Blog Post 4
10/27/2022
39O43’3” N 2O35’18” E
We had arrived off a short flight from Venice to Mallorca. After getting a rental car, I spent the long drive thinking about what this new place had in store for us. By this time, we had already stayed in at least four different accommodations, and so I assumed it would be just like the rest. Probably—hopefully—it would have two bedrooms, and most likely, it would be in a building with other tenants in a charming town or city. But as we turned off the main road and started heading up a hair-thin, practically gravel path with jagged switchbacks that the car could barely fit down, I started to question my preconceptions.
Suddenly, the trees opened up to a beautiful, sprawling valley cradled in between jagged grey-black mountains. Wherever the gaps in between the mountains dipped enough, you could see the sea sprawling out infinitely in every direction. I was so enthralled by this beautiful and very familiar sight (as it reminded me of Colorado, in a way) that I didn’t notice it until the car stopped: a beautiful medievelesque complex, with a 16th-century tower rising high above the courtyard. I was, suffice it to say, in heaven, as I learned we would be staying in a 16th-century house that was initially built as a lookout to watch for pirates.
I was “presented” (introduced) to a man named Pera, which is Mallorcan for Peter. He was the foreman of all goings-on on the property, which basically meant being a shepherd. He was to be my teacher for the next week. And so, every morning, I woke up, walked down into the valley, and started chainsawing logs and hauling them across the land, rebuilding fences high on hilltop, herding shep, and chasing after a mother and her lamb. It was total pastoral paradise, even though I was left exhausted at the end of each day.
There was one catch, though. No power or cell service. We had no prior knowledge of this, so we didn’t come prepared with plans to change the time of my online school or any location to do it. So, over that week, every day after feeding vultures, herding sheep, and building fences, we rushed into town to find a restaurant, plaza, or really any location that wasn’t obnoxiously loud and had WiFi.
We were effectively living like they did in the 16th century, and it was so cool to get insight into what life was life back then, as that’s the time period I am studying in school. (I just did a research project on the inquisition. It’s under the projects tab; go check it out!) In a way, I think the lack of service and power was a really helpful and interesting insight into modern-day technology and our reliance on it. Mallorca is a beautiful place, and I recommend it if only for the hundreds of German tourists clogging the roads with biking tours. But if there is one thing I most recommend doing in reflection of this post, as cliché as it is, I’d recommend trying to live without power or reception for a couple of day, only using candles, going to bed when the sun sets, and turning your phone on airplane mode. I know it’s tricky in this world where we’re so reliant on it, but if you have a spare weekend, it’s certainly an enlightening experience.
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