Don't blink, you'll miss it.

The way I see it, I have been in 2009 for 6 hours more than most of you folks back state side. As such, I have a lot to tell.

Wrapping up '08

After the Christmas festivities Matt and I made our way up into the Serra de Tramuntana mountains for a few days exploring around Lluc Monastery. While the weather was not feeling particularly cooperative, we adapted and made do. We spent a few nights in a converted monk's cell, alternating exploring the grouds of the small town and meandering the many trails in the area.
One day we maneuvered a labyrinth of treacherously slippery rocks out to a formation called es Camel. Veins, like those you would see in leaf, had been etched into the stone by centuries of rains and percolating water. The corrugated ridges were almost sharp, which was enough to intimidate me into being cautious where I stepped. I have never seen rock quite like it; the texture was that of a very fine grained sandpaper and, despite the water's centuries of effort, maintained its sun-dried bone, white hue with very little discoloration.
The formation, which was the focus of our excursion, rose some 15 feet. A certain trickle of water had worked a wedge into the middle of the massive rock, creating two humps. A suspended stone projection from this brought to mind the image of a camel. We sat on this outcropping and reflected, watching families setting up camps and going for walks, hundreds of feet below.
Other days I took quite time to walk the hills and ancient pilgrim paths. There was a pervading sense of peace and timelessness in that hidden mountain valley, belied only by the pillowing of rich, green moss built up over the fountain at the entrance to the monastery.
It is a Catholic tradition to pay some sort of homage to the baby Jesus around this time of year and a common avenue for that is to make a pilgrimage. As such, there were many families visiting the area and watching them made me think about my own family and how happy I am that they are all well and strong.

Molt D'anys

We caught a morning bus back to Palma on the 28th and wandered the city a little more, watching the New Years preparations materializing around us. Bakeries displayed all varieties of elaborate cocas and tortas, boasting bright tidbits of caramelized fruit and glazed in shimmering sweetness. Mounds of bunches of grapes were brought to the front of stores and confectionery delights abounded.
On New Years Eve night we took a taxi to the city center and made our way, in an ever thicker stream of people, through the cobbled alleys and streets toward the Ajuntament. We were met with dancing lights and a sea of bodies. Families, old people, single people, groups; everyone was there and everyone had grapes. Fortunately we had been forewarned of this particular tradition and had come armed with our own grapes. There was no ball dropping and the clock did not chime so we watched the people around us and when a young man who seemed confidently in the know began to eat his grapes, so did we. 12 grapes in the 12 chimes for the New Year. It was quite a task to achieve and before we could finish, champagne rained down and shouts rose up. And so 2009 began.

How to Start a New Year

On January second Matt and I caught a plane to Seville for our '2009 tour de Andalucia.' An event which will take more concentration than I can muster on an empty stomach to describe. More to follow.