Stop number one: the Ermita with the views. We admired pretty Valldemossa as we drove through, found the elusive turning, and headed up the track, mum looking a bit worried as it got bumpier and narrower. But we made it, and they loved it as much as we had, despite the low cloud and hazy sea.
Stop number two: Son Marroig, Archduke Luis Salvador's main residence, which we'd run out of time to see on our last trip here. A rambling old mansion stuffed full of curiosities, from a beautiful glass Roman amphora, to the Archduke's library, and an old olive press. It was freezing cold (the custodian had a fire burning in his little room), but you could see how the building would work well in the heat of a Mallorcan summer. And oh, the views - better even than Miramar. And they would have been unbeatable in sunny weather.
After a pleasant stroll around the garden, we were off again, hoping to make it to Deia before the rain started. Sadly, the weather wasn't following the timing on the app, and it starting chucking it down half an hour too early, just as we arrived. But we set off for a little walk around anyway, before retreating to a café to dry off.
The plan had been a little walk to Cala Deia, but this was a lot less appealing in the rain. So we short-circuited that, and went straight to Inca instead. A big thing to do in a Mallorcan winter is eat suckling pig in an Incan cellar. So given the forecast, that's what we'd booked up.
We found it easily, down a side street in Inca's Old Town (another attractive Mallorcan city, one of the biggest on the island). I had been expecting something underground, as it was called a Cellar; but actually it wasn't: instead a beamed, stone walled room filled with all sorts of stuff (giant barrels, farm machinery etc). Very atmospheric.
One slight hitch: our hard-working waiter (who did the lunch service on his own) apologetically informed us that suckling pig was only on the weekends. Ah well. They had some other meaty Mallorcan specialities so we substituted those instead. But first, for starter, inspired by the neighbouring table: snails.
Apparently they were delicious: they all tucked in. I made myself try one, but I'm afraid squeamishness trumped my taste buds. But I enjoyed the little bitter black olives instead. And then the meat arrived: variations of hearty roast lamb and pork loin with potatoes (no green veg - not necessary apparently), perfect for a miserable day. After almond cake and almond ice cream, and a nice bottle of local red wine, Kevin drove a car full of stuffed but happy people back to get Jemima from school.
Given the deluge, Kevin and I went to collect her in the car. She was very keen on our suggestion to have dinner at Granny and Grandpa's hotel, so we dropped her off there and retired home for a post-prandial snooze. When we met in the hotel bar later, she was tired but happy, having had another fun time with Granny and Grandpa (who also looked tired but happy). And then we drove her back home through the rain, hoping for better weather tomorrow.
Dad's pictures of the Ermita
Inside the chapel
Son Marroig
Deia covered in cloud
Inca
Snail concentration...
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