Spanish Holiday: Day 4

Day 4 : Cycling Mallorca 

Woke this morning with sore legs, but a positive attitude.  The temperatures here in the mountains had moderated making riding much more comfortable.  

Getting ready to set out in the morning

We reviewed the days climbs and decided  to use the shuttle for the last 6 miles of the morning ride.  I do believe that I have finally matured, realizing that there is no shame in the shuttle.  The final 6 miles included 2 hills, one of which was a massive 800 foot climb over a little more than a mile, and the other a 500 foot climb over the same distance.  The 4 climbs that we did do totalled to around 2500 feet which we thought was pretty respectable. The descents were almost as exhausting but much better than yesterday's.

The ride took us along the coast rode ( not exactly on the coast, more like 1000 feet above the coast) following the northwestern coast of the island with stunning views. It reminded us of riding in Corsica.

 The sea breezes were wonderful with the temperature dropping about ten degrees at times.  Very refreshing. 

During the Moorish occupation, the Moors built a series of 60 watchtowers across the island, used as signal towers for protection from invaders.  We stopped at one of the best preserved towers that was at the zenith of one of our harder climbs.  

The next climb ended at a coffee shop that hung out on a cliff overlooking the Med.  The water was an amazing shade of blue and so clear that from our 1000 foot vantage point we could see the seabed quite distinctly.

After returning to the hotel and  much needed showers (even Jeri was sweating), we walked into the town of Valldemossa. It is a cute, Mediterranean hill town, whose two most famous residents were Fredric Chopin and George Sands.  It now is home to a slew of restaurants and shops.  

We had an early dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant with a great view of the valley below. We followed this with gelato (missed 2 days, will have to catch up :)) and a downhill walk to the hotel.  

Even got to Facetime with Gabby for her 5 month birthday.

Tomorrow may be the hardest day yet with a  34 mile ride with 4300 feet of elevation gain!  Shuttle may get a work out.