By: Marcia Abramson
We never got to see our bathing suits, let alone wear them for the first few days of out trip.Fortunately, the weather cleared and the sun that the Costa del Sol is known for came out. We proceeded to explore the treasures of Malaga, the second largest city of the Andalusia region. Quite frankly, we hadn't expected to find as many artistic gems as we did in this quaint city. As we strolled the Avienda de Cervantes, the luxuriant Ambassadors Row, we found the most beautiful tiled fronted ambassador residences and exquisite examples of the infamous Spanish Moorish and Renaissance architecture styles. The Alcazaba, the largest Moorish fortress in the area, had the largest display of archeological remains from the Phoenician and Roman periods that we had ever seen. We then wandered to the Cathedral, La Manquita, and a terrific example of the Spanish Renaissance style. It is known as La Manquita (the one-armed lady) because it only has one tower and another half-finished. We were especially impressed with the beautiful choir stalls and rich paintings on the ancient walls. Our magnificent architectural tour continued with the Ayutamiento (Town Hall) and the Old Customhouse. Our walk led us to the end of the avenue or to the infamous bullring, Malagueta. A very kind caretaker gave us a tour of the ring, where the bulls are kept, and the various chapels where the matadors pray before they go into the ring. He also explained that bull-fighting is actually an intricate art form. Professional bullfights are skillful undertakings, not like the amateur scenes that I had seen in Mexico. The meat from the bull is given to charity to help feed poor children. The route led us to the Plaza de la Merced, one of the meeting places for the local malgeunos. The one side of the square is the birthplace of the world-famous painter Pablo Picasso. His works can be seen at the Picasso Foundation and the nearby Fine Arts Museum. The museum exhibits paintings by Murillo, Zurbaran and a young Picasso.Malaga is also a very busy port city. A walk along the promenade La Farola gave us the full maritime flavor of the city. The districts of Trinidad and the Churches of San Pablo and El Perchel are further testaments to this. The Parish Church of the Virgen del Carmen, the patroness of the fishermen, watches over the fishermen and the seas.The Andalusia region is also rich in music and festivals. Music, dance and flamenco culture have a life of their own in festivals in Andalusia. In Malaga, the music is of medieval origin called veridales. We were there during the Good Friday and Easter celebrations. It was quite spectacular to see the tremendous processions of the cofradias in traditional costumes (guilds or brotherhoods) and the spectacular floats (pasos) throughout the streets. This July, Pamplona will host the famous running of the bulls, always a fantastic event.Of course, one the areas greatest attractions is its Mediterranean cuisine. Associated with the famous Mediterranean diet, it has been shown to be beneficial for the health, based on the Holy Trinity of wheat, the olive and the vine. Some of the important ingredients are rice and legumes garlic and vegetables, cheese, yogurt, fish meat and eggs. The southern or Andalusian cooking that we sampled combines the cultures with the Mediterranean key ingredients. The best known is the cold Andalusian gazpacho soup, made with diced cucumber and green peppers in olive oil, vinegar and garlic. It was wonderful. The frituras, servings of small fried fish, were also quite delicious. Stews are also a big part of the well-established cultural tradition. The colorful climax is the matanza, an annual event in late autumn when families gather to help in the slaughter and butchering of a pig or two. A variety of dishes of pork and ham are enjoyed and thoroughly combined in delicious country-style stews.To arrange for your own wonderful visit to Spain, contact your local travel professional or you might want to contact Visit Spain Tours. They are offering trips starting at $499, which includes round-trip nonstop airfare from New York-JFK to Malaga and six-night hotel accommodations. Visit Spain Tours can be reached at (866)VST-4604 or on-line at www.visitspaintours.com.
Copyright Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
