A Gringo in Spain
Written: Sep 03 '04 (Updated Sep 04 '04)
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Pros: Great food, warm weather, most modern conveniences
Cons: Hot weather, air conditioning rare, tough exchange rate
The Bottom Line: Andalucia is a great place to visit. Pull the cover back just a little to do some exploring and experience the culture and adventure of the South of Spain.
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| Mark_A.'s Full Review: Spain |
Dateline: Bar Azahares A neighborhood watering hole in the Mediterranean coastal community of Malaga, in the neighborhood of El Palo, on Avenida El Cano. My tour guide, not of the physical sort, but of the philosophical type, is Carlos, a fifty something Andaluz with the typical friendly disposition of the people of the region. Carlos, with in-laws of the British persuasion, has a unique and captivating ability to gerrymander through the maze of cultural and historical influences that has brought his patrimony to the place where it now stands. It may seem overly simple comparing the complexities of modern life to, say, an olive, or for that matter, the utter durability of Roman aqueducts, but for Carlos, always looking over the brim of his glasses, it happens with uncommon elegance. Bar Azahares serves as my reporting point after my several excursions that I made while a guest in Malaga. It seems that sometimes my appearance there after a foray was more enjoyable than the foray itself.
What brought me to Malaga? I was the fortunate recipient of a trip to the south of Spain because my vocation requires a working knowledge of conversational Spanish. What luck, my employer sent me on a four week long language training excursion with the side benefit of familiarizing myself with the Spanish culture. Four weeks is, of course, not quite long enough to become perfectly versed in the local ways, but it is long enough for a good introduction, and it also served to allow me to become oriented with the local geography, both urban and rural.
In this review I intend to talk a little about what I learned of the geography and Spanish culture in the region where I stayed, and less about things like hotels or other requirements of the tourist.
One thing that struck me about Malaga and the surrounding areas is the history that is there to explore in its architecture and archaeology. The city was originally founded by the Phoenicians, and was also inhabited by people from Carthage, the Romans, and the Moors, and was to be eventually conquered by the Catholic Kings way back in the days of Christopher Columbus. Andalucia is full of relics, like Roman aqueducts, ancient mosques and castles of the sultans, later to house cathedrals and Spanish royalty. Get out and see the history, and bring along an excellent camera to document all the wonders you will find.
Equally interesting are the typical Andalucian “pueblos blancos”. These small towns are usually surrounded by olive groves, a principal crop, with whitewashed buildings bleached by the Mediterranean sun. They feature tiny streets with secret alcoves and over the street buildings are fascinating for anyone that lives in an American suburb. It doesn't take much of a stretch to relate this style or architecture to what you might find in Mexico and the American Southwest, with those styles of architecture drawing influence from the motherland. Estepa is a good example of an inland Spanish pueblo town.
Famous Malagans. Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso (born near Plaza de la Merced, easily accessible from the city center), and even though Picasso did most of his living in France, it is well worth the money to see the museum that is his namesake. You can say one thing about Pablo, he liked his models to be two things: naked, and female! He also liked to sit around with no shirt on. Que Medeterraneo! Malaga lays claim to the very famous Antonio Banderas, and most Malaguenos are rightfully proud of his success.
Downtown Malaga. The principal street in downtown Malaga is Calle Larios, which is a pedestrian thoroughfare, and is well worth the visit. There is plenty of shopping and cafes in this area, with no shortage of things to spend your money on. Near the end of this street towards the port is the central bus stop area, where all lines pull through. Bus service in the city is very good, with clean, modern buses, and plenty of capacity. I recommend getting a “tarjeta bus” or bus card, available at the local estancas, or tobacco shops. Bus fare one way is .85 Euro, or about a dollar.
Do see the cathedrals of the region. Even if you are not catholic, the cathedrals of Sevilla, Malaga and Cordoba are worth the trip. If you have never stepped foot in a gothic cathedral, the one is Seville will take your breath away. The grandeur and splendor endures, and accoutrements and altars and art are a testament to considerable economic might of the Vatican, and highlight its legacy of political and diplomatic power while aligned with the Catholic courts of old Europe. Malaga’s cathedral is the much younger brother to that in Sevilla, and is called “La Manquita” because only one of its planned two towers was completed. There are legends about why the second tower was not completed, my favorite one states that the money intended for the tower was sent to the United States to help fund our revolution. The cathedral of Cordoba is noteworthy because it was built in the midst of a giant mosque. It is interesting to see that juxtaposition, for the Muslims are prohibited from worshipping idols or symbols, and the Christians really liked saints and virgins and images of angels, etc. A mosque is always very ornate, but without any images to speak of.
