SPAIN....... To day dream about a trip to Spain would have to include Malaga. The city is filled with beauty. Everything from the old buildings to the bright pink topiaries of petunias that are dotted all over the city. Malaga puts on a nice show for their visitors when it comes to curb appeal, that is for sure. Malaga full of history. Malaga was already established when the Phoenicians arrive in Spain. According to historians, they ventured to Iberia from Asia Minor some fifty years after the destruction of Troy in 1184 B.C. The Moors took Andalusia in 711. For the next 7 centuries, it was under Moorish rule. Many buildings today still show the evidence of the Moors. The Castillians attacked Andalusia and ran the Moors out in 1492. There was a King installed and the process of changing the Islamic mosques to Christian churches began. Unfortunately, the process got out of hand and by the 15th century, the Spanish Inquisition tribunal convened, beginning a very regrettable period in Spain's history. Spain endured periods of take overs from the French and that bad guy, Napoleon came through here to get that done. Spain was under devastation for a long period of time and took many years to rebuild. The rebuild although took time was worth it all. Spain today is alive and well. A place everyone should visit at some point in their lives. The people are friendly, the streets are clean, the weather is sunny, the tapas are full in the early afternoon, siestas still are all the rage in the afternoon, the vistas are remarkable, the bullfighting still goes on on Sundays and the bulls rarely win, Falmenco dancing is as exciting as the sounds they make, Spain is truly a wonderful spot on the globe.
Mijas, a small whitewashed village up the mountain from Malga is where we spent our day. The Blessed Virgin was said to have appeared to some small children here. There are pictures here of a statue of the Blessed Virgin that the local people carry up the mountain at Easter to a chapel at the very top of the mountain. If you are doing penance, you crawl on your hands and feet! Quite a penance!
The streets of Mijas are narrow and beautiful. Small shops adorn both sides of each road. The climb to the top of the city centre was easier than the climb in Sardinia! At the top we found the smallest bullfighting ring in all of Spain! We had a quick lesson in what actually goes on at a bullfight and that the tickets cost more to sit in the shade than in the sun, as the fights normally last about 4 hours.
The bullfighting ring! You can read the sign, Plaza de Toros. The pictures of Kathleen and Nicky as Matadors!!!!
Matadors are very superstitious and never wear black. They prefer bright colors, blue, green and pink! Bulls are color blind so the cloak that the matadors uses is just for looks and tradition. The bull could not care less what the color is!
Having your name on a real poster from the bull ring as the matador of the day is a must do!
No day is complete without a visit to a local tapa for snacks before siesta! Charles took his siesta on the bus ride back to the ship. The kids and I managed to play "20 questions" with other people on the bus. Of course, looking at the last picture, going down the mountain is a lot easier than going up! A great day in Mijas was had by all. One exception were the burros! Seems that Burro taxis are all the rage. Not for Nicky. He could barely pass the taxi stand without having issue! Kathleen found them to be cute and decied to have a photo op with one of them! No surprise that the city symbol of Mijas is indeed the burro!!
1 comment:
These are GREAT pictures. I like the one with Kathleen as the matador! :)
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