Monday, 4th March 2024

We wake up late. Jozef makes coffee in the moka pot that’s in the apartment, and we finish off the mini croissants we had for the trip. We pack our things and just make it for check-out before 10 AM. It’s still windy outside, but the sun is shining.

We head toward the beach and take a walk by the sea. We reach the cathedral and find an empty bench.

I’m writing my blog, and Jozef is reading the news. We’re in no hurry, just relaxing. We look for a restaurant that serves paella. They open in an hour, so we take a stroll around the city. We walk around the cathedral, where several dozen street vendors are selling fake handbags, caps, and all sorts of things.

We wonder who buys these things and why? We arrive at the restaurant and sit outside, where they have blankets. We chose this place because they serve paella in a pan, and they bring the whole thing to your table. We order coffee and wait for half an hour. The atmosphere is very pleasant, and the waiter, who seems to be the owner, is really kind. Soon, a rather loud German couple sits at the table next to us, which we find amusing. The paella is great, though there are a lot of tiny shrimp that can’t really be eaten. I also try mussels for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Germans next to us manage to finish off a bottle of wine. After finishing our meal, we head to our accommodation, which is over half an hour away on foot. We’re staying with a woman named Chris, who rents out a room in her apartment. Sofia, who also lives there, opens the door for us. We rest for a bit, and I take a short nap. In the evening, I book an escape room called Warehouse 232. We head back to the city. On the way, we stop at a fancy tea shop. Jozef buys Puer tea, which is sold in a form that looks like a chocolate bar. Then we grab a can of beer and head to the cathedral to watch the sunset.

There isn’t much of a sunset since it’s getting cloudy, but the beer reminds me of my Erasmus days. We head to the escape room. It wasn’t very good. There were few puzzles, just one room with locks, which anyone could set up at home, and it didn’t make much sense, despite the good reviews. At least they took the only photo of us from the whole trip.

I left feeling a bit disappointed. For dinner, we went to an Argentine restaurant, Bolixe, because you can pay with Bitcoin there. We ordered the menu for two, which included three types of steak and some potatoes—so, meat for Jozef and potatoes for me.

Well, not really—I did try a bit of everything. Lots of new things for me today. We were tired, so we didn’t go anywhere else and went straight to bed.

The journey to the airport

Tuesday, 5th March 2024

11 km – total 197 km

I wake up quite early. From the window, I watch the sunrise and see the cats patrolling the rooftops below. Our flight is at 1 PM, and we decide to walk the 11 km to the airport. We pack and leave at 8:30 AM, both wearing shorts. On the way, we stop for coffee and buy some pastries at a store for the trip home. The weather is fantastic, which is a bit frustrating because it arrived just as we’re leaving, but there’s nothing we can do about it.

At least we enjoy the last rays of sun on Mallorca. We walk along a busy promenade by the sea. My feet are really hurting, so we take frequent breaks.

We turn off from the promenade toward the airport, where there’s no one around, and light our gas stove to use up the gas cartouche before throwing it out. It takes a while. A smaller (100g) cartouche would have been enough, but I convinced Jozef to bought the larger one. We’ll know better next time. Security checks go quickly, and we browse the duty-free shop. Since the airport is so big, it’s time to head to our gate. At the very end of the terminal, we fill up our water bottles. Boarding begins, and a stern staff member is checking for people with more luggage than allowed. She seems to have a sharp eye for who won’t get away with it. Jozef and I might have slightly oversized bags, but we’re dressed normally—no jackets or scarves—and we don’t have extra bags. So if they do pick us, we’ll just put on more clothes and the measurments will be alright.

We’re already seated on the plane. We have middle seats, but at least we’re sitting behind each other. An older lady with her husband Rainy approaches Jozef and firmly insists he move because she has the window seat and assumes her husband is sitting next to her. They probably don’t fly low-cost airlines often. It seems they bought their tickets at the airport, and since everyone who doesn’t pay for seat selection gets seated in the middle, they didn’t get two seats together. We resolve the confusion with another man who speaks some German. In the end, Jozef takes Rainy’s seat by the window. I fall asleep immediately and sleep through most of the flight.

