Saturday, October 23, 2010
Off on another adventure
Monday, September 27, 2010
Solo journey to Malaga, July 2010, in retrospect
In July 2010 I made an escapade to Malaga, Spain for a week as a brief vacation. I had never heard of Malaga more than its name in passing and did a bit of research into it through the cities tourist website and assorted travel sources. Three things that interested me most were the beaches on the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea, the history of the city from ancient to modern and lastly the location of the city as off the beaten track for
most American tourists. After having spent my 20th birthday in Ireland with a friend I’d met of previous travels I hopped a flight from Cork to Malaga, direct for roughly $350 round trip, to explore the city.
Accommodations: 
Now here’s the planning I had done, I found a great deal on a hotel, the Monte Malaga, a four star hotel a quarter mile from the beach and a quarter mile from the historic city centre located right on the waterfront boulevard. The hotel booked for $800 the 5 nights I stayed was perfect, okay it was a bit of a splurge on my part but the view from my room was gorgeous, the beds comfortable, the staff friendly, a pool, bar, a good restaurant and accessibility to the city made it well worth the cost.
Day 1: My first day was spent mostly recovering from my birthday festivities with a trip to the beach and a few beers at a beachside cafe. This was a great place to spend the late afternoon or mid morning as the sun in July made mid day unbearable for most of those I saw. Filled with loads of young people tossing Frisbees, playing volleyball and kicking around soccer balls it was here I most regretted the language barrier my lack of Spanish speaking provided. I wandered into town and found a courtyard bar to have dinner at. This dinner was very reasonably priced with char grilled Spanish sirloin lightly seasoned with some sea salt and pepper accompanied with steamed vegetables and olives and washed down with the local brew Cruz Campo.
Day 2: I started the day with a trip into town and visited the lower part of the Moorish castle the Alcazaba. As a bit of a history buff I was ecstatic, the architecture was gorgeous and the ornate carvings and sculpture certainly made it well worth the 2euro entry fee and far more in my opinion.
Following my assault of the castle, I found a quiet cafe to grab a bit of tapas and a beer. I found my way around the gorgeous centrepiece of the old town, the Cathedral and wandered back to the hotel. I ventured back out to the old town to find a 
restaurant for my second night’s dinner, the old buildings lit up by lighting at dusk was itself breathtaking and music flowed through all the alleyways with restaurant owners and managers standing out front courting hungry passerby’s. I found myself grabbing a bite at another courtyard restaurant being serenaded by a flamenco guitarist while eating acorn fed pork loin with a beautiful glass of Rioja. Again I fled back after dinner to my hotel to rest back up.
Day 3: I took the day a bit more slow and visited the Picasso Museum. Malaga is the birthplace of the famous artist Pablo Picasso and boasts an impressive museum of his art from his early realistic paintings and sketches to his later impressionistic works like Guernica. I went back to my hotel for lunch craving a bit of home grown American styled food, a cheese burger, washed down with yet another Rioja. That night was a bit different than the rest on my time there, it happened to be the Spain vs. Germany game of the World Cup so a restaurant with a TV was a must! Being a Germany fan in Spain put me in an awkward position so I sought a quiet restaurant and found this excellent little spot, started the game with a large Campo and appetizer of calamari followed by sirloin and more Campo and a dessert of 3 more mugs of Campo. As I slowly saw Germany losing the game and the ever increasingly excited Spanish fans all sporting bright shades of red I knew this would be the highlight of my trip. Boy was I ever right! As disappointed as I was excited Spanish soccer fans is a sight the main drag through the city centre was mobbed with the young and old cars driving through sported flags of Spain, illegal fireworks were launched somewhere and as with any celebration the riot police showed. I staggered home a few hours later, as sirens started to fill the air, contented at having seen a good Soccer game and witnessing history in the making.
Day 4: I took this day to enjoy the beach and do some shopping for souvenirs. I took the morning slow, slept in found a cafe to have some coffee at then meandered to the beach. After writing and enjoying the scenery I ended up walking in town visiting the shopping district of town. It was a perfectly relaxed day with my dinner eaten back at the hotel comprised of some meats and cheese I’d found at a local grocery.
Day 5: This final day in Malaga being the hottest I’d experienced on the trip meant I was required to exert myself the most. I decided to grab a breakfast at the excellent buffet at my hotel and then started the long trek to the top of the Alcazaba, the heat by about 10am had reached near 95degrees as close as I could reckon. The long trek up the mountain was well worth it a well paved walkway and an ever increasingly gorgeous view the higher I travelled certainly made the last day of my trip memorable beyond belief.
Again I paid a 2euro fee to get into the top half of the citadel and again well worth it! A walk around the ramparts and courtyard revealed loads of lovely architecture, gorgeous views, a neat museum of Spanish military history and a nice little cafe perfect for a large mug of ice cold Campo. After snapping loads of pictures of everything that caught my eye (so everything in sight) I headed back down the mountain and back to the hotel for a well earned nap. AS the sun and my last afternoon on the beach faded I decided to head into town I found myself at D’Gustar, a great local restaurant, the service was great in a crowded courtyard until they found out I was American. Starting with a appetizer of greens and olives with a glass of Rioja it fit perfectly my last night in town. I had a main course of ox tail a must have and opened a bottle of a wonderful local wine (I’ve been searching for it all over and still can’t find the wine or vineyard). As my night ended with a piece of rich chocolate cake; I wandered home to my comfortable bed and an awaiting taxi in the morning.
Overview: VISIT MALAGA! I went here by myself and had a fabulous time! My only regret was not knowing enough Spanish to get out and meet people and not getting to any of the clubs Malaga is known for. I highly recommend this slightly off the beaten track to any young person looking for a nice beach town with loads to do.
Notes: What I did not mention was the amount of water I drank in this heat, litre after litre! Be sure to stay hydrated, the best deals were found in the grocery shops with 2 litre bottles for under a euro.
Prices: These are approximate prices for my expenditures done in US dollars and keep in mind this could be done for much cheaper.
Flight $350 round trip
Hotel $800 4 star
Meals and Drinks $350
Souvenirs $150
Attractions $40
Taxi $50
Approximate Total Spent: $1740 USD
Links:
http://www.gastronomiamalaga.com/html/details.php?Name=dgustar
http://www.hotelesmonte.com/hotel-malaga-montemalaga-EN.html