WEEK TWELVE…

March 17th Sun. What a wonderful day. We all headed down to a flea market north of town. Another bus goof up left us walking needless out of our way to catch the second bus. With 47 bus lines and many different terminal and changing plazas it is easy to get messed up. BUT, by george I think we have it now! YEA. Figures, our last week and a half. That is quite a learning curve. Any way, the flea market was much like the rest. Fruit and veggies, socks, belts, undies, etc. However, this market also had a “used items” area. The variety here was nuts. Everything from old coins to loads, and I mean loads of t.v. remote controllers. We bought some wonderful asparagus and more almonds. I sure am going to miss those almonds. I also bought a cute little pair of pants, and Bill finally found a hat he likes.

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The afternoon for me was spent on the beach again. It may be the last great day for sunning so I took the opportunity when I got it. Finally getting some nice color. The beach was probably the busiest I have seen it. Well, it was 81 today after all. A little nibble for dinner before heading down tot he marina for an evening sunset cruise on a catamaran. $12.00 for an hour and a half with a free glass of champagne to boot. You can’t get that in the U.S. for the same price anywhere! $45.-60. maybe! A lovely evening with a stiff breeze. The city from the water view very nice. I love Malaga. Walking to the bus station in the dark we saw a lot of lights and commotion at one of the hotels, so we kind of took a peek. Red carpet and lights for the Movie Festival that is in town. We didn’t get close enough to see who was there, but a crowd had definitely gathered to watch. You NEVER know what you are going to see here.

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March 18th, Mon-Bill is coming down with another cold or something. He wasn’t feeling well yesterday and chose to “take the day off” today, as we have a big day trip on Wed. he needs to rest up for. I threw a load of jackets in the wash. Eric, Lori, and I went to Malaga to tootle around. We no sooner started walking when we literally hit the red carpet. Of course we couldn’t resist a pic or two. A camera crew was there shooting live for t.v. Once again, you never know if Malaga what is just around the next corner. We ate lunch at a nice Japanese restaurant and had an amazing meal. Thank you Lori for picking that one. More walking and then Eric picked a nice place for a sit and tapas. Once again, more great food. Dinner….? Maybe not tonight. A quick stop off to the grocery store for fresh orange juice for the patient. After dinner Bill wanted to stretch his legs a little after resting all day, so he joined me in a little walk. Hoping he feels better for Wed as we have a big trip planned.

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March 19th Tues- our morning started off with a walk to a Cudeca. This is a thrift store. Lori had been in it a few days ago and told me she found it. I had found another earlier last week. Very small shop, not much in there. If they saw our “resale” shops I think they would blow a gasket. No comparison. Anyway after lunch I hit the beach for a couple of hours as my days on the beach are numbered and few now. No crowds on a week day. A drink on the beach of course. While having our drink three guys came in. One was there to do a food challenge. Three burgers, two HUGE hot dogs, fries, a drink and milk shake in 20 minutes. There has only been about 10 winners in the last two years. The shortest time…3 minutes 37 seconds. The longest…19 minutes 59 seconds. The guy today called it quits. He didn’t finish and had to pay $25.00 EU. Like I’ve said before, you never know what you are going to see. Eric cooked a pork chuletta and potatoes for dinner.

March 20, Wed.- Day trip to Granada and the Alhambra. The bus was 20 minutes late picking us up in the downtown area. Possibly because the bus originated in Marbella up the coast about 40 miles. The bus trip was over the mountains and across some olive tree groves and farm land. We stopped about 45 minutes into the drive for a “rest break”. Arriving in Granada I noticed some trees were in bloom that I haven’t seen here in Malaga. Pretty purple flowers. A nice 15 minutes stroll up town brought us to the “cathedral” and the old city . We bopped around there for a while and I bought some saffron. Granada is suppose to be the place to get it. So I bought it there. We visited the city history museum and got a pic of the old square. An old fountain there had me searching for the fountain of youth, again. I didn’t see a plaque tho on how old the fountain is.

There was also a nice church in the area and what I think was a smaller church turned into a venue hall. A beautiful building that is now a five star hotel.
In a striking marriage between old and new, the Hospes Palacio de los Patos yokes a 19th-century palace to an uncompromising modern design scheme. Relying heavily on minimalist materials such as stone, glass and metal, the palace’s alabaster-white interiors are sleek spaces filled with light. The boutique hotel’s twin buildings are well positioned for exploring the ancient Moorish-Spanish city of Granada. Rates start at $350.00 EU a night

On to the Alhambra. We did a “tour package” which I would never do again. Over priced to begin with. You can rent a car for half of the price. of one person. We got there late to begin with and didn’t go directly to the site. Two hours were wasted in town. I get that the number of people visiting is limited. However, two and half hours doesn’t get it. Way too much to see and a lot of the cool stuff was left out. Such as the Alhambra bath system. Oh, well. Live and learn. We haven’t had any experience with tours til now.

The Alhambra (/ælˈhæmbrə/; Spanish: [aˈlambɾa]; Arabic: الْحَمْرَاء‎ [ʔælħæmˈɾˠɑːʔ], Al-Ḥamrāʾ, lit. “The Red One”) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of Roman fortifications, and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current palace and walls. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.^[1] After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered in the Renaissance style. In 1526 Charles I & V commissioned a new Renaissance palace better befitting the Holy Roman Emperor in the revolutionary Mannerist style influenced by humanist philosophy in direct juxtaposition with the Nasrid Andalusian architecture, but it was ultimately never completed due to Morisco rebellions in Granada.

