Here, There, and Everywhere...

 These last few days leave us wondering where to begin the story? We have seen the most beautiful and unusual villages and cities imaginable. This  will be a little bit of everything. If you want all of the details you will have to plan a visit to our home. There we will sit you down, give you some vino or cerveza, a bit of jamon and queso and put in the DVDs (there's bound to be more than one).

    First we began with a visit to the Picasso Museum. 

I swear I heard Dennis say, "Oh, I'm so confused."

    The next day we were on a bus trip to Setenil de las Bodegas.

The town of about 3,000 inhabitants dates back to prehistoric times. They say the name Setenil comes from the Christians trying 7 times and finally taking the town from the Moors. Initially the caves (bodegas) were used for storage. The people discovered that the caves provided an ideal home, cool in summer, warm in winter and all that was needed was the façade. Voila! An amazing village!

    Back on the bus we left the province of Cadiz behind and return to the province of Malaga and the city of Ronda. Ronda sits on each side of the El Tajo gorge, spanned by the "New Bridge" which was completed in 1793. The gorge is 328 feet deep (think a 30 story building). It is also known for its bullfighting history. And as aficionadas of bullfighting, both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles have been immortalized with sculptures here. Both of them spent many summers in Ronda and Welles' ashes are buried on the property of a famous bullfighter.

Yes, I had Rabos de Torres and it was delicious!

We got lost on the way back to where we were supposed to meet but eventually found the bus station and slept all the way back to Malaga.

    The following day Dennis explored the port area and beach while I worked on the virtual service project for Ethiopia and did a bit  of painting, inspired by Picasso.

    On Saturday we were once again on our way out of the city heading to Nerja. Nerja is a very picturesque city on the costa del sol. We spent a bit of time there learning about the area from our guide Mano (Manuel) with another couple Matilde and Antonio. 

 

    From here we went on to (for me) the highlight and challenge of the day--Frigiliana!

Frigiliana began as a Moorish town. The old quarter is filled with winding cobblestone streets all of which go UP HILL! The houses are all painted white so it is quite dazzling. The doors are of a variety of colors. No two houses next to each other will have the same color of door unless they are both owned by the same person. It is a beautiful town. As a reward for not whining, the tour was followed by a beautiful lunch.

    Sunday found us on a bus to Marbella, another beautiful town in the province of Malaga. It is little wonder that so many visitors return to retire here. We were met at the bus station in Marbella by Cristina, a former Spanish teacher in Cicero who showed us a very gorgeous day. Cristina is now a principal in one of the top one hundred schools in Spain. It was a wonderful day that included a chance to see her school.  The highlight has to be lunch with her parents. They are absolutely fantastic and it is easy to see why she has been so successful. We put ourselves in their hands and they ordered a most fabulous lunch!

Churros!

Carmen, Pepe, Cristina
What an incredible week!

And now for a word from Senor Dennis:    

    Wow! Did we really do all that over the last few days? Seeing what Cindy's pictured and written is  an act to tough to follow so I'll keep my post short. (Getting fat and lazy also helps tp facilitate this position.) 😄 Regarding the Picasso Museum? There was a quote near the end of the tour that I think summed it up for me. I'll paraphrase. He was nearing the end of his life when he said, "I spent eight decades of my life learning my art in an attempt to paint again like a child." That's how I found it--confusing... The cultural gene was somehow deleted from my anatomy when I was conceived. 

    Churches and museums have dropped a notch or two on my "must see" list. Although some, such as Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona and the Prado in Madrid have become forever imbedded in my memory. This being said, the past week has been wonderful. The things we've seen as well as the people we've met have made it so. As Cindy and I have discussed many times, we've been very, very fortunate to have the time and ability to still do things like this. We're also glad that we can share them with you. Stay with us.  

Only a Little Rain in Spain

     Ana arrived from Madrid on the train at a beautiful train station, more like a mall with shops, restaurants, places for kids to play. And did I mention great shops? One is called Parfois, a chain from Portugal. Sooo nice!

