Spain: The Ultimate Travel Experience

BY RICHARD STEARNS

I have always been attracted to travel. See The World!! I started my travel at a young age with cut out photos for what was to become my bucket list.

Being a designer and importer traveling the world in search of products to import included working with the Ministry of Culture in the Forbidden City in China. I was immersed into the Chinese Culture far beyond a normal tourist’s experience and I never got over it. That only encouraged me to see and do more. I have been very lucky in that regard and I have managed to make my original bucket list dwindle considerably. But, a new bucket list seems to have more and more items on the agenda.

What’s next? A day here, maybe a few days there? How about a cruise to relax? Hmm……No, not this time. Instead my husband Graham Palmer Stearns rented a penthouse apartment in the Historic Center of Malaga, Spain for a whole month. This would be our attempt to immerse ourselves into the Spanish Culture.

As we walked into our apartment for the first time, floor to ceiling windows covered the entire south side of the apartment. The view was, quite simply, spectacular and breathtaking!! There, right before us, was a 400-year-old cathedral and an 800-year-old Moorish Castle to our left.

While we normally unpack first thing upon arrival somewhere, it wasn’t happening on this trip. In moments we were out the door and ready to explore our new city.

As we walked through the ancient streets and avenues you could, figuratively, feel the history of this ancient city just oozing from the buildings around us. Just a 10 minute walk from our apartment and we came upon an amphitheater which had been built by the Romans over 2000 years ago. It is still in use to this day. As we continued to wander we walked by the birthplace of Pablo Picasso with his statue sitting on a park bench just across the street.

During the next few weeks we would discover museum after museum throughout this amazing city. They contained artifacts that included African Art, ancient Spanish ruins and restored art treasures from Spanish and Moorish artists and, of course, religious art treasures dating back centuries.

Among the ancient discoveries were Roman Fish Basins where fish was salted and then sent throughout the Empire for sale and consumption. Malaga was a major trading port for the Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and Spanish for centuries. This was a favorite port for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Yes, they sent Christopher Columbus to discover the New World (The Americas).

Food it seems is always front and center in Spain whether you are shopping for it, preparing it, serving it or eating it. Every part of it in Spain is an adventure. Our trip to the market, Mercado de Atarazans, was a culinary delight for the eyes. A visual feast that didn’t stop from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. The market provides an overabundance of everything!! There is nothing in this market that is frozen or filled with preservatives. Everything is fresh, fresh, fresh. The fish has been caught in the morning and some of it is still alive and moving as you try to decide what you want. The meat selection and the choices of cuts and sizes are yours for the asking. Chanterelle mushrooms and black truffles sit in huge mounds just waiting to be selected. Fresh fruit is bounteous and the variety would satisfy anyone. Spices and Herbs are colorful and plentiful filling your nose with their rich and exotic scents. Hams, the pride of Spain, are proudly labeled with the name of the farm that produced them. They are whole and still “on the hoof,” hanging from hooks, sometimes hundreds of them, in grocery and specialty stores alike. All these hams are aged, spiced and prepared according to the region they are from (Jamon Iberico and Jamon Serrano are just two). Like wine, the price can be reasonable or very, very expensive. Sometimes, an exceptional ham can cost thousands of dollars.

Another new favorite for us was the locally produced Pâté. It was so fresh it simply melted in your mouth with flavors that exploded on your taste buds. It didn’t take us long to buy a different Pâté every trip and take it back for an hors d’oeuvre to delight in with a glass of sangria before going out to dinner.

We crisscrossed the city every day, averaging 8,000 to 12,000 steps, while always watching the visual kaleidoscope of people, shops and cafes. Even the strolling street performers were at times so good we wondered why they weren’t established as professionals.

