Hello blog fans! I've heard from some of you that you're having problems playing the videos in the previous post. I have had various techie problems uploading videos but have done all I can this end. I think the problem is the iPhone or, rather, its browser - Safari. For those of you reading on iPhones and iPads you may have better results using a regular PC or laptop (not sure that you can change browsers on iPhones?) Good luck and, hopefully, happy viewing!
Monday 14 April (Lunes Santo)
We were up a little later today after the excitement of Prendimiento. We thought we'd see to a couple of chores: Cathy needed a Microsim for her iPad so my techie Spanish was called upon plus a couple of groceries and a coffee. We headed to my favourite cafe/panaderia, Canasta, where Cathy recommended a Semana Santa speciality cake - torrijas - a light bread pudding type cake topped with cinnamon and sugar or honey - delicious - and works wonders on the blood sugar of the procession-weary! Also on offer were chocolate nazarenos - little triangular milk and white chocolate hooded characters - we resisted those though. Canasta is directly opposite the market and we were well placed for a peek at Malaga's bustling market - why are British markets are so lacklustre?
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| The wonderful market roof and stained glass |
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| The closest Las Rubias got to a date! |
And it wasn't long before we succumbed to the aroma of Malaga's speciality - fried fish - and were soon enjoying lunch at the fabulous market café/bar - Bar Atarazanas - which served up melt-in-the-mouth calamares (octopus) and shell-on gambas (prawns) - washed down with Cathy's usual Rioja Crianza while I tried a new white wine - Rueda - the perfect complement. We ambled through the streets and, unbelievably, Cathy was hungry again and stopped off at Quitapenas for a nibble!
I was roused from my reverie by the unmistakable sound of Semana Santa music at close quarters, this one was my favourite piece of music here to date and which I included on my "Semana Santa Malaga style" post so I won't include it here again. Then we spotted Mike and Frank and they invited us to their swish hotel for a drink on the roof terrace to take in the fabulous views.
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| The lovely Frank & Mike on the roof terrace, AC Palacio, Malaga |
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| The view across the harbour from the AC Palacio's roof terrace |
Then out for the evening via another Malaga institution - Bar Malaga - where we enjoyed a glass of wine before heading onto a tapas bar on Cathy's "must" list - Wendy Gamba which, from the name, you'll gather specialises in prawns and seafood with a contemporary twist. We enjoyed Rueda Churros de Gambas (a wheel shaped savoury doughnut filled with prawns) - yum! And then El Refectorium Catedral - a thoroughly elegant and modern tapas experience with excellent food, service and contemporary twists on traditional tapas - my enduring favourite is boquerones. We also loved this ornamental ostrich egg!
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| Elegant ornamentation at El Refectorium Catedral |
Mike and Frank had recommended we head to Plaza del Obispo, outside the Cathedral at midnight for a special concert given by the Cathedral's choir to serenade cofradia Estudiantes and the arrival of their tronos. Not many cofradías have two tronos so it is quite a spectacle when you see them. The paso had to negotiate the central fountain - all in a day's work for the amazing costaleros! Look at how close we were and the amazing detail on this trono:
And then back to the apartment via a couple of bars and we called it a day - but not before facetime with Janet - Cathy's partner in crime whom Mick and I met in Rioja last autumn. We missed you Janet - hopefully see you at the wine festival later this year!
Tuesday 15 April (Martes Santo)
After a quick call to Mum to wish her Happy Birthday it was a free morning as the processions don't start until the afternoon. Cathy wanted to visit San Juan de Bautista church (I think she was hoping to run into Antonio!) after which I fancied a wander around the harbour. We'd worked up a bit of an appetite so we fancied an early lunch and shoe-horned ourselves into the ever popular La Campana. We had a racion (slightly larger than a tapa) of adobo (dogfish in a marinated batter) - absolutely delicious - so fresh and tender - after which we spotted a free table at another restaurant on Cathy's 'must' list - Uvodoble and where I tried a sublime ajoblanco - a chilled, thick soup of garlic and almonds. We also ordered the award winning taco de pulpo y crema de puerro (octopus with creamed leeks) which sounded lovely but I was put off by the little suckers on the tentacles so Cathy obliged - over more wine of course!
