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Palma De Mallorca, Spain
May 4, 2002 - Serene turquoise waters, lush green mountains, and miles of sandy beaches... Mallorca is an island of romantic beauty, plus the place to buy Majorca pearls in stunning settings.
Wind Surf's Sports Coordinators were on hand for an early morning guided walk to the old town, the most interesting section of Palma. Two must sees are the striking Gothic Cathedral (in the old quarter of town) and the Bellver Castle. High atop a hill, the round Bellver Castle affords a splendid view of the city and the harbor where Wind Surf was berthed. A shore excursion or taxi tour are the way to see the castle and outlying sights, such as Valldemosa.
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Sailing into the harbor at Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Mel and I were fortunate to visit Palma on a previous cruise so we spent our time strolling through the marina area and admiring sailing yachts skimming the offshore waters on an idyllic sunny spring day. We also tackled our repacking for departure in Barcelona. Never my favorite last-day task, at least it was unhurried. We didn't need to put the luggage outside our door until the morning of departure. Very civilized!
Captain Boylin formally introduced passengers to his department heads and their staffs at his evening farewell address in the Lounge and we sincerely wished we were remaining on board for another week as so many of our fellow cruisers were. It didn't surprise us in the slightest that over 140 of them were repeat passengers. A few couples had completed 10-12 cruises on Windstar vessels and I met one who had sailed on them 19 times.
We also learned that winds on Wednesday had whipped up to a Gale Force Eight while we were at anchor in Marbella. Of the 172 passengers left ashore there (who were ultimately transferred by shuttle to Malaga) only one passenger registered a complaint.
For our final dinner onboard, we made reservations in the Bistro and weren't disappointed. We saved the best for last.
As we had on each night of our cruise, we joined the cigar "aficionados" and "aficionados-to-be" at bridge deck aft of Compass Rose and then stopped in the Lounge to bid farewell to the people who'd served us so graciously all week.
I truly envied those passengers who were sailing on to Nice.
Day Seven -> Barcelona, Spain
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