For the next couple of days, we skipped around all over Mallorca, trying a different beach every single day. And, we still never found a beach we didn't like! One particular day, the wind was really high, so the waves were HUGE and we spent some time jumping them and also getting thrown under by their crazy force- and our swimsuits were subsequently totally filled with sand. Worth it. :)
The picture above and below are from Cala des Moro on the southeastern side of Mallorca. We came here on our last day and it was by far our favorite stop. I mean, look at that water! And the beach was flanked on both sides by huge rocky ridges with just a small sandbar (completely filled to the brim with people and their towels!) so the only path to get down from atop the ridge was a one-way super steep walk that you had to wait in line to use. We made it, even found a spot, and got right in the warm, blue water. If you look closely, you can see a pink circle float...that's me!
We stayed and played for like 5 hours and loved every single second- we didn't bring any food with us and we were having so much fun that we didn't even notice how hungry we were!
Lots of sand castles for this sweet girl...she was really scared of the water unless she was in the float with me and had puddle jumpers firmly attached. ;) We also had some pretty intense and funny games of monkey in the middle in the water with our soccer ball.
This beach was right around the next cove from the last one. But, this was mainly for cliff jumping and snorkeling. After we packed up and left Cala des Moro, we headed straight here to get some coveted jumping in before calling it a day. You had to jump in on one side of the cove and swim clear to the other to reach the ridge where most people were jumping. Kate, Taylor, Lauren and I went first while Brian stayed with Tessa. Lauren was scared, so she hopped on my back and I paddled her over and then we all climbed on the rocks to the jump. They always look SOOO much higher when you're standing on them looking down into the water. It was about a 12 foot drop and made my stomach do flips. I jumped first, followed by Kate and finally by a very nervous Taylor. We had to encourage her, but she finally did it and was so proud of herself. It was fun to watch. Kate is seriously so brave and did the jump several more times with Brian after we finished.
Kate jumping off to the beautiful water below. This was such a fun day, chalk full of amazing memories and made for some really exhausted kiddos and parents.
Taylor was begging us to put a room tour of our hotel up on the blog because they loved it so much. It was pretty amazing- and set a bar for hotels that probably won't ever be reached again in our family, which I am totally okay with. ;)
On Sunday morning, we woke up early so we could make it to the tiny LDS branch in Manacor for their meetings. There were a total of 12 people, besides us, in attendance. I'm pretty sure there's the same spirit in every sacrament meeting, but when the meeting is tiny, you just get it in greater abundance. This was a pretty special experience for us. It was fast Sunday, so that meant a testimony meeting for almost the entirety of the block, and when there are only 18 people there, chances are pretty high that you will get an opportunity to go and bear your testimony. There was a senior couple and 4 missionaries in attendance as well (that puts the local members at a total of 6). The Bishop was the most humble, sweet man that seemed to be genuinely grateful that we took the time to come and welcomed us so warmly. Kate, Taylor and Brian (in Spanish!) all bore their testimonies and it was so touching to witness. After the closing, we talked with the senior couple for a few minutes- they were assigned to that branch for their entire mission and we were the first Americans they had seen during their service, so they were so happy to see us- they said it was like a little taste of home, which they had been missing. Most of the tourists here are German and English, so it was really rare for an American family to be visiting. The whole meeting was so special and something we will remember forever. I'm so grateful for this church that you can literally find ANYwhere in the world and instantly feel connected and welcomed no matter what, even on a tiny island.
After church we did a little more exploring around the area and walked along these gorgeous cliffs for some even more gorgeous views and spotted some more cliff jumpers, which we loved watching for a bit.
After exploring this tiny beach town, we met up with one of Brian's friends from a startup based in Berlin. He happened to be in Mallorca at the same time as us! We met at a beautiful villa owned by a friend of his, and sat and talked for a couple of hours. It was really fun to get to know him and learn more about his company. Brian was able to fly out to Berlin a couple of weeks later to work with him for a week before heading out on our next adventure to come (stay tuned)!
Mallorca has left a huge impression on us- it was a magical vacation that we will not ever forget. And, after a long English winter and cooler summer, we were desperate for some warm sun on our faces and Mallorca delivered in a big way. We loved it!!