Thursday, September 17, 2009

Day 10 - Rainy Day in Palma

You guys are seriously going to think I become the biggest ditz when I have vacation brain but it is all for very good reason. At least that is what i tell myself. And this morning was no different . . .

I decided after having crazy hair for the entire trip (just enough humidity to make it frizzy and the blow dryers are either extra hot frying your hair or barely dribble out any air so after 20 minutes, it's still sopping wet!!!) that I would curl it all cute. That usually gives me 2 days of fantastic wear. First day down and the second day in a swooshy pony tail. And yes for all the gentlemen reading this blog these are important details. In fact details us ladies dream about as we must look photo worthy at any moment when on vacation. You never know when you might catch the most beautiful glimpse of something that requires a self portrait. And let's face it . . . Jimmy is cute . . . but we all know who looks better in front of a fountain or war hero monument ;-)!!!

So i jump out of bed, plug in my curling iron being careful to use the adaptor and then the converter, tie my hair up so it won't get wet in the shower. After a few minutes picking out my outfit and organizing my suitcase, I am ready to hit the shower. Suddenly I smell something hot. Then I hear a slight sizzle as the lights in the entire hotel room turn off. Next I notice a faint black smoke coming out of the converter box. Oh dear, this doesn't look good. And it smells even worse!!!! I proceed to shower in the dark pondering this situation. What kind of extra bill will that be for the hotel room. And i even used the converter. Double checked and sure enough I had it on the right ampage setting!!

After alerting Jimmy to the situation he headed down to the hotel desk to inform them. They ensured they would have someone up to look at it. As we were waiting, Jimmy re-read the converter small print: 'do not use in cases of constant heat like curling irons and blow dryers'! But the Best Buy employee indicated this was exactly the type of converter we needed. Argh!!!!!!!!!

The technician soon knocked at the door. Jimmy explained the problem. The guy removed a lovely picture off the wall revealing the breaker box. Once the breaker was flipped, the lights blinked their way to life. And all was good. Except, of course, for the still smouldering converter box on the patio. And the jury is out as to how the curling iron survived the incident. So much for cute hair. Really, frizz is quite fashionable this season!!!!!

So after that ordeal, it was time for lunch. Unfortunately, the weather was not being kind and again it started to rain. We pondered the days itinerary and decided to head into Palma. Then tomorrow we will rent a car to do the south west side of the island which is supposed to be the prettiest. And the following day was supposed to be sun sun sun which of course means the beaches and a scooter will be calling our names!!!!!

The hotel is again in a fantastic location. The pools are crystal clear, the restaurants overlook the pool and the sea, every room has a balcony with a sea view and the bus stops right outside the hotel to take you directly into Palma's shopping and sightseeing district. So that is exactly what we decided to do!!!!!

Palma is a much smaller city but certainly has all the amenities a large city would have. Apparently it is also home to the busiest airport in Europe which could explain why there are so many hotels, restaurants and fantastic shopping spots.

After wandering around the stores for a while, the heavens opened up again. I had packed an umbrella but it wasn't quite big enough for two. So we wandered around in the rain looking for a coffee shop to stop for a cappuccino and try out one of these famous ensamaidas that mallorcan culture is known for. Unfortunately that took a fair amount of wandering so another umbrella was in order instead!! LOL!!!!!

Finally we found a little coffee shop. Shared the most delightful ensamaida filled with whipping cream. Dried out a bit and headed off again.

Suddenly the sun appeared. The weather is kind of crazy over here. But we won't complain about the sun when we see it!!! It was delightful to wander the little streets in search of the cathedral. The building are gorgeous!! The streets even more quaint than Barcelona and the cathedrals slightly smaller but every bit as ornate and awe inspiring.

Before we knew it, our stomachs were growling and the rain was again rolling in. We stopped in this little tapas place, people watched, ate tiny little grilled baguette sandwiches, bacon wrapped dates and meatballs and enjoyed the fact that we beat the crowds as the rain started.

When there was a break in the rain, we headed out to find our way home. Cities always look so different under the blanket of night. The neon lights make certain establishments stand out that otherwise you would pass by without giving a second thought. And little markets slip by unnoticed. I love the transition. You never know what new things you may see!!!!

Good night all!!!! We promise more adventures to share!!!!!

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