Yes, I know we're not in Spain to shop but when it's right in front of you, you must look. I left Dennis to rest, took the bus, and actually was on time to meet Ana's train and (this is confession time) buy a sweater, bag, and change purse. It was a great place to wait until the train from Madrid arrived. We went to the apartment to drop off her back pack and pick up Dennis to go to lunch. Dennis was still feeling a bit under the weather so after eating, he went home to nap and we went walking.

This passageway is my guide to a crash Weight Watcher course!

After our walk and return to the apartment we found we were spectators to a religious procession. We're not sure the exact reason but it was fascinating and we had a front row view. Some said it was a rehearsal for Easter, some declared it was because Covid had caused so many processions to be cancelled. Whatever the reason it was fantastic for us. 

The processions began in the afternoon and continued well into the night, ending somewhere around 2:00 AM.

    The following day Ana's friends Angeles and Montse came by to take us out for a walk and to lunch. They are both teachers, one of English and one of Spanish. They deal with many of the same issues as our colleagues in the USA which is sad for all or us. The day was lovely with a blue sky and there were many couples, families, kids having one last shot at "Carnaval". So fun!

And from there we went to the oldest bar in Malaga for a quick aperitif. Malaga wine!

    On we went to one of the most popular restaurants in Malaga, El Pimpi supposedly owned by Antonio Banderas. Good food and drinks. Once the drinks and food came I was too busy to take photos but here we are before--

A very full fun day in sunny Spain, the threat of rain was an empty promise though they do need it. I can't help but mention the weather and whatever is growing, there's still a piece of Wisconsin in me.
Finally, a PG 13 note from the Dennis--

    Regarding picking up Ana from the train? I begged off...when we left Chicago on Monday, I had this brief "stomach flutter" that says, "Hey, Bub, might wanna stay close to a toilet and keep an extra packet of ass-wipes in your pocket." So I bought a packet of Imodium at O'Hare and popped a few tabs with my cerveza grande.  My "stomach flu" is just about under control now but didn't want to greet Ana with a surprise package here in Malaga. That's why Cindy met Ana alone. Just wanted to preempt any questions as to why I wasn't there. Back up to my usual diet and have a regular b. m. again. Thanks for asking...😈

 

Discovering Malaga: One Step At A Time

The Roman Theater

    Beneath our feet we could see the remains of ancient stone bins where Roman fish sauce (garum) was made. We were standing at the glass pyramid in Malaga near the ruins of the Roman Theater. Carmen our guide, filled us in on the varied and colorful history of one of Europe's oldest cities. An interesting side note to the history lesson is that as a youth Antonio Banderas performed here. Leaving the theater, the Phoenicians, and the Romans behind we began our journey up to the Alcazaba.

    The path, surrounded by all matter of flowers and foliage was cobbled of bricks and stones and all up hill. Soon we were surrounded by the scent of orange blossoms and wisps of the skirts of long departed Moors. She's becoming poetic you think. It's unavoidable with the scent of those blossoms and soft hum of the bees. What's likely in her mind is, "Where can I buy marmalade or some of that honey?"

    The Alcazaba (citadel) is the best preserved Alcazaba in Spain. It was both a fort and a palace with beautiful gardens and fountains surrounded by defensive fortifications. I have a romantic version of Spain's history with the infusion of the Romans, Moorish, Jewish, and the Spanish though I tend to see Isabel and Ferdinand and the Church as dark figures. Carmen was a lovely guide who led us through the labyrinth of the palace explaining the history of the Moors and the aftermath. It was a fascinating few hours followed by a walk down the hill to the Plaza de la Merced and the most delicious croquettes. This plaza has been part of the city since Roman times. Amazing!!

The home of Antonio Banderas who is in town right now, could it be??? Doubt it!

    After lunch we stopped at the market on the way home for yes, more fabulous Spanish brandy, marmalade, mandarins, and tomatoes. Once home, I used the time to do a bit of painting, inspired by all I had seen.