In Vienna, we hurry as our BlaBlaCar driver is waiting for us. It’s a bit tricky to find each other, but we manage, and he drives us all the way to Trnava, allowing us to catch an earlier train to Partizánske. Our friend Lenka, who goes to work in Bratislava once a week, saves us a seat on the train. The journey passes quickly, and by 7:30 PM, we’re home.

Trip review

In total, we walked almost 200 km, with an elevation gain of over 7,500 m. Mallorca caught us off guard in many ways. Mainly, we didn’t expect the weather—half of the trip was rainy, and we only had two dry nights. Instead of the dry stone route, it was more like a wet stone route. The lesson here is not to go so ultra-light and instead pay for baggage and bring a tent. It would’ve given us more freedom, letting us camp even in the rain, and it would have been more comfortable overall. In the end, it would have been cheaper because we wouldn’t have spent so much on accommodation.

With extra baggage, we could have also brought a knife, which we had to buy there, and trekking poles, which turned out to be more important than I realized. When I got home, I googled what could be wrong with my feet since they hurt so much. I wore barefoot shoes (Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II), which I also used in Portugal, and they were fine there. I found out that because I didn’t have trekking poles and had a backpack on, I put too much strain on my feet. Since I wasn’t using my arms for support, all the weight was on my feet, which couldn’t handle it in the last few days. I could still walk, but not distributing the load properly really hurt me. So, no more hikes without poles.

Despite these issues, I’m glad we went to Mallorca. All the inconveniences, like the rain and sore feet, are now just part of the story I’m writing for you. I hope you enjoyed this journey with us and will follow us on our next adventures!

Príspevok GR 221 – day 8 / 9 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Sunday, 3rd March 2024

22,3 km – total 186 km

We didn’t wake up until almost 10 AM, because at 8 AM it was still raining heavily and the wind was howling. Jozef cooks the eggs he wanted yesterday—all six of them—in the room.

That’s what I call a royal breakfast, also with tomatoes. We quickly pack up and leave exactly at 11 AM. My feet hurt quite a bit, but I’m hoping I’ll walk it off. Outside, it’s cloudy, and an icy wind is blowing. I can’t check the temperature because the batteries in my thermometer died. We start on the same trail we took three days ago.

After two kilometers, we take a different route toward the sea. The path is steep, overgrown, and serves as a shortcut to the serpentine road.

After an hour, we reach a viewpoint where there’s a kitten, and from there, the trail becomes more gentle. We pass through olive groves, surrounded by towering mountains.

It’s beautiful and remote here. Unfortunately, my feet haven’t improved, so I have to be careful where I step and walk slower. We take a break at Coll de Biniamar, sheltering behind a stone wall. From here, the path follows the coast, offering stunning views of the cliffs.

The sun even comes out, warming us up a little. Apart from some goats, we don’t see anyone. At 3 PM, we stop for lunch. After seven days, I manage to get oil from the sardines all over my pants—and I meant to buy sardines in tomato sauce, but I accidentally grabbed the chili oil ones. An hour later, we reach Cala Tuent.

It’s a small settlement with mostly summer homes. The trail ends here, so we walk along the road toward the famous Sa Calobra beach. Along the way, I book accommodation in Palma for tonight. We decide there’s no point in staying another night since my foot pain isn’t easing, and we would have only slept nearby and hitchhiked to Palma tomorrow anyway. We climb up to the pass, enjoying breathtaking views all around.