We generally started out every morning without a plan except for breakfast. Our favorite place, we went there almost every day, had a waiter whose name was Pepe. He was truly one of those people who knew how to make the most of his job. He sang, he danced, and he would just shout out our order. Miraculously, the kitchen would hear him and our food would be delivered promptly and correctly. One day as we were coming up to the restaurant we noticed that Pepe wasn’t working. Instead of our usual breakfast, we took Pepe’s absence as a “sign” to go somewhere else. We ended up in a classic churro restaurant a few doors down and we had fresh deep-fried churros with a hot chocolate dipping sauce. Oh, YUM!!! We felt as though heaven had descended on us. What else do we need to say?

We would normally stop for our big Spanish meal of the day around two to three in the afternoon. We made it a point to try and go to a different restaurant every day to experience as much as we could of the regional foods. And, of course, a siesta always followed. Then in the early evening we would once again stroll out into the streets to experience the ever-exciting nightlife. After all, this is the home of the Flamenco!! Ole!! Returning to the apartment at the end of a full day of experiencing Malaga we would just have a light tapa while we watched the cathedral and the castle light up as the sun would set and call it a night. What a GREAT way to live.

Malaga sits on the Mediterranean Sea with beautiful, wide clean beaches. One beautiful sunny day we walked down to the beach, La Malagueta, rented a palapas (for shade), two chaises and we just laid by the sea and enjoyed the day to its utmost. We watched the sea as it rolled in and out with gentle waves. We watched the people as they sunned themselves and dove into the crystal blue water of the sea and frolicked by the shore. And then there was the food (there is always food).

The little seaside restaurants are plentiful and no matter which part of the beach you are on there is a restaurant close by. They all cook their food the same way, however. The seafood is skewered and cooked up against an open fire of old grapevine that gives it a wonderful flavor. With yet another pitcher of Sangria for refreshment you could hardly ask for a better or a more Spanish meal.

Another one of our favorite places to go during our walks was the park. It was just across the street from the seaport and stretched its entire length. The plants were established about 150 years ago and their massive size today proves it. There are Birds of Paradise, Palm Trees, fountains, ponds, and statuary throughout the entire park and it is always shady and cool as you walk through it. We enjoyed it so much that we managed to work it into our explorations every day, either coming from or going to our destinations. Along the edges of the park were horse drawn carriages that were available for rent. The horses had their manes and tails braided and the carriages were painted intricately.

After three weeks of history, museums, and festivals (one that featured over 100 decorated gypsy wagons going through the winding streets), the Procession of Victoria was even bigger. The Victoria Statue from the cathedral (The official name of the Cathedral of Malaga is the Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, but everyone calls it “La Manquita”) was moved to the outside (pictured above) to view the entire procession. The whole thing began at five in the afternoon and continued until three in the morning with music, dancing and fireworks. This unique festival brought 10 different Madonna’s from all different parts of the city for the elaborate procession. Each Madonna was dressed in robes that were richly brocaded. The platforms that held them were laden with candelabras made of gold and silver. Each of these platforms required approximately 300 men to carry them through the streets. I have never ever seen anything like this in my life and likely will never see another procession like it again. It was a once in a lifetime event. As it turns out, this entire religious festival was to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the crowning of the Patron Saint of Malaga.

As our time for leaving was coming upon us far too quickly we reserved a table at the charming restaurant, La Reserva del Olivo. We had walked by it several times and had mentioned each time that we should try and eat at this place. The second floor of the restaurant had three small terraces that opened onto the street in front of the restaurant. As luck would have it they put us in the middle terrace window and we had to pinch ourselves at the luck we were having. From our vantage point Malaga looked like a movie set. We reveled in watching everything below us as we enjoyed a magnificent dinner. The chef came out to meet us and we took our photo with him. He signed a menu for us and we thanked him as we left, walking into the setting sun and knowing our time in Spain had come to an end.

What I experienced in Spain for a month can provide, even late in life, a deeper appreciation of a different culture. By mingling with the locals and observing their way of doing things, it taught me we have more in common than we have differences.

Now, would we go back? Absolutely, without a doubt.

Viva España!