Semana Santa, Part 2

Málaga, April 6th - 10th

In the spirit of Spring break, the gang and I decided to skip town and hit the beach. We headed south to Andalucía for a few days in the paradise that is Málaga. 

When we stepped out of the hostel doors, this is what we found:

Huge processions were taking place the night we arrived since it was Good Friday, one of the highlights of all  the week's religious festivities. Dozens of 5'10" men were carrying enormous, overly embellished displays of various biblical images through the streets as part of a  mile-long (or so) procession including what must have been every child under  the age of 16 in all of Málaga. I think it's a tad overdone... but can't argue with tradition!

Naturally, the trip kicked off with some torrijas- a special treat for Easter made with sliced bread soaked in sugar, milk, cinnamon, and Anise liqueur, and then fried (of course). They're a bit like French toast but without the egg. 

[Notice the varying speeds of torrijas consumption]

Then we made our way through the throngs of Spaniards gathered for the processions and found a local dive where we could grab a seafood dinner and a few drinks. We had to ring in the vacation with a local beer- Cerveza Victoria, originally from Málaga.

The first morning, we discovered our new favorite place- Café con Libros, a quaint little café near the hostel with a great menu, nice ambience, and SWINGS! There were swings set up next to tables inside and on the terrace- I was sold. Who doesn't love a gimmick?

We frequented this place FIVE times during the trip. We were only in Málaga for 3 or 4 full days, that's how good it was.

I will forever be amused by the constant effort in this country to maintain
 architectural aesthetics.

I didn't spend much time sightseeing in Málaga- I just wanted to take the few days and relax/explore a new place without the pressures of an itinerary. This is one of the sights, though, that we passed by frequently throughout the week- a Roman castle and amphitheater.

On our walk to la playa

Which now bring us to my segment called: 

Can you believe this view?

Playa Malagueta

I love silly people like this one

Adventurers

By chance, we wound up in one of the most popular tapas restaurants in Málaga for a great dining experience- El Pimpi! We shared platter after platter of calamari, queso, croquetas, ensalada, and more... and I accidentally ate ham again, of course. What can ya do?

Then it was back to (you guessed it!) Café con Libros for some spiked milkshakes and card games... because we're just party animals like that.








And on our last day...

Catedral de Málaga

All along the harbor there is a beautiful walkway that leads to markets, restaurants, and wonderful views of the ocean. We took the scenic route to the beach on our last day and spent the majority of the afternoon lounging under the sun.

Now, I've had a lot of gelato in my day so when I say the gelato that we had in Málaga was incredible, I mean it. For any future Spain travelers: if you're in Sevilla, go to Rayas. If you're in Málaga, go to the gelato shop across from El Pimpi on Calle Granada. You will not be disappointed.
Expat Spring Break Success!