Long Weekend in Mallorca

First things first: Mallorca or Majorca? Given every Spaniard under the sun pronounces it "Mallorca", we're going to have to with the former. As for the latter, you can thank the Brits, who can't roll their R's or pronounce their AYs. You're welcome. 

Now, getting down to business: Memorial Day Weekend is one of our favorite times to travel. Not only is it the unofficial start of summer, but it's also our wedding anniversary. What better excuse to get away? 

With ticket prices the lowest we've seen them, we scooped up two seats on an Iberia BOS to MAD flight Wednesday after work. The flight itself was super short, but Mallorca requires a connection. Pro tip: give yourself at least two hours for the connection. We did not and regretted it. Not only did Customs not show up for 25 minutes, but we ended up sprinting barefoot through the terminals only to be the last to board. We also had to cut some people in line. Not our finest hour but I digress. 

Although mildly more chill than Ibiza, Mallorca is still a party island. Especially in and around Palma. When we arrived at the airport, we were welcomed by the smell of salt water and a slew of hen parties in matching t-shirts. Nothing against bachelorettes, but we were in the market for a more relaxed weekend. 

Fortunately, we booked the Park Hyatt Mallorca, which is located a little under an hour away from Palma de Mallorca, on the east side of the island. It was everything we had hoped for and more. The property is immaculate and the service is the epitome of Park Hyatt. More to come on that later. 

Although we had every intention of going back into town to explore Palma, we never got around to it. And to be honest, we didn't miss it one bit. Instead, we explored some of the smaller towns and enjoyed every minute.

Where my beaches at?

Our first day was spent lounging by the pool, warding off jetlag.

On day two, we were ready for some adventure.  We drove south to the town of Santanyí to explore.  Luckily, we stumbled upon Cala Santanyí, from which we hiked over to the Es Pontas arch. The town of Santanyí is also very cute. We explored a bit before ducking in for some lunch. Our waiter recommended the beach at the Mondragó Natural Park, which is where we spent the rest of the lazy afternoon. Surprisingly, neither of us took a picture, but trust us when we say it was one of the prettiest beaches we’ve ever seen. Think inlets surrounded by cliffs, with the most pristine water you’ve ever seen.

The next day, we drove into town to see Capdepera, starting at the Castle of Capdepera. Dating back to the Romans with a violent history of its own, this fortress was impressive. There was even an archaeological dig happening while we were visiting, making things even more exciting. I mean who doesn’t dream of being an anthropologist when they’re a little kid? And no, I don’t mean the retail variety.  

After a leisurely breakfast in town, we drove 20 minutes north to Artá. Every Saturday, the town welcomes artists, bakers and farmers. This is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs or sample the local fare. After browsing through various stalls, we decided to hike up to Santuari de Sant Salvador, another medieval fortress.  The views from Sant Salvador were spectacular and well worth the trek up the hill.

Once we had a chance to take in all the views, we headed back down Carrer de Ciutat, ducking into shops along the way. We also enjoyed a leisurely lunch, which you can read about below.

For our last day, we tried mightily to rent a boat for the day. Unfortunately, Sundays book up far in advance. TIP: Don’t wait til the last minute to do this! It’s the best way to see some of the hidden beaches.

Instead, our concierge recommended her favorite beach, Son Serra de Marina. The beach was lovely, with surrounding views of the mountains and full of families enjoying their Sunday together. We were the only Americans, something we generally take pride in. There are a few little restaurants in Es Fondo de na Borges by the beach if you’re in need of lunch.  We tried some fried anchovies and paella at Lago – muy bien.

Comida por favore  

Porxada de Sa Torre was one of our favorite dinners of the trip. It’s a great value, especially when compared to Park Hyatt prices. Located at the Torre de Canyamel, this restaurant is famous for its traditional Majorcan cuisine and historic view. Tim ordered their most famous dish, the suckling pig, while I had the local bass. Both were outstanding, despite us over ordering on the first course. Did someone say chorizo? TIP: This is just outside of walking distance from the hotel (down a dark, windy road). We ordered a taxi as we wanted to enjoy some wine and it was €30. Although we were being responsible, we really wish we had just driven in lieu of wine.

Restaurant Es Taronger in Artà was another good find. We came here for lunch and enjoyed a few cervezas and tapas, along with some respite from the heat. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit!

