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Andalucía 6/21

June 2021
A slow travel trip to three favorite Spanish cities. Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    1
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    Day 11

    Good day in Malaga

    June 26, 2021 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    While Joe slept in, I had time to buy some of the required stuff — olive oil, smoked paprika, and Manchego cheese. The huge municipal market is thrivng, in spite of the chain supermarkets not far away. It has a pretty impressive 14th century door that used to be part of a Moorish home. The old part of Málaga is really charming!

    After another café breakfast (this will be a part of the day I will dearly miss), we headed out to the airport for our pre-return Covid test. Everyone entering the US must have a negative test result from within three days of departure. We probably could have gotten a test in town, but I made the reservation for this test soon after Spain opened up for us, and I thought it would probably be less risky than finding some random lab somewhere in town. At the airport, the line for the test snaked around the airport, but a second window for those with reservations had no line, and that was our window! They did one of those painful nose swabs, which I have never had. Though I’ve probably had more than 200 covid tests, they have all been saliva, and I am now very thankful of that! We will get our results tomorrow, fingers crossed!

    Walking around town we saw the beautiful old customs building with a museum inside, so in we went. After lunch, Joe went to nap, and I headed up to the castle, which overlooks the Moorish fortress, which overlooks the Roman theater. The views from way up there were very nice.

    Our best meal so far in Malaga —La Barra de Zapata.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    1
    2
    Day 12

    Moors, Romans, and almost Picasso

    June 27, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I did a quick walk up to the top of the hill again, to see things in the morning light. Then back to the hotel to pick up Joe. We had the best coffee of our trip so far. Then we headed up to the 13C Moorish Alcazaba. Not as spectacular as the Alhambra, but we enjoyed it a lot. Lots of those beautiful horseshoe arches and patios full of water and flowers, all hidden behind austere walls.

    The Roman theater was next and even though you can see most of it from the adjacent plaza, how can you pass up a chance to climb around a Roman theater?

    Lunch was a repeat visit to the really refreshing Avo. It’s a restaurant run by two young Germans (?) and their food is fresh and good.

    We had planned to go to the Picasso museum after lunch, but saw a huge line and learned that it’s free admission on Sunday afternoons. Luckily it’s open on Monday, so that will give us something to do on our last day.

    So plan B was a long walk along the quay and then along the beach. Late (for us) dinner at Gusto for good pizza. And jump for joy — our Covid tests came back negative so we can return home as planned.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    4
    Day 13

    Last Day in Spain

    June 28, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Another early morning walk. The city was still sleeping on Monday morning. As was Joe. But I made it back up the hill to the castle for my last views down on the city and the Alcazaba.

    There were only two things on the agenda. Picasso museum snd grandkids t-shirts. Why didn’t I get them earlier? Many of the touristy souvenir shops seem to be closed.

    Today is really the first hot day we’ve had. High in lower 90s. Till now, nights and early mornings have been sweater weather, so we are very grateful. I think our laziness today is a combination of heat and tourism saturation. Between 11 and 5 we spent a total of about three and a half hours sitting in different cafes!

    The Picasso museum is in a beautiful old residence and everything is very nicely displayed. Our guidebook says it houses all of Picasso’s “unsaleable stuff.” I thought anything by Picasso would be sale-able. I especially liked his sculpture of a warrior’s head —it reminded me of a 700 BC Phoenician helmet I had seen in the Malaga Museum.

    I am tired of restaurants. Home tomorrow. Usually I don’t write anything about our travel day home, but I know some of my friends are very interested to see how re-entry to the US goes. Going through immigration in Chicago is usually unpleasant even without Covid. So I don’t have much hope for a painless process.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsAndalucía 6/21
    Day 14

    Made it to O’Hare

    June 29, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I am not really sure how the airlines allow people to buy a ticket with a 50 minute connection between our arrival into Madrid from Málaga and our flight out of Madrid to Chicago. Get off the plane, get to the train to get out to the international terminal, get off the train, go through Immigration, get to your gate. It was a bit much. I am definitely going to pay attention to my connection times more in the future, especially now that I sit here in O’Hare with a four hour layover!

    I think part of the problem with my bad connections is the reduced flight schedule, though things are definitely picking up. O’Hare is mobbed, seems like it is back to normal. But the Iberia flight was only about 20% full, I would guess.

    At several points along the way today, we were asked to show our covid test results or sign an affirmation that we had been vaccinated and/or had taken a covid test. Because the numbers of international travelers are so low, there wasn’t much of a wait at O’Hare — in fact, it was the quickest trip through immigration I can remember. They have removed all of the many touch screen automated immigration machines, though, maybe because of covid. So if numbers pick up, the waits could get much longer.

    So ends our trip to Spain. If you are vaccinated and want to go to Spain, my advice is to GO if you are vaccinated. No hassles getting in, just fill out a form with your vaccination data. Coming back home, you need a covid test, but there are many places to do it and it is quite easily arranged, There were a few things closed because of covid, but the absence of the group tour buses really makes being a tourist much more fun.

    I’m glad to be going home, but I have to admit I am starting to dream about the next trip!    Read more

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