Malaga

 Ok, so Malaga gets a bit of a bad rep for being a party city full of drunks Brits and badly tanned northern Europeans having their first holidays abroad. Hence why I just passed through, visiting Malaga as a day trip.

I kind of now wish Id had more time there. Yes it is true to it's stereotype, as the drunk scouters at lunch showed me, but its also actually a really nice place. It feels clean, welcoming and has quite a lot to do there. So it's definitely somewhere I am going to return to.

The highlight for me was the Alcazaba. While it's never going to be as good as the Alhambra, it was really delightful and was a great experience. I'd advise getting there early, as it gets very, very busy. It also got some beautiful Islamic arches, and the whole mixtures of architecture and different materials used for building gives it a slight unfinished, but equally interesting vibe. Also the sound of running & trickling water through the gardens and courtyards is very relaxing (although also makes you need the toilet too)

I would love to have one of these arches and the reflecting pool in the garden, but alas, I don't think it would fit! Shame.

But if you're looking for something a little quieter and less crowded, its worth heading over the to the roman theatre. I went in the afternoon and I was one of about 3 people there! There's also a fun little market just next to it, where I treated myself to some delicious Spanish pastries for dinner!

I finished the day with a quick scoot through the Museum Of Malaga, it was free entry, so I didnt feel so guilty about only spending a quick hour there before I had to catch the bus to Cordoba, but there was definitly some more to see there. The highlight were these beautiful bowls and a really interesting piece of art combining all the flags of the former Soviet Union, which I'd not seen anything like before. 

So it was a whistle stop tour of Malaga, but I will definetly return one day! But next stop was Cordoba, a place I'd heard so much about!