It was still dark when I woke up and I started just shortly after sunrise but was richly rewarded. The air still fresh, the sun low and partly hidden behind light clouds, and almost no traffic at all on my way through the Tramuntana mountains. I can’t get enough of the winding roads, the spectacular views and the small villages. A trip to Orient sounds like a far away journey and indeed, time seems to have forgotten this beautiful hideaway.

This summer is pretty good for cycling – compared to four years ago when we got 40 degrees at the end of May… Nonetheless, I don’t like to climb the mountains in midday heat. Racing down is a different story because the always headwind cools you nicely and even if you speed it’s not much of an effort. So from time to time, I join the early birds among the cycling aficionados.

On Sunday mornings even Palma is quiet, recovering from the Saturday night fever. In Bunyola, they had not even started to clean up from the fiesta anoche and only a few people were having their first café con leche in one of the bars. When we left the small town the road was completely ours, and except for some other cyclists we did not see anybody but sheep and occasional hikers. The scenery changed little by little when we approached Alaró with its two signature rocky mountains and Santa Maria del Camí (where Sunday is market day), before we made a little detour by the sea and finally treated ourselves to a decent sundae at Ca’n Miquel. What a day!