We declare this the most beautiful trail we’ve done here. At the pass, there’s a church, likely built so it’s equally difficult to reach from both villages. From the church, we take a shortcut through the bushes, visible on the map. It must have been a path to the church in the past, but now it seems only Czech tourists and we use it, judging by how overgrown it is. We descend quickly, as it’s getting late, and we need to hitch a ride from Sa Calobra, hoping there are still people around. The shortcut ends at a gate near some homes. We have no choice but to climb over it. It was easier than it looked. We arrive at Sa Calobra, where a few cars are parked. We go to check out the beach, but there’s a barrier indicating some work is happening since February. We see a few people standing by the fence, but no workers, since it’s Sunday. I’m the first to climb over the barrier next to the railing.

Everyone follows. The path to the beach goes through two tunnels, and they’re installing lighting. When we reach the beach, it’s almost entirely flooded by water from the Torrent de Pareis canyon, which is usually walkable in summer, but during rainy days, it can quickly fill with water from the Tramuntana mountains.

We take a few pictures and hurry back, hoping to catch some people who could give us a ride. The first car stops for us, even though it’s already carrying four people. We squeeze in with two Colombian couples. I’m surprised to find that my Spanish is better than their English. Luckily, they have phones to translate, and they show me they’re heading to Sóller, which is perfect for us. I have to focus hard to understand their accent. The road from Sa Calobra is extremely winding but incredibly scenic. The setting sun casts a beautiful light on the surrounding mountains. There’s a car accident up ahead, so I hide in the back to avoid being seen by the police. They drop us off in Sóller, and 10 minutes later, we catch a bus to Palma.

Half an hour later, we’re in the city and head straight to our accommodation. Jozef cooks all the food we had planned also for breakfast—eight servings of mashed potatoes, three cans of tuna, Parmesan, and ketchup. Who would have thought we wouldn’t be able to finish it? There’s a big TV, and I find Bridget Jones in Spanish. As I write the diary, Jozef falls asleep on the couch. Outside, the wind is howling and blowing through the apartment, but we’re warm and cozy in our sleeping bags.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 7 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Saturday, 2nd March 2024

18,6 km – total 163,7 km

This is exactly how we imagined all our nights on Mallorca—clear skies full of stars and a comfortable 11°C. We’re not eager to get up, but I catch a glimpse of the beautifully colored sky at sunrise. By 8 AM, we slowly start to pack up.

Jozef makes coffee, and a cat comes to visit us. We finish packing just as the first active locals start arriving.

We take a quick look at the viewpoint, then head down into town.

We also hike up the Calvary stairs and then make our way to Lidl.

We do a big shopping, even for tomorrow, since some stores will be closed. Outside Lidl, we lay out a feast—tuna salad, baguette, and tomatoes.

Next, we head to Port de Pollença, where we want to cook eggs, about which Jozef has been dreaming of for the past three days. It’s flat terrain, so the walk feels endless and a bit boring. Once we get to town, we go straight for coffee. Then we buy some oranges and sit on the beach.

The beach isn’t pleasant at all—it’s super windy, so we skip cooking the eggs. The weather forecast predicts rain and strong winds again tonight (60 km/h), so I start looking for accommodation. I find a place in Sóller, where we want to hike one more section tomorrow. I convince Jozef to check out the view toward the Formentor Peninsula. It’s a 5 km walk on asphalt, dodging cars and cyclists. Not the nicest path, but the sign indicated plans to extend the GR 221 trail to the northernmost point.

We reach Mirador el Colomer, where there are quite a lot of people. We’re a bit disappointed—the fence is covered with rubber bands and various trash. Looks like love locks are no longer the trend.

We snap a few photos and try to hitch a ride down.

Within a minute, a car stops for us. They’re heading to Palma but will stop in Pollença for coffee first. We get out there and try hitchhiking to Sóller, taking the mountain road. We’re not having much luck since it’s a longer route than going through Palma. So, we switch to the other road and try hitchhiking to Palma. After about 15 minutes, two Pakistani guys pick us up. They don’t speak much English, so the conversation is limited to my few Spanish phrases. The drive goes quickly, and they drop us off in Palma. We rush to the bus station to catch the bus to Sóller. We make it just in time, and in half an hour, we’re there.

