Monday, March 9, 2009

Wednesday: Malaga










(Apologies for the delay, I've not felt like writing)

Complete album at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007106&id=1192536713&l=570b0

We got up not so early on Wednesday, and gorged on a big breakfast trying to consume the groceries we'd purchased. As we drove to Malaga, Larry spotted the street fair. Wow! Even bigger on Wednesday! We bought a black bag, the twin to mine, for Larry. He really likes the way he can wear it across his chest. I saw tiles I liked, and again, did not buy one. Silly me! Five Euros isn't that much! I did get a coin hip scarf and wristlets; that vendor was not there on Saturday. we spent more time there than we'd planned, but I enjoyed it.

Parking in Malaga is not impossible, but finding the entrance to the underground lot was a hassle. We got turned around, came back through less savory parts of town; grumbled at each other, eventually finding the lot and a spot fairly easily once we were in. First stop, a potty in Macdonald's. Their coffee is strong and the desserts fantastic! Fortified, we headed over to the Tourist Info Pavilion. They circled the Picasso Museum for us on a map, as well as his home.

The weather was crisp and windy. We strolled past the vast Catherdral, undergoing renovations. I took a few pictures but we did not go in. I'm sure I would have liked it, but my feet were already bothering me. Too much walking on cobblestones the day before.

The Picasso Museum is sleek, in a renovated and updated old home. I had to check my camera. The works were interesting, a lot of early pieces and rarely seen paitnings, as well as pottery. Worth a visit if you're a fan, not so much if you're not a devotee of modern art. We skipped walking up to his childhood home.

The gal at the resort recommended a bodega near the museum as a great place to try tapas. El Pimpi's Bodega is accessed through a series of courtyards bedecked with tile artwork and potted plants hanging from the walls. You walk through a smoky bar, into a covered courtyard, back into a great room. There's yet another courtyard too if you want to graze outdoors. The walls are lined with oak barrels signed by celebrities and giant bullfight posters, very Art Nouveau. Simply dripping with atmosphere. We were deciphering the Spanish menu when the waiter brought us one in English. Gracias! The choices were many and varied, from the traditional meat platters to the crunchy little slips of bread topped with salt cod or chopped olives, cold veggie dip, endive with Roquefort and sticky raisins, olives in oil... and on and on. Delicious! We drank Manzanilla Sherry, sweet and wonderful. I thought I did not like sherry, but I guess I simply don't like cheap American sherry. Oh, cash only! The waiter gave me a postcard as a souvenir. Nice surprise, the prices were very affordable.

Next we walked up toward the Alcazaba ... yes, they have one in Malaga also. We passed the Roman Theater, which was fenced off. They're excavating it as it has been buried under modern buildings for decades. Or centuries. There is a multi-lingual display above the digs with pictures showing how tthe city sat on the ruins. The park leading into the theater was locked, a man was feeding fish heads and guts to the feral cats. The kitties had dry food and pans of fresh water, but he was feeding them anyway. Each cat would slip between the bars of the fence to get a piece of fish, the man would then gently lift them up and set them back in through the bars. Such care!

We bought tickets for the Cazaba, but not for the castle above. My feet were bothering me a great deal by now. The grounds were almost empty, we climbed on the walls for the view, yes, you're allowed to climb up! The Roman marble was fascinating, worked into the Moorish and Christian additions. The place has been heavily looted and vandalized over the centuries, but the city is doing a fine job of restoring much of the interior. There's gardens and fountains and a museum. I loved it! The back half was closed off, I was sad, I wanted to see the dungeons. This was a far more relaxed and personal visit than the Alhambra; very onteresting to see the similarities and the differences. Oh yes, more cobblestones.

1 comment:

archersangel said...

very nice pics. i love the ones of the roman theater & castle. and of course the cats