I'm still creeping towards payout at Helium. Only $1.80 to go, so it shouldn't be long now. Every time I post an excerpt  here, I get page clicks that add up, so I'm really grateful; to all of you. Here's a rather more personal account of a holiday adventure.

This pic by flickrtickr2009
Pic below by killer_queen1

both found at Wikimedia Commons

My husband and I celebrated his last birthday at the top of a mountain. For his present, I'd treated him to a holiday in Majorca. We knew the island quite well as we'd been to stay in a friend's apartment several times before. Each time we'd hired a car and had often driven past the 822 metre high mountain, and seen the castle - Castell d'Alaro - seemingly growing out of its summit.

But we'd never discussed the idea of climbing to the top. I don't suppose he'd imagined it had even crossed my mind.

In fact, I'd done my homework and I knew that you could walk to the top from two sides, either from the town of Alaro or from the road to the village of Orient, well known as a walking centre on the island. Of course you could go up from one side and back to the other. But then you'd have a long trek back over or around to get back to your car.

It was only March but the birthday was blessed with sunshine and just a few clouds that were whisked along by a light breeze - perfect weather for what I had in mind. I packed a generous picnic in our rucksacks, with our light rain wear just in case. And we set off on the mystery tour. As usual, he was driving and I was navigating - both of us doing what we do best.

I'd chosen to go up the side that was the shortest walk so I directed him to turn off the road we knew at the signpost to the castle. That way, you can drive a fair way up the lower slopes to the final car park where the two paths converge. This is at Es Verger, a popular farmhouse restaurant famous for its succulent roast lamb cooked traditionally in a wood-fired oven.  

At that point, I guess the birthday boy might have thought he was just getting a slap up lunch, although it was bit early for that. But no, it was into our rucksacks and best foot forward.

You can read the rest of this story at Helium