We check into our accommodation, take a shower, and head out for food. There aren’t many options, so we go to an Indian restaurant. The prices are pretty steep, especially for drinks, but we’re too tired to keep searching. Jozef orders fish curry, and I get butter chicken with garlic naan. They mix up Jozef’s order and bring him chicken curry instead. He doesn’t mind, but they still offer it on the house. Afterward, we grab some bread and beer at the store. My leg starts to ache, so I hope it will pass. In the evening, we do some laundry, and I catch up on writing my blog.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 6 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Friday, 1st March 2024

37,2 km – total 145,1 km

The weather forecast was accurate; it rained hard and was very windy during the night. We had to move our sleeping setup and gear because they were getting wet. Just to be safe, we covered ourselves with a tarp to keep our sleeping bags from getting soaked. Around 11 PM, a strange guy showed up, sat on a bench for a while, and then went to sit in the bathroom. We slept until about 8:30 AM. Our Czech friend was just leaving. We were pretty slowly getting ready, and I was hoping the sun would come out before we started. My wish didn’t come true, and we set off before 10 AM. Today, we’ll reach the highest point of the trail, over 1200 meters above sea level.

Right away, we run into some goats. It’s not raining, but the trail has turned into a stream. I’m trying to keep my feet dry.

After an hour, we stop for a snack—baguette with cheese and salami. After eating, we pick up the pace. Around 1000 meters, the snow begins. There isn’t much, just some remnants of what fell during the night.

It’s foggy everywhere, so there are no views. When we reach the pass, the wind is strong, but we get a brief glimpse of the scenery for about a minute. It’s not pleasant up here, so we try to head down quickly.

Ugh, it’s a total mess—lots of water and mud. Finally, we reach a stone path, but it’s slippery because of the water. We practically run downhill.

We encounter quite a few people. It’s 3 PM by the time we’re down, but the thermometer still shows 6°C. We arrive at the village of Lluc. There’s a campsite and plenty of barbecue areas. It’s a holiday in Spain, so a lot of people are grilling. We don’t linger and continue on to the Son Amer refuge. We take a short break and eat some chocolate. Then, we pick up the pace, aiming to reach the town of Pollença before dark.

We’re not really enjoying this stretch. It’s a long descent through an ugly forest, followed by 7 more kilometers of flat terrain. It feels endless, and I’m just going on autopilot. Near the end, we see some cats, which give us a bit of a boost for the final kilometers. Finally, we reach Pollença. Most people finish the trail here. We grab a beer at a bar and then head to a kebab place for dinner. I order a falafel plate, and Jozef gets a kebab plate. They’re playing what seems like a playlist from 2018, as I recognize all the Spanish songs. I feel nostalgic.

Tonight, the sky is supposed to be clear at last. We head to sleep at Puig de Maria, a climb of almost 300 meters over 2.5 km, which we do in the dark. But it’s fine, as there’s a paved road almost all the way to the top. I use the red light on my headlamp, which reflects off the eyes of the goats that are also spending the night up there. At the top, there’s a church and nearby benches and barbecue spots. We find a nice flat spot, quickly set up, and fall asleep almost instantly.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 5 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Thursday, 29th February 2024

30,5 km – total 107,9 km

Ah, it’s day 4, which is always critical for me during hikes. Jozef wakes me up at 6:30 AM, saying he’s well-rested. I, however, am not—it was a horrible night, but I get up anyway. In the dark, I change clothes and pack my things. I finish packing in the hallway while Jozef makes coffee and instant noodles outside. My feet are really sore. With every step, they burn from underneath, and I’ve developed blisters on the sides of my toes from those damp shoes. Thankfully, it’s finally nice outside. We eat, drink coffee, and the sun rises. We start hiking up from Deià before 8 AM.

I get awful cramps in my calves. I try to walk it off, take some magnesium, and hope it helps. The path to Sóller is 10 km, passing through many olive groves.

