Making Hay in a Leisurely Way

The city of Malaga has become very familiar to us. It is a nice city with several universities, many museums, including the Picasso Musem–which we visited much to Stan’s chagrin, two botanical gardens, a castle, ruins of a Roman theatre, and a strikingly lovely marina. One of the first things visitors see is La Alameda Principal. This magnificent walking park splits the wide avenue, Paseo del Parque, the main street of the city, and runs from one side of the city to the other. Heavily forested with palm trees and flowering trees, this tranquil park is just a stone’s throw from the sea. Like an in-town piece of heaven Alameda Principal is a breathtaking place to stroll or simply sit to enjoy the birds or its many fountains. 

We have walked Malaga’s streets many times already, climbed the great hill to the Castle of Gilbufaro and explored the ancient walls of the Alcazaba just below. The hill where the palace sits has been occupied since the 11^th century. Many rulers and certain wartime stories later, the castle did not begin to resemble its current size and appearance until the early 14^th century.  

By now we know nearly every Spanish settlement has a castle. There are over 2,000 of them in Spain. Two thousand! Muslims built the first castles beginning in the 800’s. Their Alcazabas were key elements of Moorish defense until the Reconquest when the Moors were expelled from Spain. Christians continued building defensive castles during this war-torn era. The castle-building period ended in 1492 when Queen Isabel, captivated by the Italian Renaissance, ordered the destruction of all Spanish castles owned by nobility to make way for more lavish palaces.  

It was not until the last century that crumbling castle ruins became romanticized by both historians and travelers and finally recognized as national treasures. Malaga’s Alcabaza’s archeological investigations and restorations began in 1933 when residents (poverty-stricken squatters) were evacuated and this most dangerous part of town at that time was cleaned up. Today the castle on its hill is the focal point of the city . . . as they are in most places. But here is a note to the weary traveler, once having seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all.

In our time here we have spent a few glorious afternoons on the beach just outside our door where gentle waves flush cold water onto the black sand and pebbly beach. This beach was formed from dark rock, beaten and rolled, until all that remains is a million tiny grains of black sand. In this place, there are no crabs rushing about in their sideways scamper, eyes raised high on their stems to avoid being snatched by a gull. No sea life is in the surf; no periwinkles, no sand dollars. There are only a few shells. Every day though we see ambitious anglers sling bait from great long rods far out into the surf, hoping for a catch.  

The beautiful sea is there for us every day. It is the first thing we see each morning from our bedroom. We count the boats and look at the waves for a hint of the day’s wind velocity and direction. Downstairs, the entry to our house is completely open to the sea. Air conditioning is au natural and wonderful. We are in a happy place. 

 There is much more to the area than just the town of Malaga. The bus, just a two-minute walk from our door, can deliver us to other lovely towns along the coastline. We have visited Torre del Mar several times which always invites us to relax in the sun and walk along its black beach. Having a lunch of their amazing crispy fish cooked al espeto is always a must.

On another day, we made a longer bus trip to Nerja (Nehr-ha). In the back of our minds, something told us we had been to this town before and the moment we stepped foot on the magnificent Balcon de Europa, it all came back. Little had changed in the last few years, except the lovely restaurant just a few steps below the plaza floor with a wall of windows overlooking the waves crashing on the rocks below, did not survive the pandemic crisis. An energetic restauranteur will likely give this special place new life very soon. The Plaza Balcon de Europa may be the most iconic spot on the Costa del Sol. It is a huge marble-floored meeting square, a dining place, and an ideal spot for photographs, just as it was for us a few years ago.  

The road from our apartment in Chilches to Nerja runs through farmland. It is the breadbasket of Costa del Sol. Broad earthy fields of onions, cabbages, potatoes, and beans lying perpendicular to the road, make a colorful patchwork piece of art. In other spaces, enormous greenhouse farms produce year-round supplies of luscious fist-sized tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries. And like emerald stripes on the earth, long rows of parsley and cilantro lay ready for harvest. We watched men cut handfulls of the herbs, bundle, and box them by hand right there in the field. When the box became full it was loaded on a truck and taken with the others directly to the market. 

On that recent visit to Nerja, the wind was blowing like a mofo, but unwary tourists were out in force. Many, dressed in shorts and crop tops, were wrapped in beach towels to stay warm. The town was much busier than it was the last time we were here. Much busier! The quaint streets leading to the beach are now packed with souvenir shops, clothing boutiques, muchas tiendas para toca su dinero and people happily shelling out cash and credit for trinkets. Accustomed to avoiding touristy areas, we found the crowds in Nerja irritating and a little unnerving. 

Not far outside Nerja is not only a remarkable piece of gorgeous architecture but also an example of dusted-off ancient technology that gets the job done still today. Just as it did to irrigate cane fields and supply water to the San Joaquin Sugar Factory mills back in 1880, the Eagle Aqueduct, built very much like those in Roman days, still carries water from the Mayo Spring. It no longer serves the defunct sugar factory but supplies water to those beautiful fields we saw on the road from our town. At the point where it crosses the gorge between Nerja and Maro communities, the Eagle Aqueduct is a stunning bridge made of arches four stories tall. From there it fills narrow stone troughs that take nourishing waters to farms throughout the area.   

Anxious to escape the throngs of tourists in Nerja, we chose to walk to the Eagle Aqueduct via the path that avoids highways. While the distance was not bad, only about three miles, the path was steep and rugged. Along the way, we got a peek at places where poor farm workers might live and in contrast, saw amazing views of Nerja and her coast. As we walked, we heard the constant trickle of spring water streaming through the troughs as they fed water to the green farms below. 

Lucky for us, not too far from the Eagle Aqueduct bridge is a busy highway and a handy bus stop back to Nerja and on to our home in Chilches.  Just another nice day in paradise.

We are doing laundry today, packing tomorrow and leaving Spain on Tuesday for a few days to see tulips! Yes, the tulips of Amsterdam! Our friend Valerie is meetng us there. The weather promises to be cold, wet and windy but, the tulips should be in bloom!!!