Nov 01.2009 - Málaga, Spain

DKP : Málaga, the 5th largest city in Spain, is perched on the famed Costa del Sol north of the cities where the über rich take their sun and take their time spending their money from their private yachts and helipads in Marbella and Puerto Banús. The euros flow at Monte Carlo level on this sunny coast of España, which in turns attracts the syndicates... Russians, Italians, Irish... you see, Spain doesn't extradite - you get the point.

However, Málaga is a cultural mecca in the midst of the excess and the sunny beaches of tanned high-rollers. With a metro population of approx 1 million, it ranks as the 5th largest city in Spain. It is surrounded by mountains lying in the southerm base of the Axarquixa hills and two rivers, the Guadalmedia on it's left bank and the Guadalhorce flow near the city into the Mediterannean.

The Phonecians founded the city around 1000 BC. The name Malaka is probably derived from the Phoenician for salt because fish was salted near the harbor. About 7 centuries later, Romans conquered the city along with the other Spanish areas of Carthago. From the 5th century AD, it was under the rule of the Visigoths. In the 8th century, Spain was conquered by the Moors, and the city became and important center for trade.

Málaga was first a possession of the Caliphate of Cordoba. After the fall of the Umayyaad dynasty, it became the capital of a distinct kingdom, dependent on Granada. At a late stage of the reconquista, the reconquering of Spain, Málaga became Christian again in 1487.

To me Spain is a very interesting country in Europe because of it's unsettled history. You can see the influence from all of these different groups as you travel the cities and countryside, which gives me a sense of discovery of itself. The various landscapes along the coasts and inland are very similar to that of California and both share a sense of adventure in their own self discovery.

Spain seems to also serve as the vacation country to the rest of the European Union. Travelers come from all over the world to spend weeks and months at a time here. Prices are notably cheaper compared to others in Western Europe, plus the diversity provides constant regions to explore.

I look forward to spending more time in Spain in the future in whatever capacity. There is just too much to experience with only a short visit but we are still grateful for the opportunity to walk the street taking the shots, catching the different architectural styles, colors, materials eating fresh marcona almods as we go... lingering in an outdoor restaurant for a lunch of melted goat cheese, bread, spinach soup and local cerveza.

We ended the day relaxing on the beach near the ship, skipping stones into the calm Mediterannean while waiting for our friend Martina to skate around the coast. Something I longed to do this trip, skate my way through Europe... but due to a recent shoulder injury prevents me from doing so. So, this only means, that I will have to come back when I am ready to do it again :-)