City Highlight: Modern Malaga

As much as I feel like I've repped Malaga, I haven't even broken the surface with places of interest. Malaga is a playground full of things to see and do. Malaga is the Disneyland of Spain with a touch of the Smithsonian. The real issue is as much magic as there is for everyone it may be impossible to see it all. Most of the factoids about this city I found out well after I left. So just like those touristy epicenters mentioned above you cannot see it in one day or visit - you simply have to revisit over and over again. I'll always have my beloved locales that I must see. However, I now know of so many places I missed and long to go.

La Playa Part II - Malagueta Beach

Far, far away I'd become a beach connoisseur. We had been to this beach almost everyday in Malaga. If we weren't in the water, we were at the shore, on the boardwalk or in a neighboring place. There are other beaches in Malaga but this is the farthest point. It is adequate as the peoples beach. The few times that we went we saw the same faces, activities, peddlers and bartenders. There was the sun leathered woman who ran the umbrella chair stand. There were her senior and expat friends who took turns running it.There was the red headed teenage girl and her friends who smoked cigarettes while lathering each other up in tanning lotion. There was the nude lesbians who swapped stories with other sunbathers about tattoos.There was the hunk making pina coladas who was the splitting image of Manny in "Scarface". In observing these natives and tourists alike I realized most people come to the beach multiple times a day. The housewives come when the laundry is done. The business men come for a mid-day shandy and tapas. The gay boys are there with their grandmothers. After a few days of observing the natives  I knew what to do.

Seriously What's Not To Love About Malaga

So we have just arrived in paradise. We have sunk our feet in the dusty sand and in the bubbling waters. We are parched. So we come back to the shopping area and find a place to settle in. This restaurant offering a Indian and Mexican mash up lures us in with 5 Euros drinks. So we sit for a drink or two and ultimately decide to eat dinner there as well. We start with some tropical drinks, have parantha naan and then decide to get a few apps to share. I remember having the most amazing samosas and guacamole. We were seated outside directly in view of the sunset. The waitstaff rolled back the sun shades as the night began to come. Malaga has endless nights moreso than France. There was no twilight until around 9pm with an official sunset between 10 and 10:30pm. The night was forever young. We realized for the next nine days we can drink like that, eat like that and swim whenever we wanted. We were seriously in paradise.

Off to Malaga

Leaving Madrid was sudden so much so I found myself rushing to pack. We had laundry drying all over the apartment and food in the refrigerator. I decided to sit and have breakfast and finally use the internet which had been off the day before. Then I noticed her bags all near the door and I was still drinking a mug of coffee. She seemed really agitated at me not getting ready but I felt more compact than her. I'd packed up a lot last night so I was totally fine with not being speedy. Our host came up to assist us and they spoke for some time in the foyer. I hurriedly washed my dishes and situated my things. He helped carry our bags again but she kept trying to strong-arm and take her own things down three flights. Once at the door we said our goodbyes and began the walk through Plaza Mayor to the Sol Metro station. Once underground our particular train was not running so we were re-routed another direction back to Atocha. Lets just say it was a sweaty mess because we were crunched for time and carrying a lot.