We drove straight to the lighthouse and then stopped at the different viewpoints on our way back inland, which was a good plan as we easily got a parking spot, but there was a long line of cars waiting for the few spots available when we left the lighthouse. The lighthouse itself wasn't all that exciting, but the views from the cliffs were awesome.
There were goats free ranging all over the place out here and they seemed thoroughly used to people. The kids thought they were great.
On the way back we stopped at this little lookout point with just a few other people around and thought we would enjoy the picnic lunch I packed.
Well
this Billy goat heard the grocery bag and came running- right at me and
Amelie! Rob realized he was after the food, so I tossed the bag to Rob
and he disappeared it into the car. I held up my hands to show the
goat I didn't have anything, but I was still holding my phone from
taking photos, and I guess he thought it was food. He came at me and
nipped my arm! By now all of the kids were in the car, so Rob shook our
lunch bag to draw the goat away from me so I could get to the car. Once
we were in, the goat still was coming at my side of the car and I was worried he'd jump up on the rental car. I snapped this photo of the rogue Butt-head as we backed out of the parking area. This event also sealed the deal on us NOT going to Formentor Beach, where we were likely to be accosted by goats again.
Anyway.... the next viewpoint we stopped at was pretty busy with a snack bar, restrooms, and a large viewing platform you could walk out. This was the last viewpoint that the tour buses could stop at, as they didn't drive the road past Formentor Beach. There was even a guy busking with his guitar! We walked around this area for a nice long time and took a ton of photos before enjoying a goat-free lunch at a table in front of the snack bar. (We did buy drinks there as well.)
After we left there, we drove the rest of the way back down the peninsula to the town of Alcudia, which is in this photo on the Bay of Alcudia.
I wanted to stop here to see the Roman ruins that have been unearthed just outside the town. The Roman town of Pollentia was founded here in 123 BC. We walked the paths and viewed the residential area, forum, and theatre of what was once an outpost of the Roman empire with hardly another person in sight.
Over 2,000 years ago, people not only lived here but had commerce, entertainment, politics, philosophy, and so on. Granted, they also had slaves, which probably accounts for their ability to have free time for those pursuits, so it wasn't all fun and games. I just find ancient civilizations fascinating.
And finally it was time to spend the rest of our day at the beach!
This time we visited Cala Millor. This was a much more touristy beach area. Like, if Es Trenc was like Chincoteague, than Cala Millor was like Ocean City. There were lifeguards, bathrooms, chairs and umbrellas for rent, nearby parking, and basically a boardwalk area with shops and restaurants. The water was still crystal clear, but the waves were a bit more pronounced here and Rob and I were able to swim out to where we could no longer reach the ground without going too far. The beach was pretty full of people, but there was plenty of room in the water.
This is our little sand weirdo enjoying herself.
All of our kids love the water, and are super happy at the beach, but Amelie also loves the sand like no one else I have ever met! She rolls in it, scoots around in it, and here she was lying on her back and dropping it onto her face while wearing her goggles. I'm glad she had a good time!
Finally, I am so glad that we purchased shoes like these for everyone. We only brought backpacks on this trip and having shoes that easily went from walking and hiking to beach was a space saver and just made life easier.
No comments:
Post a Comment