Renaissance of Malaga 2016 European Capital of Culture. Part2 of 2.

Nor will visitors be lacking in places to indulge in the more sybaritic pleasures of shopping and eating. On the east side of Malaga, between the Mediterranean coast line and Malaga International airport is many new building project on the way, new developments of apartments, villas, property`s and another massive new investment projects are the huge Guadalmar shopping complex beside IKEA, which will have a shopping area of 14,000 square metres with some of the biggest names in the retailing, such as Boulanger and Eroski; the amplification of Plaza Major with 58 shops and 900 parking spaces; the extension of the Vialia leisure centre to incorporate a Media Markt, specialising in computers and electrical appliances; the Cubica Car City chain which is moving to the San Julian area within a shopping centre covering 30,000 square metres; and the Andalucian Technological Park which is to have a shopping and restaurant mall and a 1,200- space underground car park.

Not only coming to Costa del Sol and visit the golf courses with the luxury villas around,, the lovely beaches along the coast line or the night life in Puerto Banus and Estepona.

The Museum Pablo Picasso Malaga.

Malaga`s new-found prosperity was undoubtedly kick-started by its most famous son. The Museum Picasso Malaga, opened by the King and Queen of Spain, had a catalytic effect on trade and tourism within the city, the attracting 1.4 million visitors in its first year. Before this auspicious event, most guide books damned the city with faint praise, the Rough Guide of 2003 described Malaga as “one of the poorest cities of Spain with grim clusters of high rises on the fringe”.

But the importance of the Picasso Museum was not lost on the Spanish national newspaper “El Pais” which commented: “The true significance is that, through some of his most intimate works belonging to his direct family, people will be able to rediscover Pablo Picasso where the story began – in his birthplace.” Housed in the 16th century Buenavista Palace, the permanent collection of 204 engravings, sculptures and paintings presents a didactic tour of Picasso`s different periods, from Blue and Rose to Cubism and beyond, while other of his world-famous works have been brought to Malaga for temporary exhibitions.

To complete the Picasso experience, visitors can also look round the house where he was born, which has been painted and furnished in the style of the period and displays all kinds of memorabilia, including the artist´s christening robes or walking down to the new port and see his inspiration of the sea.

Antonio Banderas, a proud son of Malaga.

Another son who has been instrumental in promoting Malaga through his art is the actor/director Antonio Banderas, who never misses an opportunity to praise the city where he first trod the boards. (He was famously arrested on several occasions for performing plays banned be Franco, causing much embarrassment to his father – a Guardia Civil officer.) Although more often seen in Hollywood than Malaga, (or in his villa in Elviria, Marbella) Banderas remains in touch with his roots and is a regular fixture in the Semana Santa processions while El Camino de los Ingleses, his 2006 film set in Malaga during the Franco years, was another valuable piece of “free advertising”

Malaga, a city of life –of living people.

However, if the rest of the world is discovering Malaga for the first time, discerning resident foreigners have long known of its attractions, and much of what makes it what it is today has nothing to do with EU funding or 10 year Tourism Plans. The writer Lorca described Malaga as his favourite town, and not without reason. For its broad sky and wide bay, encircled by mountains, the city has been compared in pulchritude to Naples.

Look up as you stroll through the tangled alleyways of the delightful historic district to see beautiful old façades from behind whose shuttered windows you can hear the sounds of families preparing lunch. This is a working, living city where old men doze on beaches and black-clad matrons haggle over fresh fish and lush tomatoes in the atmospheric Central Market - a shipyard until the 18th century when the sea lapped under its arched and fishermen sat along the south-facing wall casting their lines into the water.

Malaga Cathedral and the botanical garden.

The Cathedral, popularly known as the “la manquita” (the little one-armed lady) in reference to the fact that its second tower was never completed, is a hybrid of Gothic foundations. Renaissance walls and baroque decoration and just as worthy a place to ponder the vagaries of art as the Museo Picasso. The Paseo del Parque is another quirky treasure, part green space meeting place, part highway, starting at the roundabout presided over by a grinning statue of the Marquis of Larios who first mooted the idea of a botanical garden in the heart of the city.

Today, exotic plants burst through the asphalt, Mexican fan palms sway in front of the town hall as if practicing flamenco, plane trees blanket the road in cool shadow and jacaranda drop purple flowers onto the windscreens of inpatient motorists waiting at red lights. Five kilometres east of the centre, La Concepcion is another jewel, the most beautiful and important tropical garden in Spain created more than 150 years ago by a Marquis and now open to the public.

Malaga a town full of life and exotic atmosphere.

Back in the centre of town and down to the new docks, alleys lines with quaint Moroccan tea houses and dark, old-fashioned shops selling painted fans old property`s and glazed ceramics are eccentrically juxtaposed with parvenus like Zara on splendiferous, marble-flagged Calle Larios. Historic watering holes like El Pimpi, a rambling, barrel-lined bodega whose tobacco-coloured walls scream ambience, stubbornly continue to offer a different vibe to the trendy new bistros clustered around the Plaza de la Merced. Squeeze in past huge wooden barrels of sweet Malaga wine, bottled olives and displays of tapas worthy of a Picasso painting; slices of eggplant glistening with olive oil, tiny purple-shelled cockles still salty from the sea and juicy, char-grilled green peppers.

In Malaga today, you can put on your mountain bike gear and punt around the trendy stores, chi-chi restaurants and modern art installations on your Segway; or take the more traditional “shankses pony” around the favourite sights and finish up in a dusty venta where the serving of fresh fish baked in crusted sea salt is still an art. Watch crisp-aproned waiters expertly slicing off picas of fresh and flicking away the bones with a fork before laying the feast on your plate, plump and full of flavour. This is Malaga at its seductive best. And of all, now visitors have a choice.

 
Renaissance of Malaga 2016 European Capital of Culture. Part1 of 2.