By Shirley Roberts
These are the days my friends, when energy needs to be spread over the whole island. The weather is great for travelling and exploring. Winter temperatures lend themselves to getting out there and seeing what the world on our doorstep has to offer.
All too easy to stay put and let the small-town vibe envelop. Winter was made for ‘Nan’s Days Out’.
With all grandchildren busy with work, university and school this ‘Nan’s Day Out’ was for me and came at an easy pace. First priority was to get out of the front door before something called me back to the computer and involvement in minutiae.
The car was the first part of the adventure. Currently fixed and working with its brand-new tyre and latest gremlins fixed, I can sort of trust it. Parked up outside the Metro Station at Son Sardina and then the 10-minute journey to Placa Espanya and the bus station.
TIB bus 508 was the carriage from Palma. A route via Son Llatzer Hospital, Fan Shopping Centre, Arenal, Llucmajor. S’ Estanyol, Son Bielo and then the sea at Son Rapita. I saw places from the bus I had never seen before. Bus travel allows you to look out of the window and observe life not possible from driving the route in a car.
So, the flat lands awaited as I arrived. My everyday life is surrounded by the mountains of the Tramuntana so this flat seascape, with not a hill in sight is a very different experience. Sa Rapita, Son Bielo and S’Estanyol are the rocky villages on the edge of a beach of sand dunes and pine forests. Surrounded by the diverse ecosystems of the Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos Natural Park, Sa Rapita Beach is a biodiversity hotspot. The area is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, featuring protected sand dunes and wetlands. Bird watchers, walkers and peace lovers love this beautiful place. Sa Rapita eventually becomes Es Trenc and the whole bay has many who adore their summer lives here.
The Sa Rapita Yacht Club is where the bus terminates. Turn left to go back into the little centre of the village with few restaurants and an occasional shop. Turn right, past the yachts, for the beach.
My day consisted of walking the front and absorbing the wetlands feel of the seafront alongside the residential area. Also, a wander into the beautiful, empty beach and appreciating the very different beauty of the area.
Lunch was a pleasure at the Balco de Cabrera, frontline restaurant. It was the first place I came across and I had no idea that it was a known gastronomic hot spot. This was a friendly, slightly chaotic experience as the team were not expecting to be so busy. However, the charm and the delicious food sent everyone out as their best friends. Some places just get the hospitality vibe, and this was one of them. Pa amb oli with roasted vegetables was my excellent lunch. I learnt later that everything is supplied to this place from their own farm. The farm to table experience with no carbon footprint was impressive.
The walk along the seafront back to the bus stop was beautiful. A hazy sun, shining on the sea gave the vision of the ‘crystal sea’ of many poems. A crystal sea was the backdrop to my ‘Nan’s Day Out’ destination.
A chat at the bus stop with a Ukrainian lady who was returning, like me, to Palma. She is one of a cleaning team, working for an agency. For the two hours work she did in Sa Rapita she had to travel a total of three hours. She told of all the other far-flung locations she worked in every day. The bus was her means of transport. The time taken diluted her hourly rate of pay to around 7 euros.
The return journey was uneventful. The bus went back the same route as it came and arrived in Palma on time. A swift hop to the Metro and I was back in Son Sardina in no time to collect the car. The mountains were all around me and emphasised the difference of my experience of the day. It is always good to reenergise the mind by changing location for a few hours.
I recommend my ‘Nan’s Day Out’ to you. I will return soon, before the summer crowds. I only touched the surface and there is much to see.
Restaurant Balco de Cabrera, Sa Rapita.
Phone 971 641 440
