Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Adventures in Malaga, Day 2: Picasso, Beach, and Croquetas

This is the last post of our trip to Spain-recap. You can check out the other posts by using the tab above labeled "Explore the World"

We woke up early and went for a run along the beach on June 15th. It was only around 8:00 am, but it was already super hot and foggy. We found our way to a run-down party hall along the beach. I can imagine that it used to be quite the happening place some years ago, but it certainly needed a little help now.

After the run we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast made our rooms a few Euros pricier per day, but it was so worth it. Fresh juice, fruit, bread and pastries, cheese and cured meats, yogurt and delicious granola. A super start to the day. An American breakfast, Spanish style.

Outside of one of the cathedrals
Once our belly's were full we headed into the city. First stop: The Picasso Museum. Tom loved this place. It was fairly new, and millions of Euros had been put into the construction of it. What was fascinating to see was the Roman ruins that were in the "basement" of the museum. The entire building had been built over the ruins. Of course, it was also neat to see how Picasso's styles changed over the years in all of his paintings. 


Someone in my group *coughtomcough* may have snagged this photo without  permission....
Love the ceilings
Courtyard in the Picasso Museum
 We strolled around the city after the museum, looking at shops and the cathedrals before heading to the Alcazaba (near the Castillo de Gibralfaro). The Alcazaba was built in the 11th century by the Moors and was used as a military fortress. It sits on a hill, but had its own elevator, so we didn't get a workout like we did the day before.

Foggy Malaga












My over excitement of the view caused me to momentarily lose a sandal
We spent the remaining afternoon hours at the BEACH! It was amazing to sit there and do NOTHING! Tom finished reading Born to Run, and I finished Life of Pi. We did a lot of people watching. Men with coolers kept coming by to try to sell us beverages, but we had stopped at the supermercado to pick up water and jamon (ham) chips before the trip down. 

That night we went back into the city for some dinner. As always, it took us a while to figure out where we would end up eating. We needed an English menu and wanted to sit outside. We landed ourselves at the perfect restaurant and were finally on Spanish time! I do believe that we ate around 8:30 or 9:00. (Please notice how light it is in the photos below)



We ordered croquetas to start. And good thing! These were THE BEST croquetas of our trip, and the best I had ever eaten up to that point. Tom had some a white fish for dinner and I had chicken kebabs. 


It was pretty amazing to watch the sun go down. It didn't get dark until after 10:00pm! I was not ready to head back to the hotel, especially knowing that when we woke up in the morning we would have to head to the airport. 

So we didn't go to the hotel. We went for gelato. 

Yes. You can get gelato at 10:30pm in Spain. Or 12:30am. Doesn't matter! It's there for you!



On our way back we walked by a construction site that was the home to a lot of cats! They made us a little excited to be heading home, only because we would be seeing The Will (Wilson) again.


We went up to the roof of the hotel one final time when we got back and found something strange: An orange moon! There was a lunar eclipse and we hadn't heard anything about it! By the time we went to bed the eclipse was ending, but it was pretty neat (and spooky) to be seeing it in Spain

A very blurry photo of the lunar eclipse in Malaga
This is the end of our Spanish Adventure recap. We had an awesome time in Spain: great memories, new tans, and a more restful body and mind. Hopefully that isn't the only time we go, but who knows where our next adventure will take us.


Heading home. Adios Espana!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Adventures in Malaga: Day 1 - The Beach and Paella

You can't get a good beach nor good paella in Vermont. We don't have an ocean, and chefs just can't seem to produce authentic paella. Guess I need to go to Malaga when I'm craving either of them.

After our visit to the Gibralfaro we went back to the beach to check it out. It was around 5pm and it felt as though people were just starting to leave the beach. And yes, beaches in Spain are tops-optional.




At around 8pm we headed out in search of good paella. We had asked the clerk at the hotel's desk if she could recommend a particular restaurant, but she wasn't of much help. After about a half-hour walk we were in the heart of the city and were able to find a restaurant with outdoor seating and paella on the menu. Gosh, even writing about this is making my mouth water again. 


I really wanted to finish this whole plate.... but my belly is only so big. 


Dinner was delicious. We tried a Spanish custard dish for dessert, but it wasn't the best that I had ever had. Oh well! I really couldn't complain because it had been years since I had so much Spain in one meal. 

The most wonderful thing about being in Granada is how long the days were. It didn't get complete dark until well after 10pm! 

On our way home we took the beach route instead of the street route. The moon was full, lighting up our way along the sand. 





Day one in Malaga was a success. I had never been there before so Tom and I were truly exploring a new city together. The only thing we needed to make the day better was ....

Some aloe....

Us Vermonters weren't used to so much sun! It's too bad we hadn't busted off a piece of the aloe plant that attacked Tom in Granada

Need to catch up on our June 2011 vacation?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Adventures in Granada: Day 3 - Flamenco

After our visit to the enchanting Alhambra, Tom and I picked up a few gifts in the shops near Plaza Nueva for our families. We found gorgeous clay bowls, a pencil/pen holder for my brother with detailed wood inlay, and a musical instrument for Tom's dad.

We were hungry and stopped at a teteria (a Moorish tea house) for schwarmas. Only we ordered falafels instead. Oops! My taste buds weren't expecting the falafel when I took my first bite, especially since I had never tried one. We tried a mint limonada (lemonade) that I enjoyed, but Tom was hoping for something more traditional. 

By now it was siesta. Most stores were closed, but not El Corte Ingles. This gave us opportunity to buy more gifts: Damasco Jewelry for Tom's mom and a soccer beer glass for Tom's brother. Only we got the wrong team. D'oh! After Corte, we spent time at the new H&M of Granada and I swear that I could have spent my entire summer's wage in there.



And of course, we had to stop for Gelato #4. I ordered Ferrero Rocher and fruit of the forest. Best flavor combo EVER! Tom wasn't in the mood for any more ice cream but I forced him to try a bite. He immediately got up and ordered himself a cone. 


We had tickets to a Flamenco show later in the evening so we had plenty of time to kill. The next part of our journey took us westward in the city, back toward the train station. 

I fell in love with Tom's new hat from H&M


For the life of me I cannot remember the name to this park near the bull ring in Granada. We walked around a bit and turned back toward our hotel.

He was the only one that could understand Tom's English

The full moon was starting to rise behind the Spanish flag

Evidence from the days of Moorish rule can be seen all over the city. This was a puerta (gate) in the wall around the city.

I'm trying to figure out how to get an apartment in here....

A quick stop at the hotel was in store so we could get fancy for the Flamenco show

Our tickets included a bus ride to and from the cave in which the Flamenco show was being held. It also included a tour of the Albayzin. We met a woman who was traveling around Spain by herself for a month, and had already seen really good Flamenco in Sevilla.


Some of the houses in the Albayzin display the pottery that Granada is famous for

The Alahambra is gorgeous at night. This picture doesn't do justice



We ended up going to the same cave that I went to in 2008. However, this time we had to share it with a lot of unfamiliar people. Our tickets came with a "free" beverage of our choice so we both ordered wine.



.... and had some time to wait and take goofy photos together

If you are ever in Spain I highly recommend that you watch a Flamenco show. The Flamenco varies by region and some cities are more famous for the dance than other. On this particular evening many of the dancers were students, so the dancing was not the best.


We really enjoyed the show and our final day in Granada. It was sad to walk out of the cave after the show knowing I had to say goodbye to this city once more. 

The next stage of our journey was about to begin: Malaga

Need to catch up on our June 2011 vacation?