Malaga Spain - Part II

The time was around 4pm when I continued my walk to the other places around town area...

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Standing at the Cathedral, there are at least 3 ways I could go. I choose the straight way, because I didn't want to get lost.

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Yeah, that's the straight way I moved forward...

Not long later, I realized the straight way is not really a straight way...I will always bend from one end to the other, as shown in the picture above. Well, whatever, just got to follow the flow.

Feeling a bit hungry, but I decided to walk a bit longer before settling down at one of the street restaurant for dinner.

And I wanted to order Paella, one of Spain's signature dish.

There are many street's cafe along this narrow street.

How I wish husband can be here, walking with me...it's true good things need to be share with the love one.

OK, if this seat was not taken by the time I walked back, I would take it. (Too bad it wasn't available by the time I walked back later)

The building on the right hand side looks nothing too special from the others, but it isn't ordinary building, it's Picasso Museum.

Malaga was the birth place of Pablo Picasso, one of the most famous artists in 20th century. So it's fitting that the city should have a museum about its most famous son.

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The people of Malaga are proud of the fact that Picasso was born here and it was a big day when the King and Queen of Spain inaugurated the Museo Picasso (Picasso Museum) on the 27th October 2003.

There were not too many people walking here, perhaps that day was not a weekend? Anyway, I like it, cause I didn't need to shovel in the crowds.

I wanted to buy one for myself too. But I waited for about 2 min, still it's not my turn yet, so I quited.

Anyway, the weather was a bit cold for me to eat ice cream.

The wooden door doesn't look very friendly to me. It means : get away from me...

Many shops here seem to be a supporter for energy-saving. The inside is usually so dark that I don't know what they are selling in there, unless I peeped from the door step, and that made me look weirds.

About 20 minutes later, suddenly the narrow street that I was walking on ended here...

At my right hand side, it's the Alcazaba stands on a hill within the city of Málaga. Originally, the Alcazaba monument defended the city from the incursions of pirates. Later, in the mid-11th century, it was completely rebuilt, by the Hammudid dynasty.

La Alcazaba is a military fortress built by the Moors in the 11th century on the remains of a Roman fortress. The fortress lies on a hilltop with a good view over the town and sea and originally consisted of 3 protecting walls (only 2 still remain), more than 100 towers and an upper section with a residential area, including 3 palaces.

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I estimated I would need to walk at least 20-30 minutes to go up there. Since the time was getting late, I gave up the idea to visit the ALcazaba. Instead, I would listen to the advice from my trip manager, that I should go back to my hotel before 7 pm, cause it's not very safe to wander in Spain at night time, alone.

Ok, I should walk back to Museo Picasso Malaga...

This is the only Chinese Restaurant I've seen thus far. Normally, I don't prefer to go for Chinese foods when I was in overseas, cause the so-called Chinese foods are not authentic and the price is usually higher if compared to local foods.

Emm....that street doesn't look familiar to me.

I'm sure I didn't pass through this just now...

That doesn't look like a place for tourists...

I remember what SY said when she saw the photos I've posted in my previous entry, Malaga-Part I. She said everything I've seen was like a fairy tale. SY, does this place still look like a fairy tale to you?

Gosh, I got to admit that I've lost !!

I simply walked around and bumped into this building not long later, which I think is a theater house.

Ok, this road was blocked...

So, I should walked the other road instead...

Bumped into some sex shops along this street...

I was back to the stone I've met just now, this is the other side of it.

Ok, I think I better asked for help. The people in front was my target. As expected, they speak very little English. Luckily, I remember I still kept the Cathedral's catalogue with me. When I show that catalogue to them, everything was solved!

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So, I followed the way they point to me. And after some distance, I asked somebody again, and followed that new direction ...

Finally, I think I have returned to the tourist zone...

From here, people told me I was getting nearer to the Cathedral...

Feeling hungry, I bought a cone of nuts from him. The small cone cost €2. I didn't check the price for the medium and large one though. It's something like almond nuts, roasted with honey. Quite good!

Ok, finally I've found the cafe I wanted to take dinner at.

Unfortunately, the waitress told me the Paella was sold out. So, I ordered this curry chicken rice instead. It tasted ok, not spicy, but sweet & creamy with lots of coconut milk, I think.

After finished my meal, I went inside the restaurant to pay the bill, cause I didn't want to wait long for her to come to me. Poor her, she is the only waitress who seems to serve the whole restaurant.

Ok, just walked some more and I would see the Cathedral again.

They are very sensitive when I pointed my camere at them. Instantly, they gave me some nice shots, and I paid them some tips in return. Oh yes, they played their music very well, really professional.

I like the ambiance here, so I took a break and tried to register this place into my mind. I still remember this place vividly until today.

This is the bigger restaurant at that area. But not too many customers though.

Besides salads (ensaladas), I couldn't guess what's the other foods the restaurant offered?

Anyway, there are pictures to illustrate the menu. I heard that this kind of deep fried mix-fishes is very famous in Malaga. Too bad I was full !

The time was nearly 6 pm by then, I decided to go back to the hotel before the sky turned dark.

Furthermore, I have 2 appointments in the next day. So, I better went back early to prepare myself for the meeting too.

So long Malaga. I don't know if I will have the chance to visit this place again in the future.

I woke up at around 7 am in the next morning (Thank God the mild diarrhea problem I was having the night before has gone.)

After taking a simple breakfast at the train station, I started work. My original plan was to go to Campanillas by train, then hired a taxi to go to the customer site. This would save a lot.

However, the train didn't come as expected. After waiting for 20 min long, I felt that something was not right. I asked the only pessenger who were waiting there, an old lady, when the train would come, but to no avail. We are like chicken-and-duck. Anyway, though she speaks zero English, she is very chatty. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any information from her.

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I searched around the terminal and finally saw the time table. Aha...the train would only came at 9.40 am (the previous one came at 8.40 am), another 40 minutes to go. Since I have very tight schedule on that day, I couldn't afford any delay. So, I rushed to the exit and hired a taxi instead. Finally, I arrived at my customer site on time, at 9.30am. Whew...

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The 1st customer gave me some shocking news, that his company is going to shut down around June, this year. So, there would be no business opportunity between us. He said he has been working for the company for more than 22 years, that he is sad things got to be ended this way. He told me the economy situation in Spain is not going to be recoverd, as other countries will. With unemployment rate as high as 20%, the only 2 industries that considered ok are tourism and construction. As for the production industries, they are struggling....I felt rather sad to hear his hopeless remarks about his country.

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The condition of the 2nd customer is not any better too. He told me he is working hard to find a way to survive in the market. And he has very high hope over the new projects that he had just ventured in. Gosh, that really doesn't sound very promising to me.
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Anyway, life goes on...I got to move on too. At 2.15 pm, I continued my journey to Madrid by taking this fast train. The whole journey will take 2.5 hours. *

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The landscape out there is not interesting. Most of the lands are either idle or abandoned, though some of the lands are covered with plantation. In order to kill time, I typed the reports in regards of the 2 customers that I've just visited.

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The guy who sat next to me seem curious on my doing. He asked me some questions, and there we started the conversation. Although he speaks very little English, he is very chatty too (In general, I find that Spain people can be very chatty). Out of so many things that he's tried to tell me, I could only absorb 50%.

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But one thing I've got him clearly, when he pointed at the rows of tree outside there, and proudly said those are olive trees. Yeah, there is always hope...don't give up.

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