Siesta time was followed by our last evening in my beloved Malaga. I head home tomorrow to move back into our house after a year's travel and Cathy moves onto Cadiz - I wish I was going with her but there's always next year! We'd arranged to have a drink with Mike and Frank but Antigua Casa de Guardia was off limits as a procession was passing and etiquette dictates you can't cross in front of the band and trono/paso. So onto Bar Malaga after which we wanted to see tronos for cofradías Pasión and Rescate. Mike and Frank had bagged a great spot from which to view the processions and so we took up our positions and we weren't disappointed as they were stunning. The first is Pasión's trono:
And here's Rescate's paso which is preceded by a saeta - a soloist serenade. This clip is quite 3-4 minutes but worth it - have you ever seen anything like it?! Guess what - techie problems again. Enjoy the rest of the post while I work on this last video which, hopefully, I'll bring to you shortly.
[video to follow (hopefully!)]
And then it was time for more tapas! We fancied another visit to Wendy Gamba as Cathy fancied the Tartar de Gambas (raw prawns served with trout roe). It was a racion (larger portion) so enough to share but, although I tried it, I didn't want too much of it. Instead, I sampled a lemon, garlic and soy marinated prawn brocheta (skewer) - with a glass of red Vermouth on tap - much like a sangria with that Vermouth kick.
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| Fliss at Wendy Gamba, next to the Vermouth taps! |
With all of Spain's wonderful wines I didn't realise that Malaga is known for its Vermouth - I really enjoyed it and will go back for some more. And we couldn't resist one last visit to Orellana which is the next bar along from Wendy Gamba - and it was six deep at the bar. We had solomillo (pork fillet) in whisky and a mini hamburger - they are all the rage at the moment - and we weren't disappointed. Our amazing waitress remembered our wine order from our first night here. Cathy, too, has experienced this in Sevilla and Cadiz - real customer service.
And that, sadly, brings us to the end of our time at Malaga's Semana Santa. I'm not sure how I'll structure my days without the familiar bells, music, processions, coffee and tapas. Mike has Semana Santa music on his iPhone - I think that's the way to go. And, of course, I'll start planning for next year's Semana Santa. Cathy is keen as are Mike & Frank, plus my friends from Estepona and Lingfield (UK), are looking at going, so lots to look forward to.
I hope you've enjoyed the Semana Santa posts and that they inspire you to experience it for yourself - it is truly remarkable - and moving. Whatever your faith, such devotion and open expression is an eye-opener for those living in increasingly politically-correct and secular countries.
So, I guess this pretty much marks the end of our adventure - and what an unforgettable year its been. Living on our lovely boat, the French canals, barges, locks galore, aqueducts, the might Saone and the majestic Rhone, the Med, new friends, great food and even better wine, the Toropiscine, sun, azure skies and - last but most definitely not the least - Spain and the Spanish - que bien!
There are a couple of additional bits of news: Mick is currently in Ibiza on a boys' weekend away - perhaps its their midlife crisis? We've also heard from Ken & Katie on Stardust that they're en route back through the canals - the Bourgougne/Champagne route this time northwards to Dunkirk. Alan & Carole on She's a B are currently in Holland and doing well - I think this is their 8th season in the European canal systems! We will be cruising in the French Med with Alan & Jaqui on Splodge later in the summer (can't wait for that!)
Finally, if you're wondering whether or not we sold our boat in France - the answer is 'non', not too disappointed as we'll get to enjoy her over the summer - when it arrives! We will be sailing Reward home from Dunkirk shortly so it isn't, just yet, the end of The Owl & Pussycat Diaries, so, until the final homecoming, over for now.
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