCHES CONSTRUCTED IN Mallorca after its conquest by King Jaime I. In the pulpit there are three very old carved figures, representing Saint Peter, Saint Michael and Saint John the Baptist. Other altar pieces and paintings and paintings can also be seen in the Hermitage. When the visit to the Hermitage is over the walk can be continued to the Caves of Campanet, which one can visit before returning to the village by the same road. The total distance covered will have been about 8 kilometres.

VALLDEMOSSA.

During the winter of 1838—39 Chopin and the celebrated novelist Georges Sand lived here in the monastry in the company of her son and daughter; here Chopin composed a number of his well known Preludes.

This is well worth a visit.
It is interesting to see the 'Monk's Cells' each with its own garden. Not exactly as primitive as the word 'Cell' would lead you to believe.

Open 9.3Oam to 1.00.pm and 15.00pm to 17.30pm.

Valldemossa makes much of the short stay by Chopin and George Sand. However in George Sand's book 'Winter in Mallorca' she was less than pleased by the attitude of the inhabitants whom she clearly disliked intensely and scathing of the monks. A copy of the book is on the bookshelf in the apartment.

Having said that Valldemossa has a number of attractive cafes and restaurants close by the monastry itself, enabling you to have a very pleasant day out.

LA GRANJA (THE OLD FARMHOUSE)

From Roman times, the natural water supply of La Granja has been of prime importance. From a rock formation it spouts ten metres (30 feet) into the air from an unknown source.It was of interest to the Moors who, from 1116 until 1229, dominated the Island. La Granja, the Al—Caria (place of little houses) was at that time called Alpich. From here the windmills pumped the water along aqueducts to Canet, some four kilometres away. This system is still in use today.

The conquest by Jaime I in 1229 soon established rule over the scattered Moorish settlements and the feudal system came into being. A quarter of the Island was controlled by Count De Nuno Sans and he settled at La Granja.

In 1239, La Granja was given to the Cistercian Monks (an order, founded in 1098 at Cistercium) who established the first convent on the Island. Two hundred years later, in 1447 the Monks adjoined themselves to the St. Bernard Monastery near Palma and sold La Granja to Don Mateo Vida. For two hundred years it remained in his family and then changed hands to the Fortuny family who are still the existing owners today.

As though cut off from the rest of the world, life goes on here as it always has done and it is only now that visitors are permitted to see it on its pure state. One cannot but be fascinated in the way the artisans skillfully follow their crafts, as their ancestors have done before. The peace and tranquility of this beautiful spot with the mountain water splashing over rocky crags is a visit into the past and a glimpse of the real Mallorca. If you enter by the old farm near the car park, 15.30 hrs., you will start your visit where the farmer milks the cow.