I arrived Monday night in Mallorca, and started training on the red clay the next morning…and afternoon, with a visit to various grocery stores afterwards!

Tuesday I was pretty jet lagged, mostly in the afternoon and it was toasty, coming from coastal California, Peru (winter) and Canada (cold and rainy), but still very nice weather.

I hit Aldi for their delicious Spanish almonds and Alcampo for their variety (and proximity to Decathalon, a sporting goods store where I bought tennis balls and a stretching mat). I found Padron peppers and a beautiful tomato (now have to go back to Aldi for anchovies to go with the tomato)!

Today I trained only once, then drove to Sineu which has a big Wednesday market. Unlike most small town markets, Sineu has ample parking not too far away from the market, in a couple of fields.

Sineu is famous for its market and the fact that it still sells live animals…there were not a lot, but there were goats, ducks, chickens, roosters, sheep and rabbits for sale. And there were Shetland ponies to give kids pony rides.

The market was pretty typical with lots of fruits and vegetables (mostly near the church, but also scattered around the town), lots of clothes, jewelry, belts and wallets galore, shoes, and Mallorcan food…honey, salt, nuts, olives, and some empanadas, fritters, crepes and more.

I bought olives…1/2 pound is about $2 here and they are tasty!

The town of 4000 inhabitants has a beautiful church, the Church of Santa Maria, and the main plaza is called the Placa des Fossar (tip: most markets in Mallorca center around the church plaza, and that’s where the main fruit and vegetable vendors will be found). There are various cafes around the perimeter of the plaza, which were busy with patrons this afternoon.

Tomorrow…another double training session, and not much else.