Alhambra’s last flowering of Islamic palaces was built for the last Muslim emirs in Spain during the decline of the Nasrid dynasty, who were increasingly subject to the Christian Kings of Castile. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the buildings occupied by squatters, Alhambra was rediscovered following the defeat of Napoleon, who had conducted retaliatory destruction of the site. The rediscoverers were first British intellectuals and then other north European Romantic travelers. It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country’s most significant and well-known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the inspiration for many songs and stories.^[2]

Moorish poets described it as “a pearl set in emeralds”, an allusion to the colour of its buildings and the woods around them.^[3] The palace complex was designed with the mountainous site in mind and many forms of technology were considered. The park (Alameda de la Alhambra), which is overgrown with wildflowers and grass in the spring, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges, and myrtles; its most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of English elms brought by the Duke of Wellington in 1812. The park has a multitude of nightingales and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit 8 km (5.0 mi) long, which is connected with the Darro at the monastery of Jesus del Valle above Granada.^[4]

Despite long neglect, willful vandalism, and some ill-judged restoration, the Alhambra endures as an atypical example of Muslim art in its final European stages, relatively uninfluenced by the direct Byzantine influences found in the Mezquita of Córdoba. The majority of the palace buildings are quadrangular in plan, with all the rooms opening on to a central court, and the whole reached its present size simply by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages. Alhambra was extended by the different Muslim rulers who lived in the complex. However, each new section that was added followed the consistent theme of “paradise on earth”. Column arcades, fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were used to add to the aesthetic and functional complexity. In every case, the exterior was left plain and austere. Sun and wind were freely admitted. Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through lapse of time and exposure, are the colors chiefly employed.^[4]

The decoration consists for the upper part of the walls, as a rule, of Arabic inscriptions—mostly poems by Ibn Zamrak and others praising the palace—that are manipulated into geometrical patterns with vegetal background set onto an arabesque setting (“Ataurique”). Much of this ornament is carved stucco (plaster) rather than stone. Tile mosaics (“alicatado”), with complicated mathematical patterns (“tracería”, most precisely “lacería”), are largely used as panelling for the lower part. Similar designs are displayed on wooden ceilings (Alfarje).^[4] Muqarnas are the main elements for vaulting with stucco, and some of the most accomplished dome examples of this kind are in the Court of the Lions halls. The palace complex is designed in the Nasrid style, the last blooming of Islamic Art in the Iberian Peninsula, that had a great influence on the Maghreb to the present day, and on contemporary Mudejar Art, which is characteristic of western elements reinterpreted into Islamic forms and widely popular during the Reconquista in Spain. For more information and pictures you can follow in this link.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

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For more pics and info follow this link…. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra While the Alhambra is the greatest example of Moorish architecture in the world, it was not nearly are ornate as the Alcazar in Seville. There were no painted tiles, no pictures or remaining art or statues, etc. Most of the relief work was done with plaster molds. It is much bigger grounds however as an entire “city” lived here. I understand it is a world heritage sight but so is the one in Seville. If I had to tell travelers to choose one it would be the one in Seville. That was truly jaw dropping. Back on the bus at 4:30 to head to Malaga. 45 Mins or so into the drive time for the driver to get his 30 minute break. Here Bill and I enjoyed a little ocean ceviche. Yum. Back to the house about 7:30 and burgers for dinner.

March 21, Thurs. Happy first of spring. A nice morning walk along the beach towards the super market to buy some shrimp that I have been craving. A nice pastry from Salavador’s and a coffee on the side walk. Salvadors has been in business since 1905 and is truly a staple here. Anytime of day there is a line. http://panaderiasalvador.com/ I am going to miss those things immensely, tho I really don’t need the pastry they have been a nice treat. After some lunch for Bill it was reading time. Then drink time on the beach where we got some small fried octopus. Pretty tasty tho it could have used some sort of dipping sauce. I cooked up some pasta, tossed some mushrooms, onion,red pepper in a pan and hit the shrimp with lemon and butter. YUMMO! Another walk in the evening. Eric and Lori had gone out for the night to a flamenco performance.

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March 22nd Fri- Bill and I headed down town to find our next residence and the closest car street to it. It is located in the historic district and not all streets allow cars. It had been Jan. when Dani was here when we last were there. Our memories weren’t too foggy and we found it on the first try. We then walked the route to the train station to see how long that would take for Thurs when we leave this wonderful city. Back down towards the big fresh market we stopped for a coffee and churros. I think I have finally gotten the churros “thing” licked. I’m not sure if it was because they weren’t steaming hot today or what, but I think I am over it. We sat at across from the Roman theater and listened to a man singing and playing guitar. What a wonderful setting this is. The orange blossoms scenting the air overhead is intoxicating. Time to catch a bus and head back for a late lunch and some reading. Another walk for after noon drinks. When returning Eric and Lori were up and back from their walk and we sat for a couple of hours talking. We all decided rotisserie chicken from down the street sounded great. However the place Bill and I spied earlier in the day was now closed. What? At dinner time? Who knows around here. Anyway a 15 minute walk up the street brought us to a local bar that had advertised the same. 1/2 a chicken, fries, and a drink for $5.00 not bad! And yummy to boot.

March 23, Saturday- Bill and walked around a couple of side streets that we hadn’t been down yet. Went into the municipal market here, looked for a zipper part and had a piece of cake and coffee. The wind was very stiff today and no one was on the beach. Also the temp has dropped so no fun . Sand blowing every where. Most of the restaurants have their wind shields up and everyone is hunkered down inside. I don’t blame them. What a contrast to last Sat. We also walked an upper road that comes out by the marina. Very nice view from up there. All of the wisteria is in bloom. Very pretty. Dinner was left over shrimp and pasta. Church at 7:30 was short and sweet. Sunday is our last moving day. We are moving into down town Malaga in the historic district. Looking for to that!

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