Ch 29: Interlude
When their first look at flights from Athens to Málaga showed them only a flight that would take 6 hours, with a layover in Zurich, Switzerland, they scrapped that in favor of flying to Madrid and then to Málaga. That certainly made more sense! Tim shook his head, "We're spoiled by flying Paddington Air all the time, we don't even know how to look for commercial flights anymore!"
When they saw a suggestion online about taking the train from Madrid to Málaga, they grinned and checked it out. In the end they decided to fly from Athens to Madrid and would take the train from there to their destination. The train would take an hour longer than a flight from Madrid to Málaga but they'd also see more of the country and the train was a better choice for the environment.
They discussed cutting a day or so from Málaga and spending that time in Madrid but in the long run decided that Madrid would need more than one or two days to explore, and they didn't want to cut any time from their stay in Málaga, nor did they want the hassle of unpacking and packing twice. Both were exhausted after the last few months and seriously needed to rest and enjoy one new city, not two! They'd visit Madrid another time.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
The couple managed to get through saying goodbye to their children, knowing they'd be in good hands and that there were some fun treats in store for them. Still, it was difficult and once in their BEAT vehicle to the airport, they took a couple of minutes to regain their excitement about their trip.
Their flight to Madrid was relatively quick and the pair grinned at each other as they boarded the train to Málaga, a city described as "glorious Andalusian city that sits at the very bottom of Spain – nearly as far south as you can get in continental Europe."*
Watching out the windows, they relaxed for the duration of the 2 hour and 30 minute ride. Once at the main rail station, they gathered their belongings, taking a taxi to their hotel, located on a very inviting beach.
After checking in and unpacking, they changed out of their travel clothes and decided to take a walk on the beach. Although it was late February, the average temperatures for the season in this area were 54-60°F, a few degrees above the average winter temperatures for Athens. Still, both wore sweaters and were happy they'd brought them. After walking briskly for close to an hour, they returned to their room, by this time carrying their sweaters.
During their stay in Málaga, they established a routine of sorts, dependent on the weather and what they felt like doing. They walked on the beach and swam in the hotel's lovely pool every day. Although they quickly found favorites, they ate at different eateries for lunches, tapas and dinners. As breakfast was included with their hotel room, they took advantage of that.
While planning their trip, they'd identified several things they wanted to experience and now did so: the Picasso Museum, as the artist was a native of the area, as well as an ancient Roman Theater, along with Alcazaba, a fortress built during the rule of the Moors and Gibralfaro Castle, which they viewed at sunset with spectacular results. They bought a couple of prints at the Picasso Museum and took several photos with both phone and film cameras at the other sites, enjoying each one, especially the Castle at sunset! They laughed when they found their favorite photo was one a fellow tourist took of them at the castle. They hoped the photo they'd taken of the tourist turned out just as well!
One morning they visited Atarazanas Market, which they thoroughly enjoyed. On another day they traveled by bus to the town of Nerja where they toured the Caves of Nerja, a series of caverns. The caves began forming approximately 5 million years ago when water seeped into cracks and fissures of the marble rock. Remains found in the caves indicate they were occupied by humans from about 25,000 BCE until the Bronze Age. Cave paintings from different eras have been discovered on the walls of the huge cavern.**
Thoroughly enjoying the experience, Tim and Artie, who had long had a visit to the Lascaux II cave in France on their 'must do' list, also appreciated the reminder of that goal. They decided to bring the children here when they were older as well as including them in the visit to the Lascaux II cave.
A trip to the Soho neighborhood of Málaga also proved interesting and fun with the artwork, gastrobars, murals and street art. They spent the Saturday of their holiday at the "Made in Soho" market, with stalls selling design, crafts, works of art and audiovisual art, antiques, and vintage items. The couple later decided they'd need to add another room to their future Grecian, and possibly Scottish, home(s) to adequately feature the artwork and everything else they collected during the travels. Luckily, they were able to have most of their treasures sent to the rental home in Varkiza.
While they missed the children, they saw and spoke with them every day, letting their offspring tell them of their adventures with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Enjoying their own adventures, the couple also spent significant time to themselves, making the most of their time away from their busy lives.
One of the reasons they'd booked this particular hotel, besides the extra-long mattress, were the amenities, including a spa tub in their suite. By the end of their fourth day, Tim told his love that he felt most of his stress over everything that had happened or still happening was gone. With a sultry smile, she told him that 'most' wasn't enough and proceeded to help him forget the rest.
*"Claire Martin: 22 things to do in Malaga in winter." I found this to be a wonderful, helpful blog and guide to visiting Malaga, Spain in the winter or anytime. I've only been to Madrid, a few decades ago, and was unfortunately sick the entire time I was there. No memories to share, trust me!
**Information about the Caves of Nerja came from Wikipedia and miscellaneous travel sources.