Just a quick intro. Collectively there are two of us contributing here and also to our social media, Glen and Aga. We’re a young couple who have been traveling together for the last 3 months. We are international, Glen is from America, and Aga from Poland. We’ve both done some traveling before, and we’re dedicating our time and energy towards our adventures at the present moment. We’d like to share that experience, and hopefully inspire a few others along the way. So we’ll see where this thing goes, and maybe some of you will follow us on our journey. Thanks for checking out our blog. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it, or at the very least find something useful in it!

Realizing our gate closed in ten minutes, Aga and I began SPRINTING to our terminal, not our gate, our terminal…We checked in, made it through security, and merely due to a lucky last second glance, we saw which way to head to for our gate. We arrived with about a minute to spare. What airport closes the gate 30 minutes before “takeoff”? A German one, of course. After we almost missed our sunny winter vacation, we boarded and headed out for paradise.

Deep Cut Tip One-rent a car on the island, but also make sure one of your driver’s knows how to drive a stick. 😉

Aga and I nearly didn’t make it out of the airport parking garage. I hadn’t driven a stick in about eight years, and the last time I had was in a buddy’s old jeep around the block. Aga is a new driver and was nervous about making the drive across the island. But seeing as she was our only option, we took a deep breath and we headed out. Spoiler alert: she didn’t kill us. 😉

We stumbled upon our first accidental destination fort kilometers outside of Palma, a small farmer’s market and a restaurant called Es Cruce. A definite locals’ locale, this massive place was packed with hundreds of Majorqi waiting to be served lunch. We navigated the Catalan and Castillian menu and ordered the local specialty of snails with aioli, and also cuttlefish in salsa, vegetable croquets, and Catalan crema.

Deep Cut Tip Two-olives and bread on the table are NOT free. You will always pay extra.

These were classic, simple Majorcan dishes at really reasonable prices. It was easy to see why this place was so busy. Our favorites were the croquets and snails, which we were trying for the first time. Just a heads up-all the locals were also eating the soup!

After lunch, and a little bit of shopping for fresh fruits, we got back on the road. We were staying on the East side of the island at Cala Anguila and Cala Mandia. We were there during the offseason (January), most of the businesses were closed, and beaches empty. We loved it. Who doesn’t want to feel like spending time on private beach in the winter time?

After the tasty food at the first restaurant we were so excited we couldn’t wait to try another. But of course we ended up in an expensive “frozen paella” place. So disappointed. We talked with a local cafe owner and he explained to us that a lot of the food at restaurants on the island is frozen and just reheated. Unfortunately not every restaurant takes advantage of the amazing fresh and local food, and are just trying to make a buck. So just always be careful when eating out. Hence…

Deep Cut Tip Three– always, always, always read reviews before you go to a restaurant and never go to a place with B-roll pictures of food on the menu.

After a few experiences we knew it would be difficult to find another good restaurant. Many of them were closed for the season and plenty of others were tourist traps. We decided our best bet was to cook at home. And it was a great decision, you can find really good fresh seafood, meat, sobrassada, chorizo, fruits, and veggies at local stores.
Be on the lookout for our next post! Aga will share her favorite recipes for seafood paella, tortilla espanola, and citrus and herb dorada!

Deep Cut Tip Four– if you don’t know how to prepare something, ask the shop workers for help with ingredients. 😉

Other than experiencing the the local fare, this trip was mostly about getting away from the winter of Northern Europe and relaxing down by the beach to soak in the sun! We definitely took advantage of our rental car, and drove quite a bit while on the island and made a few trips back and forth to Palma which we would definitely recommend! The entire island was absolutely gorgeous. From the stunning views of the mountains, the sea, castles, farmland, to the orchards-boasting cherries, oranges, lemons, and plenty of sheep. The old stone walls line the island around every farm and plantation. The Majorcan countryside felt like a paradise and a return to a simpler life.

The beaches are beautiful coves carved out of the surrounding rock, with crystal blue water. We took advantage of the amazing weather and relaxed on the beach while drinking a little homemade sangria.

We didn’t do a whole lot of sightseeing, but purposefully so. Not every experience in a new place has to be a grand adventure where you pack in as many things to see and do as possible. Most days we woke up without a plan and just saw where the day took us. Truthfully we wouldn’t change a thing about how we spent our time, and even debated staying another ten days, but decided to visit another time.

Majorca is an incredible little island, and we think it has something to offer for everyone. There are plenty of sights to see, fresh food to eat, an amazing nightlife in Palma, and relaxation, either by the sea or in the countryside. We were really happy with our choice to visit, and it was only spurred by a cheap plane ticket we saw while in Lviv! It motivated us to share the experiences we had while traveling here and elsewhere in Europe.

A Little Summary/Extra Tips

• Check sites like, Esky, Skyscanner, and Skiplagged for cheap plane tickets
• For some relaxation, go during the offseason
• Definitely rent a car and explore! Don’t just stay in Palma
• Don’t forget about siesta, for businesses 2-4pm, restaurants around 4-6/7pm
• Try cooking some of your own local cuisine/favorites
• When out, go where the locals go
• Try to live like a local
• Definitely grab some fresh fruits, especially the melon!
• Exchange money before you get there! It’s expensive/hard to find a place outside Palma
• Stay away from restaurants right by the sea, or in the center. Get out and explore
• Get some natural rays before you apply sun screen
• Book everything by yourself! Save money and don’t buy “deals”! For our stay/car rental we were paying about $65/day total, for nine nights!

Helpful Phrases

• Puedo tener un cafe con leche-Can I have a coffee with milk
• Gracias/Muchas Gracias-Thank you/Thank you much
• Lo siento, estoy perdido-I’m sorry, I am lost
• Hablas ingles?-Do you speak english?
• Podemos sentarnos afuera-Can we sit outside?
• Buenos dias-Good day
• No hablo espanol-I don’t speak spanish

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our first post, and we promise as we continue, we’ll find our creative direction and always do our best to make interesting content!

Aga and Glen