Mallorca Day 7 - Ecovinyassa

Today I woke to the same grey and windy weather as yesterday but didn't want to spend a day inside and there was no actual rain in the forecast.

There was plenty of evidence of the high winds as I walked around the harbour, signs blown over, palm fronds broken off and lying on the ground, lots of dirt and debris and plant pots tipped over

and some shattered. Lots of clean up in progress at all the harbour side bars.

I took the tram into Soller again. I had e-mailed Ecovinyassa, after reading about it on TripAdvisor, a couple of days ago, asking if they were open in the winter and for directions from Soller. They replied with detailed walking directions and they are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 - 2.
It took about 15minutes to walk out of town and through the "suburbs" to the finca (farm).
I was greeted by Sebastiana as soon as I walked down the lane and she explained that it was a self guided tour through the orchard and then a snack when I got back for E10.

Chickens (too eat the bugs and pests that could harm the fruit) and peacocks (probably just for fun) greeted me as I opened the gate to the orchard.

There are over 50 information boards, in 5 languages, describing the different orange, lemon and other fruit trees.

Along with the name there is often a place of origin, history of how it came to Mallorca, season in which it ripens and normal usage.

A holding tank is at the top of the orchard to feed the irrigation pipes that snake across the ground. It is fed from "Sa Vinyassa" spring that is shared with 50 other users. They each get as little as 15minutes worth of water a week, depending on the rainfall.

The majority of the trees are orange but there is also lemon, avocado, grapefruit, lime and fig.

It was a very peaceful stroll with the sounds of birds and the river nearby

and the impressive mountains that surround the Soller valley.

Under a large tree there was a bench to sit on (with comfy pads) and freshly picked oranges (Navel, as that is what is currently ripe). There is a knife to cut them with and water to wash your hands after. I don't know if it was psychological but that orange was the juiciest, sweetest orange I have ever tasted.

The fruit here is organically grown so some of the information boards describe their pest control and use of undergrowth for fertilizer.

This is a Buddha's Hand Fruit. I had never even heard of this before.

Back past the farmhouse (with lovely washrooms, by the way) to the little shop at the driveway. Unfortunately they don't take credit cards or I would have come away with some of their fig jam, honey, orange balsamic vinegar etc etc. Perhaps it is fortunate that they don't take credit cards. Oh, they also sell oranges.

Sebastiana then served me bread spread with olive oil and tomato, green peppers, olives and, of course, orange juice.

By then the sky had cleared and I popped back into the orchard, to take a couple of pictures, as oranges look so much better with the sun shining on them.

 I decided to walk back to Port de Soller and got directions to return, on the road.

Through more orange groves and little clusters of houses.

Over the river, flowing quite vigorously with the last day and nights rain.

Still windy when I got back to the port, waves crashing against the headlands.

Swells were strong enough in the bay for surfers.

Reward for a lot of walking.