What does Professor Higgins know anyway? Spain was extremely warm, no rain in sight!
Our cruise continued to Palma de Mallorca on the Balearic Islands, the archipelagos off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. The city spreads out along the Bay of Palma, but the most distinguishing thing about the skyline is the massive cathedral, Le Seu, The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma...they started building this in 1229 & finished it in 1601! Really? It took almost 400 years to build this? This cathedral is older than the entire USA!
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All big cities seem to have street artists that try to get a few $ from the tourists...I thought this guy was clever. He appeared to be suspended in air. I donated in order to get this pic...
We went on a quick little walking tour around the cathedral...
Had to check the time..."every second counts" you know!
I was pleasantly surprised to get a little city tour on our way to the main attraction for our brief stay in Palma, The Son Amar Flamenco Show, Pasion. The dances & costumes were so fun! It was fabulous! However, they did not allow photography inside the event...you could of course purchase the photo that they took of you as you entered...$20 later...(it really was a great show!)
The bus took us on a different route on our return trip. High on that hill is Bellver Castle...we drove up there for a little history & a spectacular view of the Bay of Palma before making our way back to the ship...
The next day, our last day, we were scheduled to tour the Lladro Factory in Valencia. Again, I was happy that they crammed in a tour of the city on the way to & from the ship. I think I could have used an extra day or two in Valencia just to visit their Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies (translation - City of Arts & Sciences)...this place looked AMAZING! It's an entire complex of museums, theaters, etc. (The images below - left to right, top to bottom); L'Agora is a concert/sporting event venue; El Museu de les Ciences de Principe Filipe is an interactive museum of science that is supposed to resemble the skeleton of a whale; L'Hemisferic is an Imax cinema, a planetarium, & a lazerium designed to resemble an eyeball; & L'Oceanografic is their aquarium...
I really wanted to try these bubbles out, too. Wouldn't those be fun on the River? Interactive science at its best!
I was surprised to see this active bull fighting arena...it seems so archaic. I was happy to learn that this once popular sport is declining because of the worldwide humanitarian efforts/protests of those against cruelty toward animals.
We visited the Gonzalez Marti National Museum of Ceramics, still a family owned palace turned museum filled with beautiful ceramics in the heart of a city that is famous for them...
Although I would have loved more time at the City of Arts & Sciences, I was NOT disappointed with our tour of the Lladro Museum, where we learned how these gorgeous pieces are made - again, no photography was allowed inside the factory work areas. The manufacturing process is kept under tight guard, but they walked us through the process step by step; how each piece is molded, painted, assembled, fired, & inspected. Any piece that is deemed imperfect is destroyed. It was really cool to see them making those tiny flowers...every petal & leaf is rolled & shaped individually by hand, combining them one by one, making each delicate flower unique. Lladró figurines are made out of an original blend of hard-paste porcelain, which gives the products their unique porcelain characteristics. The glaze ingredients also add to the look of the figures and are an industry secret.
I fell in love with these beautiful porcelin figurines years ago & have been able to collect a few pieces...my favorite is The Christus, commissioned by our church to coincide with the dedication of the Madrid Temple in March 1999...
I LOVE all of the Don Quixote pieces! "To Dream the Impossible Dream" from The Man of La Mancha has significant meaning for us. This piece is called "I Am Don Quixote" & is about 30"X18" & sells for $5,000.00 & is about 30"X18"...the detail, movement, & emotion is incredible!
I came away with a re-newed appreciation for these masterpieces. I think they are so stunning!
Alas...we ended our cruise back in Barcelona, where we started. I do love a good cruise but I was glad to get home to finish out the rest of our busy July. I had just enough time to do my laundry, attend a missionary farewell, a baptism, & get ready for our annual family reunion.
2 comments:
Just getting caught up. Wow have you ever had a great time. Love to see Italy and Spain. Loved seeing it through your blog.
So amazing! When you said "we came away with" I was hoping you would say Don Quixote.
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