Can Miquel.  I read about this bakery some time ago and I finally tracked it down in Palma.  On my first attempt they were closed for siesta.

I had much better luck on the 2nd attempt the following day and I was even allowed access to the kitchen.

This oven has been cranking out fresh pastries since the year 1560!!

The chef recommend his spinach puff pastry, a healthier breakfast I guess, but it tasted better knowing it just came out of a 500 year old oven…

My training partners for the day, Danny Pate and Caleb Fairly.  All ready for some racing in Mallorca!

Just a few kilometers from the Palma city limit and you are this road.  It’s easy to see why so many cyclist flock to this island.

]]> http://www.craiglewis.us/2011/02/08/in-and-around-palma/feed/ 0 http://www.craiglewis.us/2011/02/04/palma-de-mallorca/ http://www.craiglewis.us/2011/02/04/palma-de-mallorca/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:09:12 +0000 Craig Lewis http://www.craiglewis.us/?p=918 A quick spin through Palma de Mallorca. Down along the harbor and up and around the Le Seu cathedral.

Climbing Sa Calobra with Marco Pinotti and Peter Velits.  My favorite climb on the island.

Still working my way up the 10km Sa Calobra climb with Pino…

At the top of Mallorca highest mountain, Puig Major, the light at the end of the tunnel is pretty small.

Being stuck in Girona on a Saturday isn’t all that bad.  Saturday is “market day” here in town, mainly on la ramblas, the main shopping street.  Vendors come from all over the area to set up their tents and sell all types off goods from purses to cheese.  There is even a stand for nameplates for children (see picture), and for some reason I find it interesting to read all of the Catalan names. This Saturday is extra special as it marks the start of Sant Joan, a weeklong festival here in Catalunya.  I am not sure the exact meaning of Sant Joan, or any other of the many holidays here, but from what I gather the men are suppose to buy the women roses and in return they receive a book.  More importantly, it is just a week of celebrating, eating, drinking, enjoying the outdoors and, of course, making a lot of noise.  Here are some pictures from my walk down la ramblas today.

It has also been nice to sit back and watch some of the racing action this week, with Flanders and Roubaix taking place.  There is no better way to get motivated for my races ahead than by watching these guys battle each other over the cobbles.  I really have an awesome couple of months ahead of me.  The Ardennes week is fast approaching.   I will be racing in all three, Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.  These are three of the biggest and most exciting races of the year for me.  The crowds and the courses make this week special.  Then it is off to northern Italy where I will check out the courses of the last week of this year’s Giro d’Italia.  A close friend of mine, Brendan Quirk, will be joining me in the Dolomites for a great week of training.  Then it is the Giro itself.  My first Grand Tour, I am not sure what else you can say about that!  As always in life, there is much to look forward to.

Most teams bring over half of their roster here since ten riders can start each day (instead of the more normal six-nine) and it doesn’t have to be the same ten everyday. With some riders skipping a stage or two, spots open up for others, and you could see over fifteen riders sharing the week of racing.

It is a pretty nice way to roll into the season, and I feel it’s great for the fans as well. They get the chance to see twice as many of their favorite pros. The fans also get to ride out on the same roads that others, who are not racing, are training on for the day. A training camp with race days and twenty teams all in the same area is basically what it boils down to.

The first two days were rather flat, so I opted out of those and arrived here today ready for the final three stages in the mountains. Each stage seems to get progressively harder as well, and the weather is not the brightest in forecasts. But I am remaining positive that this will be a great start to the year. With all of the training I have done the past few week’s things couldn’t be better. I am just looking to erase all of those question marks that you typically start the season with. Will I be strong enough to finish? Will I be strong enough to be at the front? Could I be there fighting for the win? By the end of the week I hope to answer them all with a “yes.”