The dining options at the Park Hyatt were excellent. In fact, we ate at the Tapas Bar twice. It was worth it. The farm egg and pork neck were two of the most notable dishes.

Honorable mention: Cap Vermell. Although a bit dated, this place overlooks the Mediterranean. Mix in the Spanish guitars softly strumming softly while you sip Majorcan wine doesn’t hurt either. Truth be told, I found this place a bit average, but Tim seemed to like it. I think it was all the wine talking. If you do go, ask for a table by the water and get there on the earlier side (by Spanish standards). We ordered the fixed menu, which was happily accommodated to Tim’s shellfish allergy. However, the veal was served well done. THE HORROR!!!!!

The logistics  

If you’re heading to the Park Hyatt, make sure you rent a car. As I mentioned, it’s about an hour from the Palma Airport. It’s also great for getting around to the lesser known towns and beaches.

We rented an automatic from Enterprise for about €55 a day, including GPS. Although we had to wait an hour for our car to be ready, it was smooth sailing from there. The GPS came in handy many times and the Euro cross-over met our needs.

When connecting in Madrid, make sure to give yourself ample time to get to the terminal. Keep in mind you’ll need to not only go through customs, but also through security. Plus, the airport is massive. We made the mistake of giving ourselves an hour. It was the most stressful connection we’ve ever had, but luckily it worked out. I did lose a bracelet in the process, which was super sad.

We ended up doing four nights in Mallorca, which may seem insane. However, it was surprisingly relaxing! Plus, we used the points and cash rate at the Park Hyatt to score a great room deal. That, with the cheap rates to Spain made for a worthwhile getaway! 

72 hours in Florence

Some people go to the Cape or the Hamptons for a long weekend. Not us. We like to keep it interesting and with points to burn, we decided to book a long weekend to our once-upon-a-time home, Florence, Italy. Having spent 5 months living and studying in the city, we skipped the typical tourist attractions in lieu of our most nostalgic spots. Although this type of itinerary is not for everyone, it's safe to say we hit all of our favorite Florentine places. 

4 countries in 24 hours. That's how our whirlwind weekend in Florence began. Because we booked an award flight through Chase, we opted to fly Air France via CDG to Florence since there were no direct options available. Our connection timing was already aggressive, knowing we had to go through EU border patrol. However, due to some strong headwinds and airport congestion, our flight landed 45 minutes late. As a result, we missed our connecting flight. So did the other 50 passengers ahead of us. Long story short, we ended up on a detour through Amsterdam.

Day 1 

At long last, we arrived at our hotel by 5 - just in time to relax and get ready for balsamic steaks at Acqua al Due. Our hotel was in the perfect location, just off Piazza della Repubblica and steps to Piazza del Duomo. This historic landmark cum boutique hotel was the absolute perfect hub to all of our adventures. Just check out our view at Hotel Brunelleschi! 

Although we didn't get a lot of sightseeing in our first night, it was the perfect way to reintroduce ourselves to the city and rest up for a fun weekend. 

Day 2

The next morning, we headed to our favorite bar, across from our school,  Palazzo Rucellai for caffe and cornetti. We were happy to see that our favorite barista was still there!

TIP: Drink your coffee (a tiny, but potent ristretto shot) at the bar. It's cheaper since you won't get charged for sitting. Plus, it's inherently more italian. 

Afterward, we retraced our steps back to our respective apartments, Tim's on Via Gino Capponi and mine in Piazza D'Azeglio. All our study abroad friends will appreciate that everything still looks and feels the same. We even stopped by Supermercato Conad to find our favorite 2€ wine and Kinder Surpresas. Don't judge.

After working up an appetite, we headed to Mercato Centrale. Downstairs, you'll find various stalls selling fresh pasta, cheese, meats, produce and pantry supplies. The upstairs was completely redone since we last visited and we were so excited to see stations selling prepared foods like bistecca, pizza, pasta and more. We enjoyed a light lunch with some Chianti and headed back out to explore some more. 

TIP: There's also the San Lorenzo leather market right outside the food market, where you can find great wallets, gloves and knick knacks. They also have larger items like bags and scarves. Just come prepared to haggle with the vendors. It's fun!

