With the cathedral in the background

We had planned to take the bus into Palma, as it only takes 30 minutes, and the anchorage (free) is much cheaper than Palma marinas. We were on our way to the dinghy dock when we passed by Lagos boat neighbors Brendan and Brenda from s/v Lir. They were kind enough to offer us a drink, which led to another, which led to dinner, which became a very late night. So much for Palma, but it was fun to chat more with them!

The La Seu Cathedral in Palma

The next day we finally made it into Palma. I was a little bit disappointed to be in mega yacht central, as Parsifal III from Below Deck (Reality TV) had just moved to Ibiza, and Jeff Bezos’ two yachts had also left port (after his proposal). I ogled the remainders half heartedly, while Trip shopped in some local chandleries.

You can tell by the photos from this post that the cathedral is what blew us away. We’ve seen forts and fortresses, and ruins everywhere, but this was something out of Pillars of the Earth! La Seu took 400 years to build and still stands out as a magnificent landmark. The interior is beautiful, if a little peculiar; over the altar hangs a crazy canopy designed by Gaudi, and the walls of a side chapel seem to have fish crawling out of them, as part of a 2013 modern art installation re-telling the parable of the fish and the loaves.

We wandered around town a bit more, had a drink or two, and then followed up on a tip from a fellow cruiser – there is an awesome second hand marine shop just outside the city. We got there with an hour until closing, and we pretty much used every minute. But I’m happy to say we have all the lines and snubbers needed for our winter berth at much less cost than we planned! The clerk helping us even threw in a Mediterranean fish guide (glad it lists all the animals with their scientific names, as I have to translate the Spanish to English).