Valldemossa

Majorca Island

If you make this journey, you'll be rewarded with the most magnificent coastal and mountain views of lovely Majorca island. If you find the journey too daunting you can also take the inland route on the famous Soller train.

Your arrival at the village is confirmed when you see the stunning church steeple.

Sparkling in the sunshine and set amidst flowers, lemons, carob and cypress trees. This is the site that must have met the lovers, Frederic Chopin and George Sand when they arrived at the village in November 1838.

Their love affair began in Paris and a few months later they were climbing the coastal road to this famous mountain paradise.

To the dismay of the local people the monastery was their home for this short period of time. Dressed in her usual attire of trousers and smoking a cigar this was also seen as strange for the small community.

During the early 20th century the nearby village of Deia welcomed many beatniks and writers and this mode of dress would be considered quite acceptable.

For Sand her style of dress was crucial to her way of life in the male dominated Paris of her time. If she hadn't used the pseudonym George Sand, she would probably never have succeeded as a famous French novelist.

The bitterley cold winter resulted in Chopin leaving due to ill health.

A few years later Sand wrote the now famous 'A Winter in Mallorca' and now every year during July and August, there's a Chopin festival in honor of the great man himself.

In Palma there's a square named after him where his statue takes pride of place.

Back from Valldemossa to Mallorca