Sunday 15 August 2010

Images from Mallorca Part 5 (of 5)

Part Five, the final part: Shots of wealthy Port Andratx, and yet another enchanting mountain village, Estellencs. We arrived here quite late in the evening, so we stayed for dinner. There are a few hotels which looked quite good, so it must attract its fair share of visitors. It feels like a great place to stay if you're looking for some peace and quiet. As with a lot of Mallorcan villages, it is a maze of narrow cobbled alleys lined with pretty yellow stone houses. There is a track which leads down to the beach, which we, obviously, didn't take!

I hope you've enjoyed these photos, a selection from some 500+ shots I took. Unfortunately, I only have a point-and-shoot Lumix, so I had little control over speed/aperture settings. If you would like a copy of the original high resolution shots, email me.

The Super Poke Pets advertisement at the bottom is somewhat annoying. Look for the X at the top right of the caption and click it to close.

Click on any slide or 'View all images' to see the photos in full screen mode.

Saturday 14 August 2010

Images from Mallorca Part 4

Part Four: This route takes us down the scenic west coast from popular San Vicenç through spiritual Lluc onto touristy Soller, ending on two strikingly picturesque villages, Deiá and Valledemossa. Oh, and I threw in some Es Trenc sunset shots from the day before.

The Super Poke Pets advertisement at the bottom is somewhat annoying. Look for the X at the top right of the caption and click it to close.

Click on any slide or 'View all images' to see the photos in full screen mode.

Friday 13 August 2010

Images from Mallorca Part 3

Part Three: The Battle of the Moors and the Christians, Pollença village

The Super Poke Pets advertisement at the bottom is somewhat annoying. Look for the X at the top right of the caption and click it to close.

Click on any slide or 'View all images' to see the photos in full screen mode.

Legend has it that on 30th May 1550, the fearsome pirate, Dragut Rais attempted to attack Pollença. Local hero, Joan Mas, went running through the narrow alleys, warning everyone of the imminent danger. They then bravely fought and won the ensuing battle.

Since mid-nineteenth century, the mock battle between Moors and Christians was incorporated into the annual patron saint celebrations. The Christians, dressed in white, and the Moors, in colourful pirate gear, marched along the narrow cobbled alleys of Pollença, banging their poles and firing their rifles. As they moved, crowds from adjoining streets merged into the procession as they snaked slowly along.

Imagine thousands of people crammed into these streets, barely two-car wide, and you can envisage a rather claustrophobic situation. But, thankfully, everyone was in friendly spirits, and kept the celebrations lively and colourful.

A word of caution: if you ever find yourself in one of these processions, you'd be wise to position yourself near a side alley, where you can easily escape should the need arise. Otherwise, you'd be caught up in the throng and would be pushed along, whether you like it or not!

Images from Mallorca Part 2

Part Two: Port Pollensa and Palma de Mallorca

The Super Poke Pets advertisement at the bottom is somewhat annoying. Look for the X at the top right of the caption and click it to close.

Click on any slide or 'View all images' to see the photos in full screen mode.

Thursday 12 August 2010

Images from Mallorca

Part One: Artá and Cap de Formentor

The Super Poke Pets advertisement at the bottom is somewhat annoying. Look for the X at the top right of the caption and click it to close.

Click on any slide or 'View all images' to see the photos in full screen mode.