We have been hearing for years from our friends in the ranks of the pros what a great spot Palma was to spend the winter. Having now been in and out of the harbor for the past three weeks we understand the allure. Out of season – it is quieting down now – Palma has a desirable mix of marine infrastructure second to none, a lovely town, and interesting countryside to explore.

If you are the slightest bit interested in things nautical the variety of sail and power, as we have been showing you, is a wonder to behold. it doesn’t hurt to have a backdrop of cathedrals and forts either.

A short walk from the harbor is this work of art, three centuries in the making.

The exterior has its points.

But it is the interior that really sets it apart.

At the turn of the 19th century the locals commissioned the artist Antoni Gaudi to give the church a bit of a spruce up. We’d love to see the Vatican’s reaction when his work was unveiled.

This acoustical element above the pulpit amplifies the message.

Palma is filled with pleasant plazas and parks.

With a variety of museums from which to choose. This former home has a sculpture garden with Henry Moore and Rodin bronzes (of which we are fond).

In the older part of town the architecture and decor is never boring.

It varies from modern renditions of traditional,

to the real thing. You can walk streets for hours enjoying the variations.

As is the case everywhere we have been in Spain, there are a myriad of restaurants from which to choose.

For professional crews and cruisers alike, Palma is a meeting ground, a place to catch up with old friends. In the case above, we are sharing the fare with cruising buddies last seen in Fiji (five years ago) and British Columbia (22 years ago).

Intermixed with the tourists, sailors, and townspeople are local watermen. They are in the minority these days, but are still afforded valuable real estate from which to ply their trade.

You quickly learn to avoid the old town when the cruise ships are in. During our stay this seems to occur a couple of times a week and we are told that shortly it will cease for the winter.

When the cruise ships are here the street performers come out in force. We have a soft spot for street musicians. Sarah started here career playing on the streets of Spain.

Many of the performers are in costume, hoping for tips from photographers.

You can even take a horse drawn carriage ride.

Of the various musicians we sampled, this gentleman was the favorite.

We’ll close this chapter in our cruising lives with a photo taken off the stern. We have often had boat cars in various parts of the world, some of which cost just a few hundred dollars, or were handed down from yacht to yacht. We think this boat car is very much in keeping with the scene in Palma de Mallorca, and is our present nominee for boat car of the year  (our other favorite was a genuine Shelby Cobra seen two weeks ago).