Malaga, Spain

Firstly I have to do a shout out to the weather, possibly our best day of the entire cruise, low 70s and a mild breeze. Given that our last few ports ranged from cool to freeze your bottom off, it felt great to be in shorts again. It's how I imagined the entire cruise.

Malaga was enchanting as expected. It is a quintessential European beach town that is the perfect combination of relaxed and energetic. To this Jersey boy, the "shore" evokes images of lazy afternoons full of sandy fun and a sun-beaten boardwalk separating the ocean from peeling pastel shops and amusements. The history books tell us that by the late 19th century, the "beach vacation" had spread to America – first to the New England coast, then gradually to the Mid-Atlantic and the South. Therefore, the related US beach towns were built up with the new influx of tourists and $$ just within the last 150 years; and yet somehow, they have a tattered vibe to them (IMO). Not that it's a bad thing....that tattered vibe lends itself to an unpretentious, laid back, kick back, toes in the sand kinda aura. But it's a juxtaposition to their european counterparts which date back further (much further) and yet look so beautifully maintained. It calls to question why we build wood-sided structures by the salty sea vs the Europeans who build everything with brick and stone. I doubt our structures will stand the test of time. But that's another discussion for another day.

Malaga was founded in the 8th century BC. It is a port city on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol, known now for its high-rise hotels and resorts jutting up from yellow-sand beaches. Looming over that modern skyline are the city’s 2 massive hilltop citadels, the Alcazaba and ruined Gibralfaro, remnants of Moorish rule. The city's soaring Renaissance cathedral is nicknamed La Manquita ("one-armed lady") because one of its towers was curiously left unbuilt. There's a sordid tale likely buried in its past. The entire city is also spotlessly clean. And they get 300 days per year of sunshine!! What's not to love?

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we intentionally didn't have plans. I'm a bit "toured out". That said, waiting at the dock was a HOHO for 25 euro each. It would have cost us 10 euro each just for the round trip shuttle into downtown. The hoho also included entrance into 2 museums so it couldn't be beat. Our friends Scott and Anita ended up doing the same thing, though we didn't spend the whole day together.

Our first stop was the Gibralfaro. The magnificent Castillo de Gibralfaro sits on a high hill overlooking Malaga city and port, and dates back to the 10th century. The most visible remains of the Castle today are the solid ramparts rising above the pines. In the Centro de Interpretación de Gibralfaro (Gibralfaro Interpretation Center) in the former gunpowder arsenal of the Castle is a little museum that shows the castle’s history over the centuries since the Reconquest. The castle was used as a military base until 1925.

We reboarded the bus and headed back to town. Scott and Anita headed off to the Picasso museum, my wife and I headed to the Manquita. It was about 15 euro to tour it so we decided to spend our time elsewhere but we got some great pics of the church and an ancient amphitheater nearby.

After that, we went to the Alcazaba. The Alcazaba is a palatial fortification in Málaga, Spain, built during the period of Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus. The current complex was begun in the 11th century and was modified or rebuilt multiple times up to the 14th century. It is one of the best-preserved alcazabas in Spain. We loved all the twists and turns, ups and downs, to navigate around the site. The structures and views here as well were great. The arches are classic Moorish influence.

While we wanted lunch, the marketplace was nearby and would be closing by 1pm so we prioritized it. Turns out, it was all fresh (raw) food vendors. So interesting and full of locals. But not appropriate for lunch (unless I had an hour and a stove). Meats, cheeses, seafood, spices. I wish we had something similar in our hometown.

Now lunch!!! Lunch was a real treat. From our spring semester junior year study abroad in Spain, we both had vivid memories of Spanish tortillas and bacadillos (sandwich) de chorizo. A Spanish tortilla is like a thick potato omlette, smothered in olive oil. Chorizo is a dense Spanish sausage that is cured. It's similar to pepperoni but so much better. So we hunted for the perfect tapa place with outdoor seating and those menu items, and we were rewarded for our culinary steadfastness. It was sooooo good and reminiscent of our time here 39 years ago. And only 14 euro in total, including tip.

With full bellies and memories re-lived, we set off for the museum included in our hoho fee. The Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga was 4 floors of mixed media art, but mostly oil paintings on canvas. Well organized and easy to navigate. There were a number of pieces depicting bull fights, a long-time uniquely spanish cultural event recently banned due to its cruelty to animals. It will be interesting to see how/if the bull rings all over Spain are repurposed. Here are a few pieces we really liked.

After that and a little window shopping, we headed to the nearest hoho stop. It was a fun coincidence that our friends Scott and Anita were waiting at the same stop at the same time. We enjoyed the remaining loop of the hoho before it dropped us off back at the port.

After a quick rest, we called the grand and her parents. If you're a grandparent, you caught the humor in that. She was on her way to an Easter egg hunt that got rained out before Easter. So of course she was already wound up so hearing from us added to an already great day for her. I asked if I could hug her for a half hour when we see her and she said with a laugh , "of course baba". I wasn't kidding.

Dinner was the buffet tonight and the show was 2 musicians who played instruments from all over the world. Interesting and well done.

Tomorrow we're in Africa, specifically Morocco. As I write this, we're transiting the straight of Gibraltar, but there's not much to see at 11:30pm.

Till tomorrow....