I’m really struggling today, and I have to keep convincing myself to push on and stay positive—after all, it’s a beautiful day, and we’re heading into the mountains. But it’s tough, and I’m starting to get hungry. Luckily, we encounter a fluffy donkey and a kitten, which lifts my spirits a little.

The descent into Sóller feels endless, though the views of the surrounding mountains open up. There are still clouds hanging over the peaks. In town, many people are burning fires, so the whole place is hazy, and the air quality is bad.

I really don’t feel like going on today. I’m tired, hungry, and lacking motivation. Jozef buys me a sweet bun from a bakery and asks me to make a decision about what we do next. But I can’t decide. So, we head to a café to think it over. We discuss various options, weighing the pros and cons of different routes. I check the weather, the map, and accommodations. Then, we go shopping for two days’ worth of supplies, knowing I’ll need to decide soon. Next to the store, there’s a bench, so we sit down for lunch with a view of dumpsters and the mountains. I feel better after eating, and the clouds on the mountains have cleared.

So, we decide to head upwards. We face a climb of over 1,000 meters on 8.5 km. At first, the path follows a road lined with orange and lemon groves.

When the real climb starts, it’s on a beautifully maintained stone trail. It’s so warm that I switch to shorts.

I’m moving pretty slowly. I don’t have much energy, and I sometimes feel dizzy. I try to drink lots of water and have some sugar.

We stop by a stream to filter water, and I soak my feet to refresh them a bit. We’ve finished the steepest part of the climb. The trail now continues gently, sometimes through the forest, surrounded by tall mountains, all the way to Cuber Lake.

Jozef wonders if we should set up a shelter somewhere, but forecast for the night is heavy rain , so we decide to push on to the Refugio Tossals Verds. It’s still 7 km away. I’m dragging my feet, which annoys Jozef, but I just can’t go faster on flat ground. I’m frustrated that I’m so tired on such a beautiful day, but I also think, if the weather had been bad, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I get a burst of energy going uphill and pick up the pace. Maybe it’s the motivation that the end is near.

When we cross the pass, the trail turns into a stream. It really must not rain this much here normally. We thought that was the worst part, but we were wrong. The trail runs along the base of a gorge, over big rocks, constantly going up and down, with some chains for support. We thought the time estimate on the sign was exaggerated, but it wasn’t. Only now we notice the dotted line on the map, indicating the highest level of difficulty. The route is beautiful, with views of Puig d’Alaró, but we’re pretty exhausted by now.

We arrive at the refuge after sunset. I really don’t want to spend another night in a refugio, but we don’t have much choice since we didn’t bring the tent. We go to the reception and explain we don’t have a reservation. The man tells us everything is booked, but we can sleep in the shelter outside. This turns out to be a great option. There’s water and a bathroom nearby, and we don’t have to pay. A Czech guy is already set up there, recognizable by his “Jeseníky” hat. After we settle in, inflating our sleeping pads, a woman arrives with eight kids to show them how to light a fire in the fireplace. We move our stuff so they don’t burn anything and start chatting with the Czech guy. He’s doing the route in reverse, and this is his first day. Over the last few days, we regretted not bringing our tent, as it would have given us more freedom, and Jozef brought the wrong backpack, which he hadn’t tested for a multi-day trek and now finds uncomfortable. But none of that compares to the fact that he brought ventilated shoes (i.e., sneakers with holes) because a friend convinced him that it never rains here.

