Cathedral de Palma, C'an Joan de S'Aigo, and Abanicos Painting

The story of the Palma Cathedral begins on a dark and stormy night during King James' voyage to Mallorca. His fleet of ships faced great peril as they tackled the raging ocean and the young king swore that if he survived and made it back to dry land, he would build a cathedral in dedication to the Virgin Mary. 

As we entered the cathedral, we realized why it's nicknamed the "Cathedral of Light", over 60 stained-glass windows adorn the walls and allow light to pour into the main hall. The stained glass rose window measures 43 feet in diameter and is among the the largest of any cathedral in the world.

After the visit to the cathedral, students were treated to ice cream and pastries at Joan de s'Aigo , one of the oldest chocolatiers in Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century Joan de a'Aigo was a business man who hired men to collect snow and store it in the Tramuntana Mountain range. Joan de s'Aigo came up with the idea of mixing the water which had melted with fruit juices. This was the precursor of today's ice cream!

We ended the day creating Abanicos, traditional Mallorcian fans. Students had a friendly competition to vote on the best fan! The winner is pictured above.