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Friday, October 2, 2009

Trip to Spain. First Stop: Malaga


I'm back from Spain and I had a wonderful time! I could have stayed twice as long, despite an abrupt turn in the weather toward the end of the trip and a nasty cold. I thought I'd post a few pictures from my trip in the next few posts and explain a little of the incredible history of Andalucia in southern Spain, where my partner and I spent most of our time.
Malaga is an ancient port city, one of the oldest in Spain, where Phoenicians and Moorish civilizations once thrived. The first photo above is of the Alcazaba, the Moorish palace that overlooks the port of Malaga and was the residence of the rulers of the city for hundreds of years before the Catholic Reconquest.

The second photo is of Calle Larios, a thriving shopping street in the center of the city, closed to traffic, that reveals the link between the past and the present. Many of the buildings are 15th to 18th century, their lower stories renovated to accomodate fashionable stores, the upper levels housing some of the most expensive real estate in Malaga.

In the third photo, we see the narrow medieval quarter, with a view of the Cathedral spire in the background. Crowded with local cafes and tapas bars, this area is one of the best to find good, inexpensive food that locals enjoy.
The last picture features the amalgam of cultures prevalent in Malaga: a Moorish doorway, marbled over, in a 16th century church.

3 comments:

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

This was perfect - I recently read Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende, and some of her characters were from Malaga!

I'm looking forward to the rest of the pictures from your trip.

Anonymous said...

OH! I am so jealous. I have always had a yen to go to Spain, which has been intensified by the fact that a major character in my upcoming book is Spanish, and I had to learn all about his background. Your trip sounds really great and I look forward to seeing your pictures and hearing about it on the blog!

C.W. Gortner said...

Spain is well worth a trip, Frances and Heather, so if you can go for it! Thanks for your comments, too.