Yesterday morning, I walked around the cobblestone streets of Málaga and found a café for breakfast. The bocadillo (sandwich) menu had a list of names such as Sevilla, Nueva York, etc. which weren't very helpful so I flipped over to the English translation to find 'Seville Sandwich' and 'New York Sandwich' haha. In the end, I ordered the Zurrapa which was an Andalucía frayed pork with paprika - it was very good.
Then, we joined the 11am free walking tour with Explora Malaga at the Plaza de Constitución, which was really insightful (even though it's technically free, make sure to bring some cash to pay the tour guide afterwards). We walked past La Manquita ('one-armed lady'), which is the nickname for the cathedral in Málaga as it was never finished and therefore, only has one tower. We also saw the birthplace of Picasso and the Roman amphitheatre - below the Alzacaba (Moorish wall) - that was discovered accidentally when digging in 1951.
Later, I explored the suburb of Lagunilla - famous for street art - with a Dutch girl from the hostel.
Before I caught the bus back to school, I had seafood for lunch with a British guy from the hostel at the Atarzanas Markets and then went to the Antigua Casa de Guardia. This is Málaga's most iconic bar (although, it was relatively low-key) where you can order famous sweet wine from barrels from waiters dressed in white jackets who chalk down your talley on the bar, then rub it out when you leave. They also have dry wines and vermouth (which is hugely popular in Spain). I tried Moscatel (fortified wine), Vermut, and Pajarete (a sherry-like drink). It is very cheap, so make sure to leave a tip if you want to hear them ring the bell!
Finally, I had my first proper day at school! I attended two classes where I gave powerpoint presentations on myself and Australia. As I'm teaching at an adult language school, my students range from 16 to 60 years old. And although they recognised the name Sydney and a photo of the Opera House, none of them were able to name any other places in Australia.
Notes:
- I've referenced the orange trees that line the streets of Andalucía many times already and although, it is legal to pick them, no one does because of their bitterness. To tell if an orange tree is sweet or bitter, look at the leaves. If there is only one, it will be sweet, and if there is a smaller second one closer to the stem, then it will be bitter (see pic).
- I also learned that the Spanish translation of 'break a leg', for good luck, is mucha merda ('lots of shit') which can be traced back to the horses that are waiting outside for the theatre guests, and therefore, the longer they stay and watch your performance, the more poo there'll be on the streets!
- I would have liked to have visited some museums here, however, as it was a Monday, and nearly all of them were closed!
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