Toothless Shark?

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I think jetlag’s got me; I can’t sleep. I start browsing the news and the first article that comes up is about the sighting of an eight metre shark in the waters just off Malaga. The article claims it hasn’t got any teeth, so it’s harmless. … so I clearly am really asleep and this is just one of those nonsensical nightmares. But no, it seems the article is real. Now that that’s clarified at least we can reinstate earlier plans to go to the beach at some stage while we’re here. Toothless sharks … they’re not going to believe that one back in Oz.

First stop this morning is the Picasso Museum. We read that the great man was born in Malaga only a couple of hundred metres from where the museum now stands, and he lived here until age ten. The museum only opened relatively recently in 2003, and houses more than 150 of his works including paintings, drawings, sketches, sculptures and ceramics, the vast majority of which were donated by his daughter-in-law and grandson. They’re housed in a conversion of the sixteenth century Buenavista Palace which was in turn built over the remains of an earlier Moorish palace. It seems that the conversion was a challenging exercise in itself. It unearthed remains from Phoenician and Roman times, and these are now on display in the basement, which is a significant archaeological site in its own right. The whole Museum is certainly very impressive, even to my very untrained artistic eye.

We stop for a drink in a cafe in front of the 1st century AD Roman theatre. There seem to be a lot of security guards prowling up and down between the tables, and we’re not quite sure why, although threat of terrorist attack was one possibility that quickly came to mind. But no, it seems they’re actually waiters … which leaves us wondering a bit about their choice of uniform. And the contents of their “holsters”? I’m feeling a bit more relaxed now knowing that what looked suspiciously like guns a few minutes ago I now recognise as credit card machines. I think I need a coffee .….

Next up is the Alcazaba of Malaga, a fortified palace which was built and enlarged multiple times between the 11th and 14th centuries during the period of Moorish rule. It’s joined to the Castle of Gibralfaro via a twin fortified walled corridor. It’s like a scaled down version of Granada’s Alhambra, with all the usual Moorish offerings of characteristic arches, gardens and fountains in a seemingly endless chain stretching up the hillside. The ever-reliable Wikipedia claims that it’s “one of the best preserved alcazabas in Spain”, and it’s certainly all very attractive and impressive, perhaps a bit unexpectedly so.

After last night’s sleeplessness I decide that siestas are best left to the locals (I wonder how they sleep at night), and take the opportunity to read up a bit about the history of Malaga in the ever-reliable. The Phoenicians first set up the settlement of Malaka here way back in the 8th century BC, thereby making this one of Europe’s oldest cities. Then came the Romans, followed by the Byzantine Empire, then the Visigoths, and then in the early 8th century it was the Moors’ turn. As I heard yesterday, they were eventually booted by the Catholic Monarchs in 1487, after a six month siege. And the ”reward” the Moors got for surrendering - well they were all either killed or taken into slavery. Hmmm. Fast forward to the Spanish Civil War, and things didn’t get any less gruesome then. In early 1937 Franco’s boys, aided by some Italian volunteers, launched an attack on the previously Republican stronghold. … and the wash up from that - seventeen thousand Republicans shot and buried in mass graves in the subsequent repression … and the whole place looked and felt so peaceful this morning ….

We head out for an evening stroll along the promenade out towards the port in search of dinner. There’s no shortage of street entertainers plying their trade - a Pinocchio marionette show, and acrobats doing running backward somersaults, degree of difficulty 9.5. I’ve always wondered how they practice those - you can’t start off doing half a backward somersault - you’d land on your head.

We choose a restaurant that specialises in Greek food …… and Argentinian, Mexican, Indian, tapas and pizza - the menu would give War and Peace a run for its money. … and we’re expected to speed read - our waitress turns up to take our order a few milliseconds after we take our seats ... I was a bit skeptical, but the food is excellent.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Spain
Spain has so much to offer. Enjoy your visit.