Tram ride to Soller
Saturday is market day in Soller. Despite the market is not very special, tram ride to Soller is recommended. You will share the seats with residents, most of them of older age. They meet in the tram to exchange news and gossip.Seats can come to be short. When aged and handicapped people arrive, the conductress appears in the door and tells the younger people to dispose of their seats. First, I was happy to have enough years to stay seated but then I looked at the likeable conductress and felt awful old ….
After leaving the bay promenade the tram runs through farmland, sometimes parallel to the street, then behind backyards and finally into suburb and downtown Soller. The speed is low so you can enjoy landscape and architecture. Funny are all the tourist track side who pull their cameras for a nice picture of the tram. Space between tracks and restaurant tables is always tight. You can look into plates and think about your next food. Arriving in Soller gives you the choice to run to final station or leaving the tram at an earlier station. Train staff will explain your options.
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Soller is a typical town with southern flair, narrow lanes with neat shops and friendly people. Some streets are nice decorated. Positive is the fact that Soller could kept their original appearance of the streets. Most shops are designated for local population. Fancy tourist shops are rare in Soller.
The main center is around the Placa de la constitution with dominating cathedral of San Bartomeu of Soller. Here you can find most market stalls and restaurants. A band plays Dixi and Jazz.
Following the tram tracks you reach the main station of Soller. That’s the place where trains from Plama de Mallorca arrive. Unfortunately, this trains are most time crowded. People have now the choice to stay in Soller or to change to the tram for Port de Soller. The majority decide to take the tram and so, trams is also crowded.
South of the station are storage and construction buildings for maintaining tram cars and train wagons. Rail gauge for both lines are 914 mm (3 ft). Therefore, rolling stock is not exchangeable with other lines of Mallorca, which are constructed in 1’000 mm gauge. Electrically operated train wagons were originally constructed in Saragossa, Spain. Trams were built in Soller. Some tram cars were bought from Lisbon, Portuguese, and rebuild for optical fit into the original Port de Soller fleet.
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Driving back to Port de Soller gives you again a look into street live in Soller. Overcrowded tramcars demand all your social tolerance. However, most people are happy with a little smile on their face. Returning to the bay opens a great look to the Mediterranean Sea.
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