Spain 2019

 

 

23-NOV-2019

(see our London page for London trip details and photos)

24-NOV-2019

Perhaps a bad choice to take the train over the bus from Malaga airport since the longer walk negated the slower speed of the bus.  Hotel del Pintor is very nice and clean, but the room is tiny so we’re glad it’s only for one night. Dinner at a tapas place up the road is seared cod, peppers stuffed with cod puree, octopus, mushroom quiche, wine and beer.  Chatted with some Italian guys from Rome at the next table who gave us restaurant recommendations.

25-NOV-2019

Lots of walking around and first site was Malaga Cathedral.

Here we met a German father and his daughter and later learn that Julia will be studying in Cambridge (see England January 2020 trip for our next encounter!).   10 Euros to tour the roof and are rewarded with great views of the city and new friends!.

 

Lunch at Los Marangos, a nice restaurant with great reviews.  Tapas including calamari, shrimp in oil. Eggplant with honey sauce, beer.  Good and filling.

Traded our stuff to our VRBO, which is in a terrific location, quiet and comfortable with a terrace.

Evening visit to Picasso’s birth place museum.  Nice walk around the port at night.

We find an Argentine place with cheap and delicious empanadas and alfajores so we go back to our patio to dine al fresco.

26-NOV-2019

Breakfast with eggs, pears, plum jam, bread, cheese and some of the very expensive jamon.

More walking near the Alcazaba and then to grab lunch at the Mercado Central de Atarazanas, full of vendors and food stalls.  We stood up at a seafood place and had fried calamari, shrimp pancake, vermouth, clams.  Not cheap at 32 euros but good, and topped off with a blueberry smoothie from another stall that turned our lips blue.

 

Walked down to Asado steak house.  Literally sides of beef in the front window aging.  We ordered the presa and potatoes. While we waited, we saw one gi-normous cut of meat come out to be shown to some Italians.  It was 45 euro and aged and marbled and large.  Next table, the young waiter brought out an even bigger piece.  I mean, this thing was like 2 inches thick and the size of a hubcap.  Steak for 3.  The tall, thin, young waiter was selling it;  I complimented on his work and said he will be a millionaire soon.  Walk to the natural gelato place called Martonela, which is also mediocre.

27-NOV-2019

Breakfast of persimmon, cheese, jamon.

Bus to the other side of town to the Automotive Museum of Malaga, which is a genius combination of fashion and cars so that there is something for everyone.

Back for lunch to the seafood place in the Mercado Central for razor clams, small calamari, vermouth, large calamari, and conch.

We visit a local history museum, the Museo Unicaja de Artes y Costumbres Populares, with  18 rooms of old time Spanish households and farm.  .  It was nice, old items.  2 floors of items.  Wine making tools including grape smashing shoes.

 

Siesta and then dinner at La Luz de Candela, which is French-owned. Start with duck foie-gras, very delicious, followed by mixed green salad with goat cheese and nuts and onions, a little sweet.  Great steak, dessert was choco mousse on a long soft biscuit and choco / pear / walnut, hard mousse cake.  Espresso and some homemade apricot  / walnut wine, and the owner sold us a bottle for 10 euros.

28-NOV-2019

Airbnb Experience day with a young Romanian couple who live in Denmark. First stop is a Repsotol gas station for coffee and yummy local pastries.one is called a pope something.  We journey through mountains that look like California until we make it to the hot springs.   There’s a man made, shallow rock pool, under trees, near a cloudy river.  We climb in, brush away the dead leaves, and relax.  We make friends with a hippy old Thai guy and his Spanish wife who are impressed that we have discovered this place.

After an hour, we have our picnic.  Olives, typical semi-soft spanish cheese, some smoky slices of capicolla, bread and farm fresh olive oil that she sells from her own groves.

We take the Romanians and then head to her home in her family olive grove.  So this is our Thanksgiving Dinner:  Spanish charcuterie and cheese out on the terrace, chicken soup with chick peas , potatoes, carrots.  The kicker is fresh mint throw in after. The next course is a large plate of blood sausage, spicy sausage, large chunk of baked pork , sliced oranges, sliced europan melon, baked eggplant ,and a circle tower of breadcrumbs with bacon and sausage, and finally homemade rice pudding.

Back in Malaga we go into the vintage shop, Madame Susette, in our condo complex owned by a charming German couple.

My wife makes friends with a Kuwaiti BU alum and then a bunch of ladies from all over the world go out for drinks. And then the fun begins as we both have food poisoning and spend the night throwing up (or we got a bug from the Romanian guy who needed to stop for medicine).

29-NOV-2019

We feel weak and drag ourselves through the Malaga Museum, which on a normal day is probably very nice.

We visit several pharmacies for diabetes medicine, which is $57 for a bottle here, $200 at home even with insurance.  We wait for the Christmas lights in the city center to get turned on for the season.  It is a mob scene, and the music is corny but people are happy.

 

 

30-NOV-2019

The “A” bus to the airport is running very late but just as we’re about to share a taxi with a German couple we see it coming down the street.

First time in decades landing at London Gatwick.  When we’re on the Tube instead of Gatwick Express a local asks us how we’re so savvy to just take the Tube and now wasting extra money like other Americans.  Because we’re smart and experienced travelers.

(see our London page for London trip details and photos)