A word about the exchange rate. Right now our dollar takes a pretty good beating to the Euro, so our money spends only OK in Spain. I stayed away from high-dollar items because I found them expensive. Avoid changing your cash, and instead get Euros from a local ATM or buy things with your credit card to ensure the most advantageous exchange rate. If you enjoy vacationing where there are few Americans, you might like Malaga, because it is expensive by our standards, so we are there is small numbers. Of course other Europeans don’t have the same problem, they actually find Spain very inexpensive. For that reason you will bump into plenty of Brits or Germans. In many parts of the Costa del Sol, the Brits are moving in and buying real estate, and you can see their influence in those places.
The beaches of the region. I understand the allure of the beaches for Europeans who yearn for the warmth and the seaside environment, still, I find little to crow about the state of the beaches in southern Spain. As a person who was raised in Florida, a place where it is still possible to find unspoiled and un-crowded miles of white sand against ultramarine blues and greens (hint: upper gulf coast), I am ambivalent to the beaches in Malaga and to those of the surrounding coastal areas. At the height of the tourist season, the beaches are at best crowded, and are at worse dirty, littered and unkempt. The sand is dark and dusty, and offers more of a dirty sensation than the sands of white beaches. The water may be replete with floating trash, and the surroundings of any highly visited beach will surely be overcome with refuse which municipalities struggle to collect (some towns have skimmer skiffs to pick up floating trash on a daily basis). If you are particular about your beaches, may I suggest something away from the densely populated areas, like Nerja, a beach that is tiny, with clean water and sand, and parted by the impressive Balcon de Europa. Nerja is highly visited, but still very nice by any standard.
The regions of Spain are varied and individual, from Pais Basco, in the North to Andalucia in the South with everything else in between. Malaga is an Andalucian city, and the residents there are known as Andaluces. The Andalucians are happy, friendly, and the keepers of the siesta. The siesta is firmly in place in Malaga, so schedule your activities accordingly. The best thing I found to do was play along. I became pretty used to a nice rest at around four in the afternoon.
Do You Truly Want to Know Andalucia? If you answer yes to this question there are some places you may wish to avoid. Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Mijas Costa, Malaga Oeste are just some to name a few, and the reason is because they cater almost exclusively to the tourist. As a matter of fact, in a couple of those places it is difficult to even find a Spaniard! Still, if your motivation is beach going and tourism, then by all means go to the touristy spots. If you want to know more about the country, the culture and things like the cuisine, you may wish to strike out a bit farther than the tourist zones.
The way of the Andaluz. Let me say that I am not an anthropologist, and these notes are merely some observations that I made in relation to that which I have experienced elsewhere. The typical Andaluz is urbanized, yet may not prefer air conditioning. For that matter, if you strike deep into the heart of Andalucia, away from tourist areas, you may find your hotel room lacking "climatizacion". This is not a terrible thing, but something you have to be (mentally) ready for. The Andaluz lives life outside. You will find them at ice cream stands, at chiringuitos (small beachside restaurants that serve local specialties like sardinas al espeto and the ever famous boquerones) and at bars and cafes. Late into the summer night the streets are teeming with people. Whole families, with the kids, will be out well after midnight. People will ride around on the ubiquitous “moto” or scooters. People can be seen walking their dogs. Grandma will be with them. The extended family is still strong here. Nighttime is the right time, and that has a lot to do with the temperatures during the day. They don't sleep any less than other cultures, they are just active at different times of the day.
Bar Centro and the Olyimpics: A funny thing happened to us at Bar Centro, a completely charming bar/cafe with a cozy, vine covered terraza outside and cozy, pub-like inside. While Spain’s athletes would compete, we Americans would naturally root for them, because we like sports and we like the home team as a general rule. The Spaniards would get some laughs out of that, because they took a less involved, more leisurely stance about the competition. A gentleman there commented to me that he found it interesting that we liked to watch and root so much. I asked him if he did as well. He told me not so much, that it really didn't matter to him that much. The Spanish television really focused on the Spanish athletes and teams, so we had a hard time finding out how the good ole’ USA was fairing unless we picked up a print newspaper.
The Bulls: I learned about the corridas. The corrida was explained to me in great detail, and I learned its relationship with the culture. It is something that really can not be explained with words, and I respect the ritual. Bullfighting is a lingering connection to the past and an important cultural activity. Bull language (words and phrases that concern bullfighting but are now used in common language) attests to how engrained this custom is. The bulls also bring the magic of the Spainish lucky number of three, for the corrida runs in "tercios". Three is a very sacred number for the Spanish. Three rings in which to torrear, three periods of the corrida. The corrida also brings to mind the rule of the public, or true democracy, if you will. A rowdy crowd might very well overwhelm the nit-picky nature of a President of the Corrida, and their torreador will receive the bull's ear no matter what protest the president presents. Attempting to trump the public is bad religion indeed.
