Palma itself was a revelation - so many things to see it should be marketed as a city break destination in its own right. One of the highlights was the Cathedral - an impressive building which had been renovated by Gaudi (although he had a good building to work with in the first place!) There was an audio guide included in the entry, which was informative, and also a museum which had other religious artefacts within it.
There were a number of other museums and art galleries around Palma. The Museu Juan March was a free, with a good collection of more modern pieces. The only other people there apart from me were a collection of schoolchildren, several of whom said "Hola" to me (but fortunately did not ask me about geo-political situations!) Another highlight was the Es Baluard Museu d'Art Modern which was a substantial modern museum built partially within a old fort. As well as looking round the museum, you could also go out on the roof and take in the views (including finding a cat up there!) Other places visited included the Museu de Mallorca (more traditional art), Fundación Bartolomé March (which had a rooftop sculpture collection and a big nativity model) and the Palacio Real de La Almudaina (which was disappointing for the entry fee).
Two of the main attractions though were a little bit outside the city centre (although the opposite side of Palma to where I was staying). Best of these was the Castell de Bellver. Whilst it took a number of steps to get up there it was worth the climb. (Getting in was a bit of a challenge though - after climbing the steps the entrance is ahead of you, but the actual ticket office is hidden around the corner!) The castle is 14th century, but still intact and very unusual in its circular shape. Within the castle itself were a number of displays and museums, including an interesting history of Palma itself. However the real highlight was the views from the roof of the castle out over Palma and beyond.
A few km further on from the castle was the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró - a gallery of Miró's work at his former home on Majorca. The most impressive part of this was his purpose-built studio - itself painted like a Miró painting, and the sculpture garden there.
As mentioned, I was staying a little outside the main city on the coast, but was able to get to and from the centre of the city through the frequent bus service which at €1.50 per trip was fair value (although I never managed to by a tourist card which would have been better value!) Staying there gave the opportunity to spend my afternoons walking along the several miles of beach. In the middle of summer this would probably be packed with holidaymakers but at this time of year it was nearly deserted. With clear water to paddle in (I wasn't brave enough to go swimming!) it made for a relaxing place to be.
Overall, much more to see and do than I expected and well worth the visit!
