Last Port: Palma de Mallorca: 22 March 2023

   We are at the last stop before heading home tomorrow from Barcelona. Needless to say going ashore for some sight seeing and then packing was the order of the day.

  We did not schedule a tour today. This is the first time we have been to this city and we always like to just travel on our and get a feel for the city. Again today we started with breakfast in the dinning room for a very nice no hurry since we had plenty of time to go ashore.We did not schedule a tour today. This is the first time we have been to this city and we always like to just travel on our and get a feel for the city. Again today we started with breakfast in the dinning room for a very nice no hurry since we had plenty of time to go ashore.

We decided to skip the shuttle and just walk to the old palace and the cathedral which is almost the height of St. Peter's in Rome. We thought it was a short walk from the ship. Actually is was over an hour walk. We could see it but the harbour is very large and we had to walk around the whole thing. Our first stop was the Almudaina Palace. It was constructed as a Moorish fort in the 13^th century and became an official royal residence during the reigh of James 1 in the 24^th century. You could tell it probably was a fort because of the narrow passageways and thick walls.

Next to the palace was the cathedral know as La Seu but officially known as the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca. They started building it in 1230 and finished it in 1601, It was a classic Gothis church with large towers, gargoyles, a bell tower with 9 bells, stained glass windows, high vaulted ceilings, etc. It has been updated many times so some of the areas in the interior are more recent. Gaudi worked on areas of it. We did come across more school kids on tours but the church is so big you hardly noticed.

  By the time we finished it was already early afternoon so we decided to just walk back to the ship. I think having 4 ports in 4 days begins to take its toll. We much prefur the fall crossing where you have all the ports early in the cruise and then have sea days to sit back and relax.

  After we getting back to the ship it was time to pack, always a thankless task but something necessary. Since we packed all our clothes, we had to wear travel cloths to dinner. Dinner tonight was surf and turf. We said goodbye to our dinner companions of the last 13 days nd then headed off to the farewell show. We left before it was finished as we have to be up early tomorrow. It will be a long day.