Not expecting a great deal from a visit to a place given only scant attention in guidebooks, both Lee and Heidi were blown away by Malaga during our very pleasant morning visit today. The current city (population around 500,000) rests on ground first settled by the Phoenicians five thousand years ago. The Romans, the Moors, and the Spanish have all subsequently occupied the area, renown for its attractive port. Cruise ships frequent the harbor nowadays; in fact, the world's largest, Oasis of the Seas, was in port today!
An unexpected highlight of our city tour came with a stop to see two of the massive floats transported annually around Malaga during Holy Week on the shoulders of two hundred and fifty stalwart volunteers. The silver gilded larger float weighs tons and evidently is carried around town for eleven or twelve hours daily through-out the week!
One of the most attractive features of travels with Overseas Adventure Travel or Grand Circle Travel comes with the opportunity to attend a Home Hosted Meal with a local family. Today's hosts were women from the rural village of Salinas. Francesca, a widow carrying for her aging parents while still actively parenting two children (a son in high school and a daughter off at college), somehow managed to put together a tasty (VERY tasty) five course luncheon for six of us while her father dosed in the corner and her mother helped in the kitchen. After the meal, she showed us around the quite pleasant and cool six bedroom house built around a small interior patio.
Back in Terramolinos late in the afternoon, we eventually got our act together enough to take a walk around the beachside promenade prior to settling in (around 8:00 PM) for a light (VERY light) supper at El Gato right on the beach, one of the most pleasant and relaxing evening meals of the entire tour.
No comments:
Post a Comment