En route to Oltrarno, we stopped at the Ferragamo Museum to ogle over his masterpieces. On display, we also found some of Andy Warhol's shoe ads and haute couture pieces from the likes of Viktor & Rolf and Issey Miyake. At a 6€ admission fee, this is a must-see on your next visit. 

We also made a pitstop at Gelateria La Carraia for some of our favorite gelato and quickly spotted Ginger the Beagle, whose owner, Georgette of Girl in Florence I fangirled hard core. If you don't already follow her Florentine adventures on Instagram, do so now and thank me later. 

After a long day of exploring, we headed to a 4-hour dinner at one of our favorite old spots, Il Latini. For 50€ per person, they bring out course after course of Tuscan deliciousness from crostini to mozzarella, pasta, bistecca and all the limoncello you can imagine. The best part of our dinner was making new friends. Christina and Bridgette, who turned out to know one of our friends! It truly is a small world out there. 

Day 3

There may be such a thing as too much limoncello at Il Latini, because we decided to sleep in the following morning before hitting a couple holiday markets. 

First stop was Santa Croce for the annual Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt (German Christmas Market). The sights and smells were to die from. From mulled wine to pretzels, there's something for everyone. Not to mention the plethora of gift options. Sadly for us, we only brought carryons, so space was slightly limited. Still, window shopping here was definitely a highlight. 

From there, we made our way across the Arno to Piazzale Michelangelo, for what is hands down our favorite view of this city. Midday, the crowds are smaller than the popular sunset hour, but with live music and a spectacular view, we were in heaven. 

Climbing down the hill, we headed to the Nataleperfile holiday fair set in historic Palazzo Corsini. We especially loved this market because the proceeds go towards helping terminally ill patients in Florence and the surrounding areas. For a full breakdown of the holiday markets about town, see this and this. 

We decided to stop by our favorite pub for a pre-dinner apertif. Although we couldn't sit out on the two-person balcony overlooking the Duomo, we were delighted to see JJ Cathedral decked out for Christmas. Lots of great memories here! If you see Neal Wikert anytime soon, ask him about this place. It's a great story ;)

For dinner, we found a new spot, Enoteca Conquinarius. This place was great! Our sommelier brought 6 different bottles of wine to compliment our dinner selections, telling us the story of where and how the grapes were grown. His approach was charming and unique, as well as self-proclaimed "democratic". He didn't want to lean us towards just one bottle without knowing the background of all of our matches. The food was also excellent, from the crostini misti to the beef cheeks and wild boar. We highly recommend it. you can even make a reservation on the Fork.  

Day 4

Before embarking on our long flight home by way of Zurich, we took the opportunity to visit the Terraza at la Rinascenete to take in 360 views of the city. That day was especially quiet at the cafe as the Florentines were busy voting on their referendum. Although the coffee here is substantially overpriced, the view was worth it. 

We also had our last "supper", which consisted of one of the most famous Florentine street foods - panini al lampredotto. For those who don't know, this is a messy sandwich made with stewed tripe. It was so good but a little heavy for a long haul flight. #NoRegrets. 

The flight home was far less eventful than on the way there. We stayed up the entire time to help keep ourselves on track for work the next day. This method worked great because we went to bed a normal hour and slept through the night. That's the beauty of such a short trip; your body doesn't have a chance to adapt to the new timezone and you can adjust back to EST without a problem. 

All in all, this trip was worth the hectic schedule. It was so nice to end 2016 on a positive and nostalgic note. Now the real quesiton is, where on earth are we going to go in 2017? 

Thankful for a Homecoming

This is the picture that started it all. A romance. A cultural awakening. A transformation into citizens of the world. A thirst for travel. At the time, Tim had only taken one flight: to Italy to embark on a 4 month study abroad in Florence. Although I had a few more flights under my belt, I had never been away from my family and had the palate of a 10 year old. 

Since then, Tim and I have traveled to 12 countries and countless states together. Our first return as husband and wife, almost nine years later, we are grateful to the city that helped shape who we are today. Infinitely more adventurous, both in travel and in appetite. 

2016 was full of heartbreak, but taught us to appreciate the moment. And although this will be a short trip, this homecoming serves as a reminder of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. And for that, we are eternally grateful.

Quando l’amico chiede, non v’è domain.