travelling to conferences in Majorca, Spain

Introduction

a 100km diameter, 3,640 km², tourist island (aka Mallorca) near Barcelona, Valencia and Ibiza with a coastline of 623km
highest peak is Puig Major, at 1445 m but this is in a military zone so the highest accessible peak is Puig de Massanella at 1364m
northern coast is rugged and has many cliffs
central zone, extending from Palma, is a generally flat, fertile plain known as Es Pla. 80% of the island is below 200m elevation; 6% is above 500m elevation;
4th most populous island in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus
the other Balearic Islands are Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera
main cities are Palma on the coast and Mallorca
most of the tourists are from Germany or UK who inundate the island mainly during summer

international airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport
- Etihad do Melbourne - Barcelona via Abu Dhabi
- Qatar do Melbourne - Barcelona via Doha
- Emirates do Melbourne - Barcelona via Dubai
- 45min flight from Barcelona
ferries to Barcelona, Valencia or Ibiza

average temperatures: Min 20degC Max 27degC (much milder Summers than Sicily or Malta)
average rainfall 52mm over 5 days
sea temperature: 25degC

beaches
- Torent de Cala Pi - blue water near Palma
- Calò des Moro - tiny picturesque beach that gets packed by afternoon
- Cala Llombards - great rock beach for sunset swims
- Cala s’Almunia - another nice beach
Spanish food, tapas
pearl factory
Palma aquarium
old town of Palma:
- Cathedral De Mallorca - “Cathedral of Light” - 59 windows and 5 rose windows
- Palau de l'Almudaina - 14thC Royal Palace
- Placa de Cort - where the famous 'Olivera de Cort' is located.
- Passeig des Born - the most elegant avenue in Palma
- Es Baluard Museu d'Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma - modern art gallery
- Sa Llotja - Gothic architecture
- Parc de la Mar - a park located under the cathedral of Palma, in front of the medieval walls that protect the area
- Platja Ca'n Pere Antoni - small stretch of golden sandy beach starts just beyond the cathedral
boat sight seeing tours around the coastline
- limestone sea caves near the eastern coastal town of Porto Cristo:
  - Caves of Drach (Cuevas del Drach)
  - Coves dels Hams
snokelling
scuba diving
west coast:
- cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana dolomotic mountain range was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- hilltop town of Deiá
- Fornalutx is regarded by many as the most beautiful village on Mallorca
- Soller valley by vintage train
- tram to Soller
- Valldemossa village and Chopin museum

tiger mosquito - painful bite possible diseases, active day and night
La oruga procesionaria – a processional caterpillar on pine trees
yellow scorpions
ticks
Escolopendra found in rock cracks and gives a painful bite
most of Mallorca's snakes are relatively harmless but can cause deep painful wounds prone to infection
the only two venomous snakes are of the colubridae family: the False Smooth Snake (macroprotodon cucullatus) and the Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus). The fact that they have their fangs in the rear and not in the front of their mouths reduces the danger of venom injection.
sea urchins - painful spikes in your foot you need to pull out with tweezers
jellyfish stings
Portugese man o war jellyfish
venomous octopus
Moray eels
Pez araña - venomous dorsal fins, lives in the sand
Escorpora fish with venom spine but lives at 15-70m under water so you are unlikely to meet it

Legionella
Leishmaniasis from sand fly bites - 4 species: Phlebotomus perniciosus, P sergenti, P. papatasi and Sergentomyia minuta
- found in 70% of sites, probability of finding P. perniciosus was higher at altitudes ranging from 50 to 150m.a.s.l., with adjacent garrigue shrub vegetation, at the edge of or between settlements, and in proximity to a sheep farm
- 7-30 cases each year are reported
tick-born illnesses
- Lyme disease?