The restaurant and olive trees from the top of the mountain.

I’m waiting to be contacted by the publishers of Eat, Pray, Love for the inclusion of this story in the sequel.

I met a local Mallorcan.

After chatting and sharing seafood, he convinced me to let him take me through the mountains on his motorcycle.

He reminded me of the Italians I knew when I lived in Cagli, and how proud they were to show off their country.

So he convinced me.

My thoughts wavered between “this is so dumb” and “this is going to be amazing”.

And I told myself, if I die, what a hell of a way to go.

So I convinced myself.

We rode about an hour outside of Palma, through the sleepy streets of Santa Maria and Consell to Alaro.

We passed orange trees, almond trees, olive trees, sheep and donkeys, until we arrived at a restaurant high in the mountains.

From there, we hiked up to Arabian ruins and an old monastery.

The views of Mallorca and the mountains were so stunning. In a way, it reminded me of hikes in California, with the sea in the distance.

When we hiked back down to the restaurant, we ordered lamb and wine and took it back to Palma for dinner. It was the best food I had had in a looooong time (and also made me realize the experience adds so much flavor to the meal).

I loved zipping through the streets, feeling like a local.

Eating amazing food I never would have known about on my own.

Enjoying the company of a new friend.

The whole time, I was pinching myself, so grateful for the experience.

I’m also pretty sure the helmet was a good look for me.