    Today (Friday) it was frio and we were both happy that we brought our puffer jackets along. We took the Hop On-Hop Off bus but we didn't hop off, too cold! 

After the ride we decided to try the Picasso Museum but the line was not moving. We decided we would get tickets later online. So what next? Tapas? No Raciones. We don't understand the difference but this weekend we'll find out from Ana. And finally I found a DRY white wine. Perfect. It is from Rueda. So happy!

From the mouth of Dennis:

    Cindy filled you in on our visit to Alcazaba so I won't rehash what she's written other than to say an Alcazaba is a fortress (citadel) built by an Arab Muslim family around the 10th Century AD. It's quite something to see. It's on a high prominence overlooking Malaga, a short distance from the Mediterranean Sea. 

    One of the things I remember is how cold it was today--in the fifties with a 20-30 MPH wind!! Thank goodness we packed our "puffer" coats in Chicago. After visiting the Alcazaba, we did what we usually do when staying in a new city, we hopped on the "hop on-hop off" sightseeing bus to get a lay out of the town and what we want to go back to later. Probably not a smart thing to do on a cold day. 

    We climbed up to the second tier and luckily got a seat up front behind the windshield. There's no side window so after completing the hour twenty minute circuit, the "shrink factor" had set in on me and the few other males on the bus and we were NOT going to make a second circuit. 

    When Cindy suggested we visit a few shops, I was all for it. They had heat on in most of the shops. I'm not fond of shopping but this was a wonderful respite. Next we stopped for some food and a bottle of wine but she already covered that. Tomorrow our friend Ana from Madrid is taking a train and staying with us for a few days so we'll meet her at the train station. More to come... 

 

    

Always a Few Adventures

     

At O'Hare, Preflight Orientation

    Premium Economy on British Airways is a separate  section. The seats are generous and the service and food was good, really! We were offered juice or water to start, no it wasn't champagne but water was just what I needed. After that came the wine, two bottles right away. All of a sudden, it was in my lap! The guy in front of me had shoved his seat into the recline position so violently, it upended my tray and there went the wine and water covering me from my waist to my knees. Not a good way to start. Luckily my friends Karen and Jim had told us the first time we traveled with them to always pack extra clothes in a carry-on. Back I went into the bathroom, soon to emerge with dry pants. The poor guy was totally embarrassed. I think he remained upright for the entire seven hours. 

    We arrived at our apartment, met our very nice landlady Isabel, unpacked, found a bar with raciones, the grocery store for brandy and a few other things. Sleep was crazy even though we had been up pretty much of the 24 hours from Chicago to Malaga. 

Gloria Hoy for raciones and drinks

Meditating or grabbing a snooze?

    Finally this afternoon we got outside and did a bit of exploring. Tomorrow we have a tour in the morning. We wanted to be sure we knew where we were going. It's a six minute walk which doesn't mean that's what it is for us. A stop for lunch on the way, yum! And then what should have been three more minutes and we were lost. Yep, took us an hour to find the meeting place for the tour tomorrow! What will Wednesday bring to the ditzy duo?

    

    Did I mention who we found?

Pablo!!

Dennis's Turn--

    Left Chicago on time. Actually we arrived at O'Hare 3 hours before the flight time. We like to prepare for contingencies. We were through TSA in about 30 minutes. So, where did we go? The bar of course. Plane left on time and the 6 hour flight to London was great/ What else can be said about ordering a drink and getting two? And the cost? Free (well, included in the price of Premium Economy.) 

    A brief layover in London's Heathrow Airport and on to Malaga, cabbie with a sign "Mosca" was waiting for us outside baggage claim, and on to our apartment in "old town" Malaga. What was supposed to take us no more than 10 minutes from our home took about an hour (yep, we got lost as usual) it was time for lunch and? A drink--or two. We're back home on 4 Montano Street now and the adventure is just beginning, so stay tuned!!