They successfully light the fire and all head inside for dinner. Jozef serves our dinner outside—mashed potatoes with tuna. We’re about to head to bed when the woman comes back with one of her sons and starts talking to us. She’s originally from Finland but has lived in Mallorca for 16 years, working as a mountain guide. Her son, around 4 years old, speaks fluent Catalan, Spanish, Finnish, and is learning English. He asks if there are mountains where we live. She also tells us that it really doesn’t rain this much in Mallorca; we just happened to hit a rainy week. More kids and their moms arrive, and they start playing Dixit. We’re already half-asleep, warmed by the fire, and with brushed teeth, but they keep playing until after 10 PM. We had everything ready, so we just laid down and quickly fell asleep.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 4 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Wednesday, 28th February 2024

36,3 km – total 77,4km

There was another storm last night. I woke up to the sound of water pouring into the reservoir, but I was warm and dry in my sleeping bag. We get up at 6:45 AM, and I pack quietly while Jozef makes coffee outside. The Czech brothers wake up at 7 AM. Their alarm is remix of quotes from the fortune teller Jolanda. We drink our coffee, brush our teeth, and set off.

The town of Banyalbufar is 3 kilometers away, and we have a brief window of no rain. It’s an interesting little town, built entirely on a hill, with stone terraces and many rainwater tanks, though they’re mostly half-empty.

We try in vain to find an open café in town. Everything opens at 9:30 AM. It starts raining heavily, so we head straight to the next village, Esporles, which is 1.5 hours away. First, we climb through the entire town, then take a nice path through the forest.

For breakfast, on the go, we finish off some nuts, dried fruit, and jerky. When you’re desperate, you’ll eat anything. In Esporles, we search for a café to dry off, warm up, and charge our devices. We find a small one filled with elderly people. These are always the best spots. We have coffee, a croissant, and a chocolate roll, all very good. We freshen up a bit and do some shopping. It’s still raining. The Czechs catch up to us. We follow the trail through town, hoping for a shelter to eat, but there’s none. So, we keep walking—if we stop, we’ll get soaked and cold.

We snack on mini croissants as we walk. The uphill climb is pleasant and allows for a brisk pace. By 1 PM, the forecast says the rain should stop. I start feeling really miserable because my shoes and pants are soaked. But I keep reminding myself that Mallorca needs this rain, and it’s really good that it’s pouring. We finally find a shelter and stop for a meal. We put on our down jackets and eat a baguette with cheese. The Czechs arrive and start making tea with their gasoline stove. The thermometer shows 5°C at 500 meters altitude, so we wonder if there will be snow on the next, higher peak. It’s a bit cramped in the shelter, so we move on.

The rain stops, but I’m so cold that I even start running to warm up. After a few minutes, I feel better, and my pants start drying. By 3 PM, we reach Valldemossa.

It’s a very beautiful historic town, though sadly full of souvenir shops. We find a café and sit to consider our next move. It looks like the rain won’t stop today. The cheapest accommodation here is 73 €. In the next village, Deià, there’s a refugio 14 km away, with more than 600 meters of elevation gain. To Jozef’s surprise, I choose the refugio. I’m feeling pretty good.

The route has been altered, and one section is very steep. From 700 meters above sea level, we’re in fog, and it’s about 4-5°C. We take a shortcut to avoid unnecessary descent and encounter lots of sheep and goats emerging from the mist. When we rejoin the official trail, it’s a nicely built stone path. If we weren’t in the fog, it would be a really beautiful hike.

I suggest to Jozef that we do it again in a few days when the weather is nice, but he dismisses the idea, saying we’ll return in 30 years. Next is a steep and somewhat dangerous 900-meter descent. I try to go down quickly, almost running. We pass two of the Czechs. Finally, when we come out of the fog, we have a view of Deià and the sea, and the birds start singing.

We pass by some collapsed stone walls that are being repaired. Anyone who loves puzzles would enjoy this. We arrive in the village just as the sun is setting, painting the surrounding mountains pink.

