It's the Rhythm... Malaga
Each morning, we began our day with… not one… but TWO Cappuccinos! We found a cute little spot with a view of the Malaga Cathedral. Some mornings we had fruit and yogurt with our coffee, sometimes eggs. Great way to start the day…
Malaga… in the Historic District… is one cafe lined alleyway after another. As you can see, there is no shortage of seating for outdoor dining. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as much as I did here. Not even on a cruise! We seemed to walk down a little alley and gravitate toward the seating…. grab a snack and move on to the next spot… all…day… long!!!
During our visit, the Malaga Film Festival was taking place. Red carpet was rolled out down the main thoroughfare. Calle Molina Lario is a beautiful tiled “street” in the center of the Historical district. Strolling down this area has an interesting calmness about it. Lined with shops, there are so many alleyways for us to make an eating detour. Last time we were here, the length of the road was lined with beautiful overhead Christmas lights… spectacular!
Last visit, we stayed on the Historic side of Malaga. This time, we ventured across a main street and crossed the empty Guadalmedina. Usually, this is a full river that divides Malaga into two parts. The left bank is the area we have spent most of our time. We later found out that, although we didn’t notice much from where we entered the right bank, there are many shops and restaurants. It has a completely different feel, but still very fun!
Not feeling particularly adventurous, we did a quick look on the other side but didn’t delve too much into it. Crossing back, we entered into the Historic District right near the Mercado Central de Atarazanas. Much smaller that the one in Barcelona, this was equally energy filled! Farmers and fishermen bringing their product to be sold. Everything so fresh…
Of course, I was drawn to the fish market. Aisles of fresh fish! My non-fish eating husband couldn’t stand the smell. Haha! If I were here alone, you can bet that I would have some of this “just caught” fish cooking in the full kitchen at our flat! Next time… maybe a girl’s trip!
On our way back to the flat for a short siesta, we passed the Inglesia San Juan Baptista… We look at it from our balcony but had not visited in the light of day. Popping my head in the door, I saw a wedding was going on! Of course, I had no idea what was being said, but through body language (charades) it was obvious what part of the ceremony was taking place. Very beautiful bride and such a happy occasion!
We weren’t the only ones feasting though Malaga! Even the birds had parties. We saw similar scenes all over the town. So cute!
Down more alleyways, we pass the yummys! One of my favorite things about Europe USED to be the pastries. Now I have to search out gluten-free shops. As the years go by, it is becoming easier to find. Tempting shoppers by creating attractive window displays, the bakers’ designs are truly works of art!
In keeping with the Spanish lifestyle of siestas… we took time out in the middle of the day to grab a quick nap. This is a great way to live! After a rejuvenating sleep, we headed out to explore a bit more. Visiting the Teatro Romano de Malaga is inspiring. To think that this was first used in the third century. The tiered seating area remains intact.
Sharing a couple of different perspectives. Situated at the base of Alcazaba hill, the structure on the outskirts is a Medieval Moorish Palace. We visited the location our last time here. Next time we will go back through it. The views from the top are unbelievable. The city rolls on to the base of the mountain range and ends at the sea.
There’s something comforting… homey… about Malaga. Wandering through these little alleys, you never get lost. It’s not like the maze of Venice. Last time we were there, we got so turned around! It took us two hours to find our way back to the Plaza we called our home base. Here, somehow, everything leads back to a familiar place… the Cathedral, Constitution Plaza or the main thoroughfare. From any of these locations, you can find your way home. Also, there are tall spires that help one get oriented to where they are. Each alley is unique… similar in that they have narrow walkways, often tiled or cobblestone… but the buildings can be old or modern depending on the time period they were built.
Oh my goodness! Continuing on with our grazing… we found a cute sidewalk cafe with the most delicious salad! Barry took my tomatoes and I gobbled up the rest. All extremely fresh ingredients, with a crazy good dressing! This SHOULD hold me over until dinner. Knowing us, we will find something else to nibble on before dinner.
Tasking ourselves with finding the best Espresso martini was fun. After three attempts, we located what we decided was the best. Our bartender at Merced 14 took special care in creating our cocktails. After the first sip, we knew we’d found “the one”. For the next couple of nights, we stopped in and had one before dinner… On our second visit, the bartender knew just what we wanted and began preparing it the moment he saw us enter. We will go back next time!
Wide awake from our martinis, we headed toward dinner. With no real plan, we ended up at a nice little restaurant. Another good meal to end another fun but relaxing day. Not sure if it was the relentless winter weather I left behind or the Lupus that caused me to be so tired but it was nice to be in a familiar place where my days were leisurely and mostly lazy and restful. Until tomorrow…
