Climbing to the top of the Castle (Málaga)
The sun came back on Thursday February 20 with a high of 18C. A perfect day for a visit to the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfara.
We first paid a visit to Julia's Bakery to get some freshly baked bread. We passed a great lion graffiti on a side street.
We had an early lunch at the apartment and then went to the Alcazaba, the palace-fortress built by the Hammudid dynasty in the early 11th century. The entrance is next to the Roman amphitheatre dating back to the first century.
It is the best-preserved alcazaba (from the Arabic al-qasbah, meaning "citadel") in Spain. The caliphate horseshoe arches, courtyards and bubbling fountains are evocative of this period of Málaga's history. Ferdinand and Isabella captured Málaga from the Moors after the Siege of Málaga in 1487, one of the longest sieges in the Reconquista.
We then started a long walk up to the Castillo de Gibralfaro. It was a steep hike up a number of switch-back roads. There was a fabulous look out point-- apparently the best views of the city are at the castle. The Castillo was built by Abd ar-Rahman I, the 8th century Córdoban emir, and later rebuilt in the 14th century when Málaga was the main port for the emirate of Granada. From 1487, the year of Málaga's incorporation in the Crown of Castile, until 1925, the castle was used exclusively for military purposes. There was a display of military artefacts in the site of an ancient gunpowder arsenal.
We wandered around and had an excellent coffee at Bertani. We then headed back to the apartment for a short rest.
We had a five minute walk to El Meson de Cervantes, where we were meeting our friends David and Vicky for dinner. They are leaving Málaga tomorrow and we still have another week in the city. The restaurant is a related restaurant to the wonderful place we had eaten at last Saturday. We ate early and were among the first customers at the restaurant.
We had a fabulous meal.
We saw a brand new Carnaval 2020 sign on the street we turn off to get to our apartment! Carnaval starts on Friday February 21.
And so ends our first week in Málaga. We are looking forward to spending another week here before we head to Córdoba.
We first paid a visit to Julia's Bakery to get some freshly baked bread. We passed a great lion graffiti on a side street.
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| The Lion sleeps tonight... |
It is the best-preserved alcazaba (from the Arabic al-qasbah, meaning "citadel") in Spain. The caliphate horseshoe arches, courtyards and bubbling fountains are evocative of this period of Málaga's history. Ferdinand and Isabella captured Málaga from the Moors after the Siege of Málaga in 1487, one of the longest sieges in the Reconquista.
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| In front of the Alcazaba |
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| Roman amphitheatre in front of the Alcazaba |
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| Heading into the Alcazaba |
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| Roman columns incorporated into the fortress |
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| Archway with Roman columns |
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| Heading up to the main buildings of the Alcazaba |
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| Alano |
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| Looking down at City Hall |
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| Lovely orange groves |
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| Bar in a lovely setting |
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| View of the port from the Alcazaba |
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| Small garden |
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| Mosaic fish in a small pond and the same fish above the small fountain |
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| More archways |
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| So intricate |
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| Exhibit of modern pottery done in traditional Nazari pottery style by the students of the San Telmo Arts School |
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| More detail of the archways |
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| 1960 model of the Alcazaba |
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| Very peaceful |
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| Original pottery-- Jarra XI-XIV |
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| Jarra XI-XIV |
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| Doors and archways |
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| Designs in the top of an archway |
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| Courtyard garden |
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| The ceilings were also spectacular |
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| Beautiful archways |
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| Intricate designs of stone |
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| View of the Cathedral in the distance |
We then started a long walk up to the Castillo de Gibralfaro. It was a steep hike up a number of switch-back roads. There was a fabulous look out point-- apparently the best views of the city are at the castle. The Castillo was built by Abd ar-Rahman I, the 8th century Córdoban emir, and later rebuilt in the 14th century when Málaga was the main port for the emirate of Granada. From 1487, the year of Málaga's incorporation in the Crown of Castile, until 1925, the castle was used exclusively for military purposes. There was a display of military artefacts in the site of an ancient gunpowder arsenal.
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| Great view of City Hall (the spectacular building in the foreground) and the port |
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| View of the bull ring and the Sea |
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| Almost at the top |
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| The Castle at the top (lit up) and the Alcazaba on the left a bit further down. |
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| An old cannon |
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| Looking down on a fancy hotel with a pool. What a view of the Mediterranean. |
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| Bird with a view |
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| Looking into the hills around Málaga |
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| At the top of the Castle |
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| Looking down on the port |
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| Back on street level--- we were at the castle in the top of the picture |
We wandered around and had an excellent coffee at Bertani. We then headed back to the apartment for a short rest.
We had a five minute walk to El Meson de Cervantes, where we were meeting our friends David and Vicky for dinner. They are leaving Málaga tomorrow and we still have another week in the city. The restaurant is a related restaurant to the wonderful place we had eaten at last Saturday. We ate early and were among the first customers at the restaurant.
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| Arriving at the restaurant at around 7:00 p.m. |
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| David and Alano in front of squid and anchovies |
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| Anchovies with guacamole and passion fruit- fabulous |
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| Red peppers stuffed with cod in a fabulous tomato sauce |
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| Octopus with potatoes-- so good in Spain |
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| Fig flan for dessert |
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| Wild boar stew |
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| Me and Vicky with her fabulous new glasses. |
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| Leaving the restaurant just after 9:00 p.m.-- totally full |
And so ends our first week in Málaga. We are looking forward to spending another week here before we head to Córdoba.
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