On my birthday last year, we hopped on a plane to Spain. I suggested somewhere sunny, preferably one with a beach and somehow rather after shortlisting a few destinations, we chose Majorca. Honestly, we would have gone anywhere down south to escape sad, dreary, dark wintery London. A and I are not planners when it comes to holidays. We would have a few suggestions of where to go, but when we get there, we would usually throw our itinerary out of the window and just go with the flow.
That fact never rang truer than in Majorca. From the moment we checked into our gorgeous hotel to the moment we checked out, plans would change by the minute. Because our hotel room was so comfortable, luckily overlooking a gorgeous sea view complete with a huge balcony and sun bed, most of the time we just opted to stay in and relax in the comforts of our duvet. We would walk around the neighbourhood for a few hours, soak up the sun rays, maybe eat a meal or two, then head back to finish our marathon of Stranger Things on Netflix.
Majorca is a nice city. One with pebbled roads leading to tight corners, lined with interesting old shops. The beach stretched on for miles, with one end hosting young party-goers who travel here for its infamous night life, and its other end (our end) hosting German pensioners (and us) who prefer a quieter night in. The seafood was also good although expensive. The paella we ate on the day of my birthday was exceptional!
Before the trip, I did have the intention of renting a car to travel around the island. But once we got there, we honestly wanted to just relax in our little company of two. After coming back from the trip and telling my colleagues what we ended up doing (or rather, not doing) on the island, some did question, "Was that just a waste? You could have relaxed in a hotel in London, couldn't you?" Technically, yes. But there is a reason why people go out into the woods or out to an isolated beach to solely unwind. To me, there are a few types of holidays:
1. Educational (ie visiting historical sites such as my trip with my sister to Poland
2. Cultural (ie immersing oneself into the local lifestyles like my trips to Kenya)
3. Exploration (ie those that involve exploring nature through hiking, scuba diving, etc.); and
4. Holidays to purely unwind (ie this trip)
Some would have sole holidays to shop, but that is not a category within my books.
Although Majorca was an ideal place to learn of Spain's history or ride speedboats or meet with the locals, A and I never intended to make this trip about learning or experiencing. This trip was about us. For the past year, we have been apart a lot as A's work was mainly back home. So escaping to Majorca was about being away, together - and that is how I will remember this trip. The waking up at midday, starting our day near sunset, taking a random bath at midnight and eating fast food takeaway because we were too lazy to go anywhere too far. This trip was less "Shall we go to this museum?" and more "Shall we spend the evening watching the sunset from our balcony?" The trip was filled with silent gaps, pauses and stillness - and it was perfect.
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