Memories of Alhambra, Malaga from last leg of dream trip
This is the last chapter in my “revenge” travel series, and it is about my visit to Málaga, a municipality of Spain. When my traveling companions Leo Katigbak, Keren Pascual, Tim Son and I were planning this trip, one of the decisions we had to make was whether to take the train or hire a private van to take us from Barcelona to Málaga. Although a train ride would have been cheaper and faster, we hired a van in the end because it was more convenient (e.g. we didn’t have to lug our luggage around and we could be dropped off right at our doorstep). Not only that, riding a van also meant we could stop by Valencia city and Murcia for more sightseeing.
We left Barcelona on Sunday, July 24, at around 9 a.m. and arrived in the coastal city of Valencia three hours later in a van driven by our Filipino driver Mark Malapitan. We had a nice lunch at Helen Berger, a restaurant which came highly recommended by the concierge of the hotel where Keren stayed a few years back. Though the food was tasty, what “stole the show” for me was the sweetest, freshly-squeezed Valencia orange juice and the rich and flavorful olive oil that came with our order. The waiter proudly declared these as being the best in the world.
After lunch, we headed to Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, more popularly known as the City of Arts and Sciences. It is a cultural and architectural complex which has a museum, a restaurant, a gallery, convention hall and sports facilities. Considered one of Spain’s 12 treasures, it is Valencia’s must-see tourist destination.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore the whole complex, which is made up of three buildings occupying three massive blocks. Mark, in typical Filipino fashion, parked the car near the entrance of each building so we could take pictures quickly. Never mind that this was at 2 p.m. and the temperature was a ghastly 38 degrees! After about 40 minutes, we were back in the van, sweaty but happy.
Three hours later, we were in Murcia. Surprise, surprise…since it was a Sunday, everything was closed! We drove around hoping to grab a bite and stretch our legs. But nothing was open, not even the churches. According to Leo, closing on Sundays is a rule that protects small businesses, allowing them time to rest. I also suspect that it was too hot for the locals and tourists to be out in the streets that sweltering Sunday.
By the time we got to Málaga, it was late in the evening since we stopped a couple of times for bathroom breaks and dinner. The following day, the friend of Keren who allowed us to stay at his place also lent us his car. Not only that, he also asked the son of a good friend to drive us around. Our driver in Málaga was Diego Soler, a 24-year-old who is half-Filipino (dad) and half-French (mom).
The Málaga-born Diego recommended that we visit the Picasso Museum. Located near the hospital where Picasso was born and the house he spent his early years in, the museum has many of the artist’s early works and shows how prolific he was. In the plaza across these buildings, there is a sculpture of Picasso seated on one of the benches.
Later in the afternoon, Diego took us to the Designer Outlet Store for some retail therapy. The complex was typical of the US outlet stores and carried brands like Prada, Escada, Karl Lagerfeld, Hackett, La Coste and many more. I was happy with my purchases but made a mental note to get my tax refund when I’d get to the airport.
But the highlight of my trip to Málaga (aside from dining in its fine restaurants) was when we drove 1.5 hours to Granada and Alhambra (where Hyun Bin’s K-drama Memories of Alhambra was filmed). The drive was very scenic with lots of olive trees and orange trees along the way. Our first stop was the Gardens of Generalife in Alhambra.
Plantitos and plantitas will definitely love it there as the gardens are lush even in the middle of summer. I can imagine what it will be like in spring. Next to the gardens is the Alcazaba, which is a fortress and one of the oldest parts of Alhambra. After we explored the fortress, we went to the Palacios Nazaries. This for me is Alhambra’s ultimate, most stunning centerpiece, and it has been described as the most brilliant Islamic building in Europe. When we entered the palace, we couldn’t help but gape in awe at the beautiful, intricate wood carvings and meticulous tile work. Whether or not you know anything about Moorish art and history, I highly recommend a visit to Palacios Nazaries.
The next day, we went on a day trip to Ronda — which is 90 minutes away — to see the Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain. Though I am not a fan of bullfights, it was a treat to see the museum at the back where the intricate costumes of the matadors through the years are displayed. From there, we went to the famous Puente Nuevo bridge. We would have loved to explore it more but had to be back in Málaga and catch a train to Madrid, where my flight to Manila awaited.
So ended my memorable and rewarding revenge travel after a hiatus of more than two years. May you also find yourself on a horizon-expanding, soul-enriching travel adventure with your loved ones very soon, if you haven’t been on one such dream trip already.
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