TriTalk Travel Guide

Yeah we are genuinely not taking bikes or hiring any.

I’ve been a complete numpty. Partner works in the bike industry and the last 18 months have been hell for them. We had a long weekend in Nice booked but those flights were cancelled. We couldn’t change the days we had booked off so Mallorca ended up being the only alternative. It’s not going to be an escape from cycling for him :woman_facepalming:t4: We’ll make it a fun few days of people watching.

Of course I then see on the socials that George hincapie and mates are in Pollenca this weekend. That would’ve been a decent coincidence to be there at the same time. But my timing is rubbish for that too!

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Yes, in the town of Soller there’s a big square surrounded by bars, restaurants and the city hall. The Plaza de la Constitución. It’s beautiful. Just beware the tram tracks!

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Weird. Mrs GB has just been talking about Soller as a potential spot for next year. I’ve never been to Majorca, so I’m keen. Would be decent for the kiddos too.

Not sure I’d get away with any cycling though :pensive:

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Plenty to do for kids. Anthrax (Andratx) for a nice meal with you typical chrome/glass bars and cafes, good for posh boat watching.

PdP has plenty of hiking and mtb type exploring. Puig Major has an observatory but the road is not always open for the very top bit.

Excursion to the lighthouse or head to Palma Nova where there’s a great beach for kids, safe to swim, you can rent a jet ski or paddle board and there plenty of swings and climbing stuff on the beach. Quieter than Shagaluff but a bit of a drive from PdP.

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Flights are obscenely cheap at the moment. Suspect they’re trying to make up for a couple of lost summers. I’ve had a steady stream of friends and colleagues who have been over the last 6 weeks. All for very different types of holidays and they’ve all had a great time.

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You’ve changed man :rofl:

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Just know my audience :sunglasses:

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So as much as Lance is the villain. He’s in Puerto de Pollenca this week with his ridiculously priced “The Move Training Camp”. “Exclusive” ego-stroking week on bikes.

Literally a few hotels down from where we’re staying and it’s him, Hincapie, Ulrich and Bruyneel all there. I’m not sure my partner would’ve known what to do if he walked into all of them there. He still wears his livestrong band but he also works for Trek so a bit of a contradiction there. I’d be pretty startstruck too to be honest.

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I remember my Dad baulking at the prices in Canet Plage in the 80s :sweat_smile: (day trip to Perpignan from just over the border in Spain).

Apparently our local airport that I’m flying from on Friday has advanced scanners and there’s no limitation on fluids, other than what I can carry :joy:

So, hopefully won’t get my wallet pilfered for a £3 bottle of water!

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Never going to happen :smile:

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Super random, but has anyone been to the Galapagos Islands?
I want to go, the Mrs really isn’t bothered. Mostly blaming cost for a ‘meh’ experience. The cost for ~7 days will be roughly same as her coming to Busselton to watch an ironman. And she’d rather do that :exploding_head:

Anyone able to sell it, or make me think she might be right and it’s not worth it?

Considered it when I was in Colombia but the permit costs and going through what seemed like a legalised racket back then, just wasn’t worth it.

What do you mean?

For us the cost looks to be about $400AUD return flights, and $100 USD for the permit.
Granted I haven’t even looked into it that much yet, just seen some good snorkeling and was hooked

ETA: That’s flights from Ecuador. Which yes is a bit of an IF as to whether we’re still going there with political situation, or just go Peru to Columbia as part of South America travel

It was probably the fact that I was looking at it from already being in Colombia but I needed a permit for this, travel docs for that, another permit to return to Colombia and everything was crazy expensive.

This was early 200s, so nothing was online. It would have involved a lot of faff and $$. Hopefully things have changed now.

A good mate of mine went to the Galapagos a few years ago. Absolutely raves about it said it was one of the highlights of his year long South America trip

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I bet all the tortoises still had the same shape shells then :wink:

ETA - did anyone else see the QI about them trying to bring a tortoise back to the UK numerous times but they never made it as they were so tasty the sailors kept eating them?

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left it there for comedy value :grin:

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I think you can do it on the cheap , by sourcing local companies etc . One of my regrets is going to the Ecuador but not going to the Galapagos Islands. So I would say yes its worth it.

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I was put off it by the travel people saying it’s not worth it. If you have a specific interest in the history of Darwin and evolution (which I did) then maybe, otherwise “it’s a long boat ride to some barren rocks in the middle of the sea”. So I chose not to.