A Malaga Refresher

We often remind ourselves that we are now spending our lives making memories, not collecting possessions.  However, “memories” is the operative word.  We were here six years ago in 2018 when we made a day trip to Malaga from Valencia.  While there are some things here that we keenly remember from that short day spent here almost six years ago, we found we forgot a lot.  Mucho!  In our recent two full days here, we learned that there is much to be remembered and even more to be learned 

We booked an ALSA bus Malaga from Albufeira, Portugal.  There was no weighing the baggage; there was no line for a security check; we arrived at the prescribed bus lane, put our bags in the bus’s hold, showed our ticket QR codes on our phones to the driver, found our reserved seats, and relaxed.  In case you have never heard of ALSA, this bus line moves locals and tourists all around Europe in modern comfy buses.  Some are equipped with TVs, WIFI, vending machines for drinks & snacks, and banos.  Some feature only comfy seats, WIFI, and banos.  Our ride was very, very pleasant.  En route, from the bus window, we passed towns and farmland views of Spanish springtime in electric colors.  Fields and gardens were ablaze with new life!  The green fields of new wheat were waving in a vibrant green and the yellow meadows of mature rape were like sunshine in its best dress. The colors were like those in great paintings. 

A little about where we are.  Our Malaga apartment is in the beachside community of Chilches, almost an hour bus ride into Malaga.  We pride ourselves on using public transportation. Learning routes and the best way to buy tickets is a challenge for us and the ride puts us amid people who live here. There are no city buses here and an UBER costs about 30 Euros each way — which is a little more than we like to spend on a frequent basis.  An ALSA bus from just outside our apartment takes us to one of the two main ALSA bus stops in Malaga.   Our bus trip to the City Center is inexpensive, less than1 Euro each per ride, but the time to and from the city must be considered when we have appointments . . . and we’ve learned already that ALSA buses are sometimes delayed.  We are often reminded, that this is Spain.  That explains why we literally ran 25 minutes from the bus stop to our meeting point at Plaza de la Constitution for our Malaga first walking tour.  Breathless, we made it. 

We have taken two guided walking city tours here so far . . . one yesterday and one today.  A few years ago, we might have chosen a Hop On- Hop Off Bus tour to get an overview of the city but these days we Google “free walking tours” of whatever locale we might be visiting.  These are some of the very best ways to see a city.  The tours are two hours or less and are free, but patrons are asked to tip according to the value perceived from the tour.  Usually, the excursion is so good that most people tip at least what a purchased tour might cost.  The guides are typically lifelong residents and university Spanish history grads, are personable, and provide a time-conscious, yet entertaining tour.  The free tour focus could be an old town tour, a city highlights tour, a gastronomical tour, a nighttime barhopping tour, or whatever a person could imagine.  Check them out.  These walking tours are very good. 

In these walks through town, we sometimes become briefly acquainted with other travelers. We take each other’s photographs, exchange our homelands, and share our travel plans. Generally, we chat a bit and wish each other well.  The family we met on our first-day walking tour was from Israel. When I heard that, I felt that same stunned feeling I had when we met two gentlemen on the Athens tram who had just been granted asylum from Gaza. My heart sank. When we meet people who live in or recently left countries like Ukraine, Israel, or Palestine it somehow suddenly puts a real, unavoidable face on war. We chatted with this mom, dad, and their two teens for a bit. I asked if they were ok, meaning, are their lives away from harm’s way and are they able to live quasi-normal lives? The wife’s answer was, “We are not.” I felt bad for the way I had posed the question. Still, we managed to get on. We all expressed our disdain for war, its futility, and our hopes for lasting peace. When we said our goodbyes, we passed hugs, and handshakes around, and shared good wishes. War is such a terrible thing. Still, I could not help thinking how different the experience is between two warring countries. Innocent people in both Israel and Palestine and Russia and Ukraine are affected in horrible ways one can only imagine. I am so sorry for all. I am certainly not taking sides; I feel deeply for all the innocent people whose lives are interrupted, changed, and put in danger. But here was a family from a war-torn country enjoying a vacation together while others huddle in shelters. I hate war. 

So here is what is going on so far . . . The weather is amazing.  The high temps are in the mid-60’s to low 70’s. The sky is clear and very blue!  We see the ocean every day. It is just across the street from us but we are spoiled. Instead of the pure white sands we love on the Gulf of Mexico or even the golden sand found on Spain’s Atlantic coast, the sand here is very dark, almost black.  It must be a good place for fishing because every afternoon, we see many long rods stuck in the sand with lines thrown far out into the surf.  All day but especially in the morning and the evening, fishing boats and fish/lobster traps dot the shore and Mediterranean horizon.  At night with our windows open a bit, we are lulled to sleep with the sounds of the waves and their soothing, hypnotic roar.   

A beautiful, paved paseo follows the beach.  Many people walk or run the path every day. If one has the energy and stamina, it can be walked/run all the way into Malaga.  We are told it is about a12-mile trek; Stan and I probably will not be doing that. 

Let’s talk about lunch!  Tapas are king here, and we love them.  At home, we never choose tapas restaurants.  In our experience, the servings at tapas restaurants at home are generally small and expensive.  A couple might need to order five or six.  But here, the servings are so generous that three tapas make a fine lunch for the two of us and the prices range from 2 Euros each to 9 Euros each.  Typical choices are:  fried dog fish which is cubes of boneless spiny shark marinated in a vinegar & water mixture with added herbs, dusted in flour and quickly fried.  I know, its taste is hard to imagine, but the dish is delectable.  Or you might choose grilled polvo (octopus, one of our personal favorites), shrimp on a skewer, spicy potato, a beef stew, or Ensalada Rusa.  Hands down, Ensalada Rusa is the best tuna salad you’ve ever tasted.  Most restaurants make this Russian salad with albacore tuna, cubed cooked potato, a bit of green peas, or thinly sliced carrot and/or green beans and mayo.  This, my dears, will be my new tuna salad.  A word here, do not be put off by octopus.  Cooked correctly — just lightly is the only way — the meat is pure sweet tender protein.   I could have it every day.  The list of other tapas goes on and on but when it gets to the fried sardines or sardines in vinegar, we are out.   

These days, Stan and I are into firming up!  After three months of visiting and eating our very favorite foods with sweet friends and adored family at home in the USA, we are on a cutting-back regime.  I am not sure how long this will last but we are having boiled eggs and a slice of cheese at 10 am, tapas at 2 pm, and ensalada at 8 pm accompanied by miles of walking in between.  Plus, get this, I bought the BetterMe app. Stan and I are doing online chair yoga and then a full-body workout each morning.  We are told we will have new bodies in 28 days.  Well, that’s a stretch but a little exercise never hurts!  Should I take a before and after photo??  Not on your life!