Train Sa Pobla to Palma

[Julian Simms]

Originally Posted by MalcolmS

We're thinking of taking the train from Sa Pobla to Palma on Saturday. Looking at the TIB website it looks as though you can just pay for your tickets by swiping your bank card similar to London underground. Is that correct or is that only in Palma?

Does something interesting occur in La Puebla on Saturdays or are you just keen to experience travelling on the train ?.

More importantly, how do you plan to return to Pollensa ?.

[MalcolmS]

There's a short answer and a long one Julian...

So we were originally supposed to be going home yesterday but are now staying on until next Saturday. :-)

Our normal home day routine is turfed out of the villa at 10, have breakfast in the square, then taxi into Palma, dump the luggage at the left luggage in the train station and then go for a long leisurely lunch somewhere before flying home in the evening.

As we'd already booked lunch we decided we would still do that and we would try the Sa Pobla train service - for no other reason than we haven't before.

We had a fantastic day out. Train was simple to take, direct, quiet going and bang on time at every stop. We used a bank card at the barriers which once worked first time but the rest took multiple swipes. I got a note from my bank that I'd spent £7.72 with TIB this morning. My guess is that was one way and the second transaction has still to come through?

If you're interested lunch was at Marc Fosh which was fantastic and I think their 6 course lunch menu is actually really good value. It took over 3 hours to get through and was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a saturday afternoon. Recommended.

One other interesting story from staying an extra week. Everything was very easy to reorganise - flights, taxi, covid tests and half a dozen other appointments back home either online or by phone but the one thing I couldn't was extend my parking at GLA. The short answer is you can't! It took a lengthy phone call to NCP to establish I'd have to make a new booking (which they would do on the phone but charge a £5 admin fee - I decllined) but then a second call when it wouldnt let me book online that telling me I was making a duplicate booking! Apparently I have to leave a gap of 3 hours between bookings! Who would have known?!

[Julian Simms]

Thanks. I presume it was the long one !.

Re Marc Fosh, i went to his restaurant in Reid’s and also to his Palma venture. Reid’s was superb, Palma, in my possibly erroneous opinion, not so much.

Whenever I am in that part of town I generally go to Casa Maruka or to the Anfos, which is dead in front of the upstairs supermarket in the Olivar market.

Anfos will, for a very reasonable price, grill the fish or gambas you have bought earlier in the fish market below. I buy whatever I need and then take it to them to store till later.

They obviously also sell wine and other foodstuff you might fancy.

Best to book at both as they are always busy.

Bon profit !

[Bootledodger]

Originally Posted by Julian Simms

Thanks. I presume it was the long one !.

Re Marc Fosh, i went to his restaurant in Reid’s and also to his Palma venture. Reid’s was superb, Palma, in my possibly erroneous opinion, not so much.

Whenever I am in that part of town I generally go to Casa Maruka or to the Anfos, which is dead in front of the upstairs supermarket in the Olivar market.

Anfos will, for a very reasonable price, grill the fish or gambas you have bought earlier in the fish market below. I buy whatever I need and then take it to them to store till later.

They obviously also sell wine and other foodstuff you might fancy.

Best to book at both as they are always busy.

Bon profit !

I've ate in the fish market and main market many times....have to remember that rec though Julian - great call!
Malcolm: the trains into the city are superb (as are the buses) - used them a number of times from Inca and Binnisalem. Use to always hire a car....rarely do now.

[Bootledodger]

[QUOTE=Julian Simms;134127]Thanks. I presume it was the long one !.

Re Marc Fosh, i went to his restaurant in Reid’s and also to his Palma venture. Reid’s was superb, Palma, in my possibly erroneous opinion, not so much.

Whenever I am in that part of town I generally go to Casa Maruka or to the Anfos, which is dead in front of the upstairs supermarket in the Olivar market.

Anfos will, for a very reasonable price, grill the fish or gambas you have bought earlier in the fish market below. I buy whatever I need and then take it to them to store till later.

