Yesterday was a total washout in Mallorca. I did get to warm up for about 20 minutes but that was it. It was pouring earlier but around noon abated so I decided to go to Arta to see what looked like a fortress church and another church. I had seen them high on the hill overlooking Arta (a town about 15-20 minutes from Font de sa Cala) several times. I read that the views were really nice from both. The views were really great.

I drove to spot about 12 minutes or so by foot from the “Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord” or “Transfiguracio” in Spanish. I walked past some sheep munching in a pasture and was soon at the base of the church…but there were a lot of steps first up to the church and then to the cathedral and fortress of San Salvador, apparently 180 steps in all.

The churches and fortress dominate the landscape of Arta. They were built on the former site of a Muslim fortress and mosque. After the conquest of the last Islamic strongholds in 1230 Janes 1 stayed in the Fortress and the mosque was transformed into a Christian temple. The current church of San Salvador was built in 1832.

The Transfiguario had a lot of side chapels (13) and a small museum upstairs, quite a few stained glass windows too. It was an interesting church and the view from outside the church of Arta was very nice. I also walked up a very narrow spiral staircase to see the view from the tower, which of course was even better! And that was before I walked the 180 steps up to the San Salvador.

I walked around the wall of San Salvador, and so had 360 degree views of Arta and farmland surrounding it. It was cloudy but the rain held off till just as I was leaving Arta.

I have a rental car this trip and decided to put air in the tires. The air setup was interesting…first you put the air hose tip into the valve, then go back to the machine which shows the tire’s air pressure…then hit + till the pressure is correct (there’s a – you push if you’ve overfilled your tire). I added a bit to all tires and more to the left rear which was the problem, and voila, no more low tire pressure warning.