Wednesday, November 6, 2013

MALAGA, SPAIN........Absolutely Beautiful Port City....So Much Different from 40 years ago when I was there!

40 Years ago when I was in in Malaga, Spain, it was a sleepy little fishing village with a few scattered resort hotels....one of which I stayed at.  The Bull Ring, which is now State of the Art, was just a small, rather rough Ring....sort of like comparing Yankee Stadium to a local Little League field.  BUT, it was still beautiful and venturing into the old part of the City was awesome....blending the old charm with the contemporary additions.  When I was there I do not recall any high rise buildings, but now they are dotted all along the coast.

 I believe on my last visit....which was back when you booked a "charter" tour with an airline.  The 2 week trip included London, Paris & the Costa del Sol.  Malaga was the last stop on this trip.  I don't recall doing much "city" touring, so this, in a way was all new.  Back then I stayed at a resort and took a tour of the bullring (not an experience for the faint at heart), and also took a high speed hydro to Morocco.....so I didn't really explore the city.  This trip I did and I loved it.  This was a wonderful view I saw while walking along a park esplanade!
 Although a shuttle was provided, I opted to walk into town....actually it was a pleasant walk along the water and eventually coming to a beach.
 Voila, the beach.  As much as I just wanted to grab a lounge chair there, I wanted to see the city more!
 Also on the way to the city.....within the port there was gym equipment all along the walkway....AND free.....if you are wondering, NO I did not make use of it....with all the walking I have been doing, I am quite fit....and may actually have lost weight.
 This was an ancient theatro I came across....sorry, no history on this place.
 Some other wonderful sights.
 A square I just happened on....and I actually ended up eating here.
 Just a fantastic door that would have fit in perfectly with the Poster I made on a previous trip to part of the Mediterranean....called "Doors of the Mediterranean" which now hangs at our Lake House.
 Again, in the area near where I ended up having lunch.
AND here is La Taverna del Obispo....an outdoor cafĂ© in the middle of a square with views on all sides.  This is a view from my table!
 Looking in another direction from my table!
 You know, it is so hard to explain the feeling of having a glass of wine, eating a local meal in the middle of these views.  The only word I come up with is exhilarating!  Totally Exhilarating!!!
 Not the best picture, but I do look a little like I am in another world.....UH, I guess I am!
 The name of the square was Obispo!
 AND here is my lunch....Fried Calamari...aka... Squid!  It was quite good and although my Spanish is horrible, the waiter appreciated me trying.  I have found that to be true throughout my travels.
 I always visit the Toilet before leaving a Restaurant....so I get to see the inside...and weird me, I have been photographing inside Toilets in Europe....OH...maybe that can be a blog in itself or a Poster!  LOL!!!!
 So here you are.....a Toilet in Taverna del Obispo.....Hmmm....not sure if those are beer kegs or what, but I must admit....I had to smile....not something you would find in the States....but ya know, it's things like this that just add to the adventure!
 A lot of the Mediterranean is "exercise" friendly.....this is a bike trail that went all around the city....Hmm....I wonder if they got advice from Mayor Bloomberg, NYC!
And finally an impressive Town Hall I encountered while walking back to the ship.

Okay.....my impressions of Malaga.....yes, it is a place I would be happy to return to and spend some time.  From what I could see there were tons of resorts, beautiful beaches, a fantastic city with a multitude of restaurants, cafes, shopping....history....beauty....lush greenery, flowers and parks.  I felt very peaceful there and at ease....so Malaga is definitely a must see.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT.....my ETA to Florida is just 9 days from this post.  I still have to tweak Cyprus, and do Cadiz, Spain Posts.  Tomorrow I will be in Ponta Delgada, Portugal in the Azores, and after that, Florida.....after 7 days at Sea.  I have been working on my people, experiences, encounters, reflections.....of this whole trip.  My goal is to work on those during the Atlantic Crossing!  So, Please stay tuned!  If I am lucky the satellite Internet will cooperate!

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