Malaga

I slept until noon!! Bad form for the first day...
After a breakfast of cafe au lait and a ham and cheese sandwich, I started walking. It's quite a beautiful city and very easy to get around. The weather is perfect == around the mid 60sF (15C) and blue skies. I made it to the Cathedral, the Roman ruins and the birthplace of Picasso, which is a museum now with photos of him as a child and some furniture from back when he lived there. Because I started out so late, I missed out on some shopping because the stores close between 2 to 5 PM, but I did manage to find a scarf (I left mine in the car...).

I had a coffee in a cafe around 2:30 and was soon surrounded by ladies. It started with 3, then 2 more, then 3 more -- all so happy to see each other, chatting away all together. I caught some words -- ninos, carne (?) and mi amore -- but it was hard to hear anyone with them all talking at the same time. 3 more ladies showed up and they all went inside for a meal. I love moments like that.
I started at the Museo Picasso, only opened since 2003. A lot of the family donated their personal art works and pottery. It's housed in an old palace and in the basement are ruins of the old Phoenician city walls. The artworks are amazing, even though I'm not a huge fan of the artist.

Day 2: I found my way to the next museum -- the Museo Carmen Thyssen. This is the big art museum in Malaga, with works from the 1200's up through the Abstract style. There are a lot of early Spanish artists on display -- several scenes of Spanish life and lots of lovely women with the tiniest feet you've every seen. This museum is also in an old palace with each floor showing a particular era of art. On the top floor was the special exhibit of Impressionists. I don't know why, but the Impressionists always make me smile. Manet, Courbet, Sisley, Monet -- just beautiful!! I stopped in the Museo Cafe for some lunch -- a couple of tapas dishes and a Coke for 6 euros. Yum!

I had gone online to search for yarn stores (of course!) and found a couple in the old town and, in my broken Spanish, managed to buy some yarn!! (I know you're not surprised...) I also needed a stitch marker and could not figure out how to say it. Another lady at the counter helped me out, but they didn't have any in the shop. (By the way, it is marcador de punto.)

By then, it was starting to get dark and cold. I stopped at Taormina Gelatoria for ice cream and a coffee. Great way to end the day. I still get lost a bit, but it's a very manageable place. There is an off and on tour bus, but I haven't found the need to use it!