It starts raining again, and I don’t think I could handle sleeping outside tonight. We reach the refugio, where the lady has free beds, but it takes her forever to register us. We smell pretty bad. We share a room with three others. We head straight for the shower. It’s only then that I realize how exhausted I am. Since my feet were wet all day, the dirt got deep into my skin, and I have to scrub them twice. Jozef goes outside to cook stuffed tortellini, and I try to write, but my phone’s battery is dead, and our only charging cable just broke. We usually have two, but I accidentally brought the wrong one. Fortunately, we still have one integrated in the power bank. We eat and then go to bed. We had to put our backpacks next to our shoes because they were soaked and smelled bad. I finish writing the blog, which I want to upload tonight. I fall asleep for about 40 minutes, then finally upload it at 11 PM. One of the guys in our room snores loudly, and it’s also quite warm. I’d rather be sleeping outside.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 3 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

Tuesday, 27th February 2024

33,7 km – total 41,1 km

Although there wasn’t a storm, it did rain. During the night, I had to move the backpacks because water was dripping on them from the roof. I forgot to turn off the 4 AM alarm, but I quickly fell back asleep. We wanted to get up at 6:45 AM, but it’s still raining heavily. When the wind blows, the rain even hits us. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to us to put the tarp on the back side. It’s not too bad, but I keep waking up from the rain hitting my face. We finally get up at 8:15 AM, don’t cook anything, just pack up and wait for the rain to ease a bit.

We set off at 9 AM, and reach Sant Elm in half an hour. We find the only open place and have coffee with a carrot cake, and also ask the lady to fill our water bottles. We start the climb into the La Trapa nature reserve. The whole time, we have a view of the island Se Dragonera.

When we reach the exposed cliff, the wind is pretty harsh. The thermometer shows 10°C, but when you’re hiking uphill, it feels warm. We arrive at La Trapa and climb a ladder into a fenced area.

There are fields here, and they’re preserving native Mallorcan species that have almost disappeared due to frequent fires. From here, we finally get to a well-marked trail with signs.

We turn north, and instead of a beautiful blue sky ahead, there are clouds over the mountains.

We hope the sky will clear. The path is all muddy, sticking to our shoes, and I look like a piglet. We try to pick up the pace. We wanted to eat once the sun came out, but that might mean we won’t eat at all today. So, we stop at some ruins at noon and eat baguettes on a wall. Three tourists with large backpacks pass us—I’d guess they’re Czechs. The next part of the trail is well-maintained and fairly busy.

At the end, there’s a parking lot, and from there, we’re alone on the trail again. The trail has been rerouted recently because my map shows the new route while Jozef’s still shows the old one. We follow the markings, at least avoiding the asphalt. Ahead, we have a climb up to 850 meters, and along the way, we meet lots of goats. We keep passing a Brit several times.

The clouds we saw from below fortunately rise with us, and when we reach the top, it’s clear.

After 10 minutes in the sun, Jozef changes into shorts, and five minutes later, fog rolls in from the sea, and the temperature drops to 6°C.

Of course, he refuses to put his pants back on, saying he’s fine like that. What follows is a long descent on a rocky road with switchbacks.

A bit of asphalt, then a pleasant walk through a dense forest. In the town of Estellencs, we hoped to find a store, but everything is closed. We have 4 kilometers left with a 250-meter climb. We haven’t eaten much today, so we snack on nuts to get some energy. We arrive 20 minutes before sunset. The view is beautiful from here. We quickly unpack our sleeping bags to air them out before the dew sets in.

There’s a fantastic shelter here, and according to the map, a spring, but it’s completely dried up. There’s a bit of stagnant water in the trough, but there are some larvae in it, so we don’t even want to filter it. We’re not sure what to do since we have only half a liter of water left. Jozef goes to check a stream marked on the map, but it’s also dry. I’m already considering whether we’ll need to hike to the town (3 km). Luckily, the shelter has a rainwater tank, which is locked, but the hinge is broken, so we can open the lid. It’s about 3 meters deep, but we have a rope and a pot with a handle.