They obviously also sell wine and other foodstuff you might fancy.

Just looked on Google and think i know it....use the supermarket when I'm staying in Palma. Defo try it next year. Cheers.

[Julian Simms]

You are very welcome.

A quick word of advice. If, or when you buy Gambas de Soller (300 grams per person more than sufficient, although my wife insists on 500 ��), ask them to first grill half the amount and then the other half. That way they are always nice and hot and tasty.

Cheers

[MalcolmS]

Originally Posted by Bootledodger

I've ate in the fish market and main market many times....have to remember that rec though Julian - great call!
Malcolm: the trains into the city are superb (as are the buses) - used them a number of times from Inca and Binnisalem. Use to always hire a car....rarely do now.

We've long since stopped hiring a car. Apart from one day to go to Eroski or Lidl it pretty much sat outside the villa all week unti we went home. Now we book a transfer and shop local on foot.

[MalcolmS]

Originally Posted by Julian Simms

Thanks. I presume it was the long one !.

Re Marc Fosh, i went to his restaurant in Reid’s and also to his Palma venture. Reid’s was superb, Palma, in my possibly erroneous opinion, not so much.

Whenever I am in that part of town I generally go to Casa Maruka or to the Anfos, which is dead in front of the upstairs supermarket in the Olivar market.

Thanks for the recommendations. We'll keep them in mind for the future. We've already booked Sumaq for this coming Saturday's lunch.

[Julian Simms]

My wife went there with some friends last week.

Will be interested to hear your opinion.

[Julian Simms]

Seeing that I am far less adventurous than her, and abide by the rule that girls only want to have fun, me and my mates went to Xoriguer, just up the road.

In my opinion, the only thing that beats a good steak is a bigger one.

I forget how we got back to the Port.

[Disorderly]

Originally Posted by Julian Simms

I forget how we got back to the Port.

A good night then! LOL

[Julian Simms]

Actually, it was a VERY long lunch

[MalcolmS]

Originally Posted by Julian Simms

My wife went there with some friends last week.
Will be interested to hear your opinion.

Back home now and still dreaming of yesterday afternoon's delicious and lengthy lunch at Sumaq. We've travelled quite a bit throughout Peru and had some fantastic food there (did you know they have over 4,000 different varieties of potato there?!) and yesterday's meal was every bit as good as that. We started with the obligatory Pisco Sour which comes in two sizes - Small or Cathedral!

There were so many dishes we wanted to try on the menu that in the end we opted for the 5 course set menu. As that also included a Pisco Sour they substituted it for a Chicha Morada.

We thoroughly enjoyed the (3 hour) experience and the atmosphere was perfect and unlike Marc Fosh all the other customers were Spanish (or Spanish speaking).

Service was good too although they did miss 3 items off the bill. We felt we had to be honest and let them know about the 2 glasses of Rioja...

We met Irene at the end but it was a brief conversation as she doesn't seem to speak much English (or Scottish!).

I'd recommend Sumaq - it's also in a nice area to wander around with plenty other interesting shops, bars and restaurants. Certainly beats sitting here in 12c and rain. :-(

[MalcolmS]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but we're about to do the same again next Saturday - travel into Palma from Pollensa for a nice leisurely lunch (Fera this time).

Rather than taxi and train this time, we'll just take the bus direct. Looking at the TIB website it would seem the 301 is the route we want. Agree?

Buying tickets looks to be the same as on the train - we can swipe a debit or credit card on the bus? Alternatively, we can buy tickets in advance of the website and get a QR code to scan - the same price. I couldn't see a way to buy a return ticket though. Is that correct?

[Julian Simms]

301 correct !

Unless things have recently changed it’s all easy peezy.

You get on, tell the driver where you are going and swipe the card. End of.

No point in buying a return ticket as the process is exactly the same.

Bon apetit and don’t forget to take a face mask for the trip.