When the time came to muse about where to go for the Autumn term, we found ourselves settling on Mallorca, again. This a place we have been to many times but each time we are always discovering new roads and uncovering new places and faces.
Living overseas, we often muse about how we should travel more, see more of europe. But seeing more and doing more is not going to make it better, in fact often more exhausting. As many of you know, traveling with small children can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially in new and unfamiliar places. They need familiarity and stability. It is often in the familiar that we can find the unfamiliar.
Today I shared with my five year old what a microscope was and he looked at small plants with new eyes. I challenge you to open your eyes a little bit more and find the unfamiliar in the familiar, take a look at things with the eyes of a five year old. It is really an eye-opener and often brings a smile.
Everyone needs some time to wind down and this is a great place to do just that and spend some great quality family time doing things we all enjoy doing together.
Sure, the weather can be hit or miss this time of year in Mallorca, but it is always calm, and tranquil. We left Chamonix, having been cycling in 6 -10 degree temps, knee warmers, jackets and full gloves and we were pleasantly surprised by great weather. Not once did I pull out my rain jacket, and only once did I wear knee warmers and a jacket!
This time we brought our own bikes and had a chance to ride with some of the locals, though you can rent some decent bikes at the shops. You can’t go wrong with the roads here for cycling. The Mallorcan government has invested millions into cyclotourisme and it is a nice change from the rough and traffic-y roads around home. This time of year things are pretty quiet, and not packed with tourists as in the summer. In January and February you may find some of the Pro teams training here, and if you are lucky you may be able to hop on the wheels of Leopard Trek. March through May is another great time to ride if you are not still on your skis.
Speaking of skis, the ski mountaineering season is just around the corner. I took advantage of the great roads for roller skiing and had a great training partner too!
We had plenty of time to build castles in the sand
and muse some more at the local cafes.
Here are some shots of the great cycling around here. Thanks for reading!
If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. –Thich Nhat Hanh