Ola Donkeyhoty

This was a rainy and windy day and we stayed home all day, MAC and Paivi did go out for a short waok in the late afternoon but in general we just sat around and relaxed. At dinner, Mac made her patatas bravas and Bill a very tasty mixed grill with lamb chops and sausages.  So, as we will be traveling the next day we sorted out what to take for our Seville trip, did a bit of washing and general chores with, of course, a nap in the afternoon.  Even on vacation, you need some ‘off days’.

The day dawned bright and sunny. Our trips today would be to Mijas. a small town, slightly inland in the hills above the coast with great views of the Costa del Sol and beyond. Ultimately we would end up in Fuengirola where Paivi had a dentist appointment with a Finish dentist!! We drove along the coastal motorway and then struck in land to Mijas which proved to be very crowded on this day with many bus tours and tourist visitors. As t was such a beautiful day and the town is very scenic and 'cute' it was not so surprising that it was a popular destination. We had some difficulty finding a parking spot and circled the town's narrows streets a couple of times before settling on a multi-story car park which was fairly full but the sign at the entrance witched from 'compleatado' to 'libra' as each car departed and a space became available. After a short wait, we were allowed in and found a spot to park. Going up in the elevator,...

After a slow start to the day and a leisurely breakfast, we took the car to the market at Sabanilles. There was a long queue to get into the parking lot and we missed the entrance and almost by accident went on up the hill to the real village of Manilva where the local people, not the ex-pats, live. This is a charming small village with murals on some of the walls and also great views of the local countryside far out to sea. Returning back to the market, we found a parking spot and walked around the market where there were all sorts of wares for sale, some new and some used. There were tools, toys, clothes, bric-a-brac and some small amounts of food. The market covers a large area and was quite crowded with, mostly Spanish buyers. There was much old household goods which was obviously the result of people clearing out their houses of unwanted contents. After browsing around the market for about an hour, we left and drove up to the top of a hill where ...

We arose at 8 a.m. and quickly prepared breakfast, then getting ourselves on the road to Malaga by 10 a.m. The trip took about one hour and we parked in the underground car park in the city center. It was a very short walk to the bustling central district's narrow streets.  The crowded bustling streets of Malaga on a Saturday afternoon. We decided to make our first stop at the Picasso Museum as there are often long queues there to enter. We arrived at the museum and there was quite a large throng outside, some were tour groups and some individuals like us. In the event, we did not have to wait more than about 15 minutes before we were inside the museum. To our delight, as this day was the exact day of the 15th anniversary of the opening of the museum, admission was free. So we left our bags, took the audio guides offered and set off into the museum. Picasso, who died in 1973 was born on 25th October 1881 in Malaga. Although he left ...