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La Seu Cathedral

posted Dec 26, 2010, 3:08 PM by Quoc-Anh Vuong   [ updated Jan 5, 2011, 9:30 AM ]

Since all the restaurants, markets, and stores were closed on the 25th so we drove back to the place we stay, just before closing to buy few things for our simple dinner. At night, we regrouped and planned for the next day: visit La Seu Cathedral and have a good Spanish meal.

With all the driving, hiking and walking of the previous day, we had a good sleep and did not wake up until almost 10am the next day. After quick and simple breakfast, we headed directly to La Seu, the main and biggest cathedral in the island. It's situated on the port, south of the island, facing the Mediterranean sea as if to show off its magnificent structure to the incoming vessels. Surrounding the cathedral are high walls, with openings for canons or weapons to guard off the invaders. The Cathedral was finished building in 1600s, on the same site of the Arab mosque. We parked the car in the port's parking lot, free for Sunday (hooray!), and walked toward the cathedral.
There is a huge unusual shape sundial right at the end of the parking lot. Across the port is the La Seu Cathedral, or the proper name is Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma.

Through the smaller door made in the big entrant door, we went inside. The inside opens up and it is beautiful! With massive round stain-glass windows, one at each end of the main hall, the sun lit up the interior. The vaulted ceiling soaring high at least hundred feet. Large golden organ pipes on both sides of the hall. Huge supporting stone columns, each is about 36ft in diameter. I was snapping up pictures and did not notice the attendant was chasing after me, asking me to leave because the church service about to begin. We left the Cathedral, wandered inside the maze of old town, tried to find a coffee shop to try the Churro, but instead we found more little squares, old olive tree, and more small alleys. Headed back to the church, but it was closed and said to be open around 6pm. At that time, we all hungry so we drove to the restaurant, which we had picked out from the internet. The Restaurant is only few miles away, but long line of cars; they must have used the same guide book or read the recommendations from the same website. We split off from the long waiting line and found a parking spot on a small street about couple hundred yards away. By the time we got there, it was around 4pm, and we did not leave until 6pm.
The suckling roast pig is very good! We also ordered a bottle of Catalan red wine, which turned out to be quite good.

After dinner, we headed back to the Cathedral to take more pictures of the lighting and the surrounding at night. The light at night makes the whole Cathedral more dominant, massive white structure facing out the ocean.

We left the Cathedral and headed home, and started to feel the pressure, because there are still so many places to see, and we now already on the third day.
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