Malaga, Spain

A short bus ride from Granada, lies the Spanish beach town of Malaga. I wouldn’t normally have visited (by the time I arrived, the popular annual fair was over), but my flight from Spain to Germany departs from Malaga, so I figured I’d spend my last few days in Europe relaxing near the beach and finishing up another book.

In Malaga, I stayed at Casa Babylon, which reminded me a lot of Rambutan in Granada. Babylon wasn’t as much like home, but it was home to a pair of fluffy sheep dogs who lounged everywhere and were favourites of many guests – even me, despite my usual aversion to pets.

The beaches near Malaga are all a bit sad because they’re littered with debris, most of which is human-generated plastic waste. Nonetheless, the beaches were far enough from the road that the offered a nice escape from the busy city center and were also lined by a lengthy boardwalk that was dotted with decent restaurants, many of which served fresh fish roasted over fires that smoldered in repurposed row boats.

Malaga’s main square was active at night, and I spent several late evenings wandering among tables, travelers and window shoppers with an Israeli who’d been planning a trip to Spain for years.

After a couple of relaxing days, I was ready for Africa. With my confirmed upgrade to business class on the Frankfurt-Johannesburg flight, I’m looking forward to getting some rest and experiencing some pampering at the hands of the capable Lufthansa staff. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to free drinks. :)