Each day we did a walk in a different area not more than an hour (usually closer) from our house.

We started in the village of Biniaraix, five minutes away from Fornalutx. The first half of the walk consisted of walking up a good path that was essentially shallow steps, that climbed through terraced fields through the Barranc (gorge) de Biniaraix, up to a pass (the Coll de L'Ofre). This path was originally built for pilgrims walking to the monastary at Lluc. From the top you could see the Cuber Reservoir in the distance. The weather got a bit iffy for a while, which coincided with the route directions being a bit indistinct, so we found ourselves wandering around trying to find the path down the other side of the mountain for a while. Finally we located the opening in the rocks and followed a steep and rocky path down the mountain. The views of the sea and Port de Soller were spectacular, and there was a perfect view of Fornalutx as well.

We drove 45 minutes via narrow hair-raising switchbacks along the coast to Valldemossa. From there we climbed up a wooded rocky path to the highlnds above the town. This is a wild landscape of steep cliffs and rocky summits, with many dramatic viewpoints overlooking the sea. This area was a favorite of an Austrian Archduke, Ludwig Salvator, in the nineteenth century. He had built a home (a mansion named Son Marroig) near Valldemossa, and had paths constructed so he could ride on horseback and admire the scenery. It was a spectacular day and the scenery was second to none.

The monastery at Lluc is the most important pilgrimage site in Mallorca. It's 35 km north of Soller, and the road passes the other side of the Cuber reservoir that we passed when we walked up the Pilgirm Steps from Biniaraix. The walk is only open on Sundays as you pass through some privately owned farmland and Sundays are the only days that walkers are allowed. It's a fairly straightforward walk, just on a road, that is quite scenic (and passes by lots of inquisitive sheep) and passes a house built into a cliff face before coming to the ruins of a barracks in view of the sea. I hung out there (the legs were hurting a bit as it was day four of walking) and the others continued on towards the sea. Then we walked back the way we came. Not a very exciting walk, but the scenery was striking and we caught a gorgeous sunset on the drive back.

We started out from Soller and first made the long climb up to the Mirador (viewpoint) de ses Barques. (You can imagine the field day Mark and Frank had with that name - there were lots of dog sounds being made.) Most people drive up to the Mirador as it's just off the road. Fabulous views of Port de Soller and the harbor. We were at the highests point you could get to near the summit of Balitx. The book of walks we had indicated that there was a path that continued around the sea-side of Balitx and brought you back to Port de Soller, but it was very vague. We foolishly decided to try to do this circuit. This became known to us as "the walk from hell." After a while the "path" practically disappeared, as it apparently did not get much use. We had to bushwack our way down treacherously steep terrain, which was covered with long very strong grasses - it was easy to get your boot caught under this vegetation and it's a small miracle that none of us tripped. A machete would have been useful. It gave "route finding" a whole new meaning. We were long past the point where we could turn around, and we started considering having to bivouac for the night (sleep outdoors, for you non-outdoors people) as we were running out of daylight, and you didn't want to try to negotiate this path in the dark. Luckily we finally got to the bottom, then climbed straight up an equally steep path and finally were on a real road as the sun set. We had a well-deserved beer in Port de Soller before taking the tram back to our car in Soller. What a day!

On our last day, we drove to Deià. I had had enough walking for the holiday. This had been my first foray into consecutive days of hiking since my accident a year and a half before, and my legs were ready to pack it in. Deià is a charming town, very photogenic and filled with tourists -even more than in Fornalutx - mostly because there were a number of good hotels there. The streets are narrow and winding, with many lovely small houses tumbling down the hillside. At the bottom of the hill - about a 20 minute walk away - is the Cala Deià - which is Deia's beach, although it is small and rocky. Still it is a beautiful spot, a bit ramshackle but very dramatic looking, surrounded by jagged cliffs. Meanwhile, Frank and Jennifer left to take the coastal walk back to Port de Soller, a not particularly difficult walk, but as I said, I'd had enough. Mark walked the beginning of this walk with them while I wrote postcards in a cafe. Then we drove around, first to the beach and then to a few nearby villages, and finally met up with Frank and Jennifer when they appeared at the end of the track in Port de Soller. And that was it. The next day we said goodbye to Fornalutx and Mallorca and departed on our flights back to the real world.