We’re saved, so dinner will be the pasta I’ve been looking forward to for last two hours. We fetch water and filter it. Jozef is paranoid that the water isn’t safe to drink even after filtering, and wants to use it only for cooking, but I convince him it’s fine. We all have our fears. I change into my pajamas and write. Jozef cooks and prepares for bed. We won’t be alone tonight—the three Czechs have arrived. They don’t talk much with us. We have a second batch of pasta. I go outside to upload the blog, looking for a signal. It’s already quite cold, and my feet are freezing. Jozef goes to sleep, and I keep writing the blog in my sleeping bag. Meanwhile, I overhear a discussion about borovička (a Slovak juniper spirit), which they’re drinking. I also hear them planning to arrive in Polenta (they ment Pollença) on Saturday before I drift off to sleep.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 2 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.

The route goes through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The official trail runs from Port d’Andratx to the town of Pollença and is 120 km long. I’ve planned a route of over 200 km because I want to visit the northernmost point, Cap de Formentor, and the beach at Sa Calobra. The daily distances are quite ambitious, but we’re traveling very light. We only have carry-on luggage, so we’re not bringing a tent or trekking poles, and the backpacks weigh 5 kg each without food and water. The smaller one is Jozef’s, but his is actually heavier.

I have a few aches and pains, but I tell myself that seven days of hiking from morning until night and sleeping outdoors should take care of it.

Monday, 26th February 2024

Bratislava – Port d’Andratx

The alarm is set for 4 AM. I wake up feeling fine, not like I’m going to work. Everything is packed, so I just braid my hair into two French braids. We arrive at the station two minutes before the train leaves—this is our compromise. I would normally sprint to catch the train, while Jozef would already be there 10 minutes early. I nap for a bit on the train, and the ride passes quickly. We arrive in Bratislava at 7:00, so we grab a coffee and a croissant. Our bus doesn’t leave until 8:45, so we walk up to the castle and sit on a bench in the sun. We still have plenty of time, so we wander around the airport, quickly pass through security, and wait.

The flight is on time, at 12:00 PM. I sleep through the whole trip. I dream that the airport in Palma is on a steep hill, and we’re hurtling down it, but in reality, we land smoothly. It’s raining outside. The airport is really big but empty, and it takes us a while to find our way out. The bus to the city arrives right away. Memories of places we used to visit come flooding back. We get off near a Decathlon store where we plan to buy a gas canister, a knife, and sunscreen, but they don’t have anything. So, we rush across the city center to another sports store, which is just coming out of siesta. Afterward, we quickly buy food and head to the bus. The store only sells a pack of 4 knives for 1€, so we get those along with baguettes, salami, cheese, ketchup, and mustard. We find the bus easily, and you can pay by tapping your card when boarding and exiting, so no need to deal with tickets. They’re having some issues with it, though, so we wait 20 minutes, but the bus makes up the time on the highway, and we arrive in Port d’Andratx an hour before sunset.

Port d’Andratx – Sant Elm

7,4 km

I start tracking the route on my watch. Jozef had to send his watch in for repairs, so the navigation is up to me, but I manage to get it working, so it’s all good. We begin by walking along the pier, then gradually start climbing on an asphalt road, winding through switchbacks, and eventually steeply uphill through a pine forest. I could really use those trekking poles—it’s quite hard. After 2 km, we switch to a more pleasant path. There’s no one around, birds are singing, and the sun is setting. It’s idyllic.

We’re already looking for a place to sleep. Our goal is to reach a small shelter. We pass a rocky overhang with a stone enclosure just big enough for two people. We decide to stay there. It’s supposed to rain during the night, but we should be fine.

First, we have a baguette because we’re pretty hungry. Then Jozef sets up our stuff while I write. Later, he makes instant noodles. I change clothes in the meantime, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice some flashes. There’s a lighthouse, so I think it’s from that. But no, soon I see some really ominous lightnings—it’s a storm. Jozef doesn’t believe me at first, but then he notices it too. We quickly pack up and head to the shelter, 800 meters away, with our headlamps. The shelter is locked. The village is 2.5 km away. After 1 km, we find an abandoned building. It’s locked, but it has a roofed area. We set up there, brush our teeth, and go straight to bed.

Príspevok GR 221 – day 1 je zobrazený ako prvý na Stupky.