Week 12 Palma de Mallorca, Cagliari, Sardinia, and Valletta, Malta
These three islands in the Mediterranean Sea are alike and yet so different due to their histories. After a day at sea, we landed on the island of Mallorca docking at its Capital Palma. Mallorca is a Spanish island with stunning mountains, pine forests, almond and olive trees, and spectacular beaches. During the winter of 1838, Chopin wrote some of his best work in this idyllic setting. We opted to visit two of their "treasures", a monastery and an olive farm. The leader of the monastery, Ramon Llull, is the first to develop the binary system of 0 and 1 which is the mathematic basis for today's computer programming. He was a philosopher, theologian, poet, and used his method of universal logic to prove the truth of Christian doctrine to those of all faiths. The olive farm was very educational and tasty. It produces extra virgin olive oil under the name Treurer. The family has only been in business since the early 2000s and by next year they will be able to market their oil as Organic. They are converting several very old structures into modern facilities: a boutique hotel and their own pressing/bottling building. We learned the history and differences of olive oil classifications and the strict rules developed by the European Union to protect their products on the open markets.
1600s building to be converted into a boutique hotel
After a day at sea, which is needed as we are so busy we need to rest, we visited the island of Sardinia off the western coast of Italy. Often called Italy's "Other Farmland", the island produces tomatoes, artichokes, citrus fruits, olives and grapes for wine. Having cork oak trees allows them to produce their own wine corks for their wines, Not as lush as the previous islands, Sardinia has a strong history and civilization. We took the opportunity to visit the Ruins of Barumini. This fortress site dates back to 15th century BC. It was constructed during the Bronze Age and only discovered in 1950. Its unique defense system, nuraghi, is found nowhere else in the world. It is a UNESCO site.
Remains of a 14th Century Fortification in Sardinia
Sailing overnight, we arrived around lunch time in Valletta, Malta. This island and the harbor provide the visitor with breath taking views. When they write that it is scenic they are doing this island a disservice. I have never seen such astounding views of nature and man. We had two lovely days here. We visited the Old Capital (Mdina) and the New Capital (Valletta) by foot. (Yes buses took us there but we walked the old cities). Again, this is an area that has been strongly influence by North African rulers. Viking treated any of the passengers, who wished to attend, a concert in St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in Mdina that evening. The music, classical religious, by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and other was inspiring. The church itself was a work of art. The next day we took the included tour of the island, which after the first day, was not as good. The best part is that Jeff and I could just ride in a bus as we put over 18,000 steps in the day before. I would come back to visit Malta again.
I didn't know Chopin wrote in a monastery! Love the history that is just everywhere in Europe!
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