My view of Palma de Mallorca as the sun rose showed a substantial modern city with a huge historic cathedral dominating the skyline. It was going to be a busy day with little time to see the city.
Michael and I had been looking forward to the Sliver Wind's stop at Palma de Mallorca. During an earlier visit, Michael had ridden a vintage electric railway from Palma to Soller, a scenic mountain town three quarters of the way across the island. That visit, Michael rode the train in rain and drizzle. He wanted to take it again especially as the weather was spectacular on our arrival. I'm always up for a scenic railway ride and a friend, Bruce, who really likes trains, accompanied us on our personal adventure.
As soon as the ship cleared customs, the three of us were on our way down the pier and into town. A short taxi ride later, we were at the Ferrocarril de Soller, the Soller Rail Station, shortly before 9:00 a.m. The schedule Michael had printed from the Internet was predictably out of date. Tickets for the next train were not even on sale for the next forty-five minutes. We spent some time looking at the station and the train carriages waiting on a second track. Then we explored the underground transportation hub (bus and commuter train stations) just across the street. There Michael found free Wi-Fi and we checked our e-mail. We even had time for a short stroll around a few blocks of the surrounding city. We returned to the rail station about nine twenty and found a line already forming for the not yet open ticket window. It was a boisterous Spanish and Italian speaking crowd. We had to stand our ground firmly so as not to be pushed to the rear of the line.
Eventually the ticket window opened and we paid our seventeen Euros each for round trip tickets. We were able to board the train about thirty minutes before its departure. Shortly after we were all seated in the last car, we saw the tour group from our ship arrive en-mass and board the train several cars ahead of us. That was the last we saw of them: they had a bus pick them up at the Soller end of the ride while we were still exploring the rail yard there.
The Soller Railway has been operating without interruption, every day since 1912. The wooden cars dating from the early nineteen hundreds have been meticulously maintained. The seating was basic but comfortable. The windows opened. I think the three of us were the only English speakers in the car yet everyone was pleasant and in a good mood. As soon as the train passed through the city of Palma, Michael and Bruce went out onto the rear platform of the rail car to enjoy the views from the rear of the train as it passed through farmland, orange groves, almond groves and pretty little towns.
As the train climbed into the mountains we passed through a series of bridges and tunnels. The guidebook said there were 13 tunnels. We switched back and forth in the tunnels climbing to 1000 feet. We saw spectacular views of the town of Soller from a number of perspectives as we went in and out of curved tunnels. The train stopped at a platform high above Soller and patrons were encouraged to get off look at the views and take pictures. The real reason for the stop was to wait on a siding for another train from Soller to Palma to pass in the other direction. The 17-mile route is single, 3-foot gauge track. There are three double tracked station stops. Otherwise this mountaintop siding is the only other place for two trains to pass.
The rear platform of our rail car held only three people comfortably. It had been full with Michael, Bruce and one or another of the passengers from our car until we stopped. I finally got an opportunity to join the two of them as we came down from the heights into Soller. I immediately understood why they had been reluctant to come inside. The sun was shining, the temperature was mild and the views were stunning. The train moved along at a gentle twenty miles per hour swaying gently. As it was electric powered, there was only a humming sound from the power unit eight cars in front of us. What a great experience for rail enthusiasts!
At Soller, we climbed down from the rail car and explored the rail yard. Some sheds housed interesting looking rail equipment.
Michael had hoped we could take a tram, also 1912 vintage, that runs from Soller downhill to Port Soller on the north shore of the island of Majorca. The tram stop is adjacent to the Soller train platform. We were in luck. There was a tram departing minutes after our arrival. We hurried aboard for the half hour, 4 Euro trip. By now it was past noon; we were thinking of having lunch at a sidewalk café in Port Soller. Unfortunately, we saw several hundred people waiting to board the three-car tram as we pulled into the final stop. It seemed a wise idea to stay on the tram, as we needed to catch the 2 p.m. train from Soller to Palma. The trolly car rapidly filled with Italian speaking folks who all seemed to know each other. The tram left at 12:30 rather than the scheduled 1:00. p.m. Surprisingly, no conductor appeared to collect fares. We discovered that we were on a special non-scheduled train chartered by a senior citizen tour. We nodded, smiled, and enjoyed the ride back up to Soller.
Michael, Bruce and I checked out the picturesque town of Soller and had lunch in a café in the square by the cathedral. We managed to order from the menu in Spanish – that is, both read the Spanish menu and give our order in halting Spanish. As the waiter served our beer and sandwiches, a tram came through the square. It was a unique lunch: several trams passed by a few feet from our table causing Bruce, especially, to jump up and take pictures.
We almost boarded another unscheduled special train from Soller to Palma but were waved off by the conductor. Our Italian friends had apparently lunched in the square too and were now on their way back to Majorca's main port. A few minutes after the senior citizen group departed, we boarded the real 2:00 train and made our way to the first car. This car was the power unit. It had a small front-facing cab for the driver and a tiny open air space for the conductor. The rest of the car was divided into two sections. Originally, half of it had been second-class space with wooden seats and the other half first class with leather couches and chairs. The dual accommodations remained although there are no longer first or second class tickets. We three made ourselves comfortable in the first class section. We kept waiting to be told we were not allowed in the first class section on our standard excursion tickets but the conductor, when he appeared said nothing and merely punched our tickets. No one else came into the compartment so we had a wonderful private luxury ride from Soller back to Palma.
My camera began to malfunction on the way back. The cover arrangement over the lens wouldn't open or close properly. I kept pushing it open with my finger but the results weren't satisfactory. It was a good thing that there was only one more day to our 39-day cruise. I don't have pictures of Barcelona because of this.
The Palma to Soller train ride is one of the great tourist trains anywhere. Michael took a picture of Bruce and me with beatific expressions on our faces. The very scenic walk from the station through the historic section of Palma to catch the Silver Wind's shuttle bus to the pier was anticlimactic. What a fun day!
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