Saturday, August 25, 2012

Mallorca


 The next day Jared and I headed off to the beach and what do you know it’s cloudy and cool. We bought some really nice towels at a souvenir shop and found a spot on the beach.  After a little while the sun finally came out.  We went up to grab a bite to eat at a pizza place right on the beach and then headed off on our journey to the airport. 
We flew out of Barcelona Airport into Mallorca, a small island off the cost of Spain. We arrived in Mallorca at around 9 pm and then took a taxi to the hotel.  We grabbed something to eat in the hotel’s restaurant and headed to bed.  The next day we walked down to the beach which was 100 feet from our hotel and it was beautiful.  It was cloudy, but beautiful.  Once we walked around for a bit we realized it was a far walk to the center of the city and wasn’t really nice enough to sit on the beach.  So we went back to the hotel and rented some bicycles. We had booked a Catamaran cruise for the next morning but we didn’t really know where it was leaving from.  Once we got the bikes, we rode about 30 minutes into the center.  The ride was beautiful.  Even though it was cloudy and drizzling for a bit of it you literally ride on the beach.  There is a little bike path right along the water and you would never know you were riding for a half hour because the views are breathtaking.  During our ride we found some other catamarans but not our company.  So we spent most of the day searching for out “South Dock” (Which didn’t exsist)  so we decided to go back and call to find out where we needed to go and with a bit of a trouble we finally figured it out.  








 Now that most of our day had been wasted and it was another 30 minute ride back to the center we decided to just stick around close to the hotel on the beaches and walking around.  We stopped and had a drink and then went back and asked the receptionist at the hotel where to go for dinner, since it worked so well last time.   We walked for a while and came across the place she suggested and it said “We speak English!” So we had another drink, waiting for it to turn 8:00pm so we could have a menu and once 8pm hit our waiter completely ignored us. Now although it said “We speak English” our waiter didn’t speak a word of it!  A table behind us was also English speaking and also being ignored, so they left and we stole there menus. Then we were asked to move (in Spanish I might add) to that table where the people left so he could set our table.  So we moved and finally got him to come and take our order.  We ordered off of our English Menu and he had to look it up in the Spanish menu on the same page.  Now I know I am in their country and they don’t have to speak English, and I am the foreign one but don’t say “We Speak English” if you don’t!  And don’t put a guy that is going to ignore the English ones.   Anyway, after all that we got our food and it was amazing!  It was well worth all the crap in the beginning.  On the way back to the hotel there was a beautiful sunset and we took some pretty pictures.





 The next day we woke up and headed out for the catamaran cruise.  A coach bus picked us up right outside of our hotel and brought us to the place.  (So glad we went through the trouble of trying to find it the day before)  It was pretty cool outside that morning.  Once getting on the boat we found a seat and it started off.  They stared serving all you can drink sangria and people started to loosen up.  We sat off the sides of the boat and everyone was wearing their towels as blankets because it was really cool out.  It was a really nice ride to this little cove where they stopped for a swimming break.  I was a bit chilly so I didn't go in but Jared and a bunch of others on the boat dove right in. We had a buffet lunch on the boat and then … The sun came out!! It was beautiful and really hot once the sun came out.  Everyone was laying out on the deck and Jared and I got prime spots on the on board hammock thing in the front.  It was like we were in a different place.  Then we got a shuttle ride back to the hotel and we spent the rest of the evening on the beach. There was not a cloud in the sky when we left the beach!  
We headed to find a place for dinner and found a little cove with a restaurant practically on the water.  Jared had really amazing mussels with a spicy Diablo sauce and I ordered fried fish but it should have said little fried fishes!  They were like little minnows that were barely fried and they had just cut off the heads.  I ate almost the whole plate like a champ but I can tell you that I did NOT enjoy them.  Jared shared his with me which was really good.  After dinner we strolled along the water Jared took me to get ice cream because he felt bad about the dinner I got haha.  I finally got to have real mint ice cream that they don’t have in the NL.
  








  The next day our flight was at noon so I woke up early and went out to take some pictures and what do you know, not a cloud in the sky.  Ugh.  We must bring the bad weather with us but Jared and I had a really great time and can’t wait for our next beachy vacation where we actually have a bit more sun. 









Barcelona


 Jared and I really have the worst luck with weather.  Who goes to southern Spain for a week in July and end up almost coming home without a tan??  The correct answer would be us!! We flew into Girona from Maastricht Airport and took a bus into Barcelona.  On the plane ride, Jared met a guy from Eindhoven, which is about an hour north of Maastricht and he talked to him nearly the whole plane ride.  They work in similar fields and they hit it off right away.  We ended up meeting him for dinner the first night in Barcelona and we had a great time.  Then next day it was actually sunny and beautiful and we decided to do our third Fat Tire Bike Tour through the City.  We saw the Arc De Triomph, which I remember seeing something that looked a lot like that in Paris… haha.  We also saw some cathedrals, beautiful hidden buildings, and a bunch of beaches.  At the end of the tour they brought us to the beach for a bite to eat and a drink and then we rode back to the bike shop.












 After the tour we walked back to the beach and sat down for a nice cool drink at one of the beach bars. We walked along the beaches and then headed to grab something for dinner.  Once we realized that they don’t start serving dinner until 8:00pm, we stopped at a place on the way called The Blue Margarita for a drink to kill some time. 
The Blue Margaritas were pretty strong but they were delicious!!  After a couple drinks we made our way over to the restaurant.  We had asked the woman that gave us the bike tour what her favorite place in the city was and so we searched for that place.  We were the only ones in there because we pretty much walked in right at 8:00 but whatever we were hungry.  It was a Tapas place and I have to say it was probably our favorite meal since coming to Europe.  The food was amazing we had steak, duck, chicken, different kinds of veggies and breads and it was really good!  After that we headed back to the Blue Margarita and had a few more drinks.  






























Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Word of the day!

Smakelijk - which means savoury, tasty or appetizing

People say this to me everyday when I sit down for a meal or when the server at a restaurant is leaving us with our food.  They say "Smakelijk" and it is like saying enjoy your meal.

Valkenburg

A couple months ago we went to Valkenburg and went into some limestone caves and did a mountain biking tour and then to the ruins of an old castle.  Here are just some pictures of our trip.