Wanna Drink? Try a Ginebra Larios: or a vino Jerez. Philosopher Carlos would pass me the drinks of his region, complete with a full explanation of its heredity and importance along with a good dose of converstaion. Have a beer at noon or at ten if you like. If you would like a brandy for breakfeast, I don't have any problem with that. Now, understand it is in bad form to get all liquored up at any hour, but they don't have the stigma about drinking that you might find in the states. There is no light beer in Spain it seems, and there is also the beer named for a saint, San Miguel, so feel free to drink that whenever you like, it was named for a saint, so it can't be bad!
La Comida y ls Siesta: The siesta is a alive and well, and most Spaniards in the service industry do not work the jornada intensive, or uninterrupted shift like we do. In other words, if you go looking to eat at the wrong time, you are going to go hungry or walk a couple of kilometers until you find a place that is serving food. My advice: eat when they do. Breakfast, some toast and perhaps jelly or olive oil and a coffee with milk. The comida is the big meal served more or less mid-afternoon and precedes the siesta. La merienda is the afternoon food, or tea, and the cena comes late. I mean late. If you go out to eat before ten, the pickings will be slim, because no places will be ready to serve you. You can throw down on a big dinner, but if you do, go light on the midday meal. We ate at one restaraunt that is owned by one of my Spanish acquaintance’s sister. We had ensalada mixta, gambas a la plancha (beautiful shrimp I might add), Jamon "pata negra", pulpo Gallego, calamares fritos, Ribiera wine, a wonderful steak (entrecot, or ribeye). By the time we were through, we were stuffed and half in the bag. Not a bad outcome!
At another restaurant high in the hills outside of Malaga, we ate the Plato de la Montan~a, but my Spanish friend told me not to get it served “a lo bestia” or the extra large plate. It came with traditional chorizo, a big chunk of roast pork, two fried eggs, fried potatoes and bread. Of course we washed it all down with beers. I’m glad I didn’t order the extra large plate, holy cow!
Quirks? Ice cubes are at a premium, and if you order a soda, you will probably get a six-ounce bottle with a glass with a piece or two of ice. I think most small establishments buy cube ice rather than make it on sight like we do. Coke will cost more than beer. Soda-fountain drinks have not caught on there. If you order water, you will get one without fizz unless you ask otherwise. You will also probably be charged for bread, which is served with every meal. Bread costs anywhere from a Euro to a couple of three Euros. Still, dining in Spain is not crazy expensive. It is usually quite a fair deal. If you rent a room, you will probably be charged in advance. Another quirk is the sidewalks. In Spain they like their sidewalks a little more ornate, so many are covered in a native tile, which is very attractive, but can be slippery when wet. Also, it is important to watch where you step. I saw a couple of places on the sidewalk where a metal pole had once stood, but had been cut off and the remainder of the pole jutted out, waiting for someone to trip on it. Another common quirk is the breaking of bills. Don't be surprised if even a chain department store does not want to break your fifty Euro bill, and don't be surprised if they ask your for coins to make their giving your change back easier for them. Small businesses might have real trouble breaking your bills, and will just assume let you pass by than let you drain the till. Lesson: carry plenty of change and small bills if you can get them.
Security: The part of Spain that I visited seemed very secure; you could walk the streets at most hours and feel safe. Property crime is a problem, so securing your belongings is up to you. It is almost like you are blamed for the loss of an item you didn’t properly secure, which would explain bars on windows. Parts of the city reminded very much of other cities that I have visited in Latin America, but in Spain they are safer, Buenos Aires would be an example of a city reminiscent of Malaga.
Driving in Spain: Driving in Spain is not as bad as it would seem, and their road system is modern and well marked. I found the autovias, much like our insterstate highways, to be excellent. Some people drive very fast, and traffic enforcement seems lax at best. Even the autovias are not patrolled, so smoke ‘em if you got ‘em! The Spanish like traffic circles, which can be a little intimidating if you are not used to them, but once you get accustomedto them, you won’t want to go back to intersections. Cars run the gambut, but are generally smaller than our huge cars in the states. Rich people have big cars, most people have smaller cars. There are lots of brands are on the road there that you won't see here, like Fiat, Seat, Skoda, Lada, Citroen, etc. Pick-up trucks have not caught on.
Step In: Step into the little places, the bar/cafes that are in the neighborhood. You will meet the local people and get a great feel for who they are and what they stand for. The Adalucians are very, very friendly as a rule. The month I spent in Spain was very enjoyable on that level. Some of the most fun I had was meeting the locals, and it may seem intimidating at first, but if you speak some Castellano, give it a try.
A visit to Andalucia is definitely worth the trouble. You can witness the influence of centuries of history, sample the wonderful cuisine like the tortilla espanola or paella, and you can have a beach holiday to boot. Work hard to get good prices and you will not be disappointed. I give Andalucia a hearty recommendation.
Recommended
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Mark_A.
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Member: Mark A
Location: Schauerberg, Germany
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 74 members
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The time will come when we are no more, so let's just eat some BBQ...
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