The placards are not against the wall.

 Why change a happy format.  Since half way through Blighty we have had route and photos along route.  Today it is more a case of snaps from the castle till we get down out of the castle. 



Enter Malaga Castle.  Well, we will enter Malaga castle by nipping down to the lift at the foot of the castle and whizzing straight to the top.  Welcome to the Alcazaba of Malaga. It is, yes, let us use the word, a splendid castle complex on top of the cliffs, over looking the gleaming med.  It was begun in the early 11th century and it was added to across the century. It got a major rebuild under Nasrid emir, Muhammad II, who upped the palace quotient at the top.  On 6th May 1487 the Army of Castile arrived, with cannons, and began a siege. On 18th August the place fell.  By the 18th century its function as a military post ceased and people lived in it.  That all ended in 1933 when it was taken back, archaeologised and generally restored - although with the sort of barriers which will always worry a dad with an adventurous boy.

Above the castle, atop the hill, is the Gibralfaro. It is connected to the castle by a walled corridor. The website gives a nice aerial view https://www.alcazabamalaga.com/gibralfaro-caste/ It reckons most of the current structure was constructed by Yusuf I in 1340. 

The elegant Islamic style palace at the top has all you would want in terms of arches and quietly reflective pools of water. We will then descend ever downwards, through courtyards and shrubberies till we get to the main gate, today besieged by tourists.

Shoumma summed it all up with this review a month ago. ‘Nice, relatively small museum with some lovely bits of architecture and good views of the port and city. There's a decent free audio guide which is necessary, since there's no placards besides one in the site itself.’

As we slip out of the castle is the most splendid Museo de Malaga.  Memory burns bright. It might burn brighter if I hadn’t accidentally deleted my photos. The building is a 1791 grand courtyard affair and deserves its 4.7 stars from almost 8000 reviews. https://www.museosdeandalucia.es/web/museodemalaga It has art and artefacts of a huge and pleasing variety - check out the website.   11 hours ago Broken Hip reported ‘The museum is interesting and worth a visit, especially since EU citizens have free admission. The service is excellent, even if you have trouble communicating in English or Spanish; the staff, including security, are very friendly and helpful.’  So, another Brexit bonus. 

Two days ago Francisco said ‘A great museum with works by local and visiting painters. You can stroll through the archaeological area and visit the art floor. The staff are very friendly and helpful, always attentive and offering assistance and explanations.’  


We end by passing the Roman Theatre. This open air  amphitheatre is built into the hillside at the foot of the hill, beneath the castle.  Liam does the heavy lifting for us here. ‘Located on the slope of The Alcazaba the Roman Theatre was covered until 1951.

Discovered in the mid-20th century during construction of the Casa de la Cultura, its excavation revealed marble flooring, a rainwater drainage system, and intact supports for the wooden performance platform. Despite centuries of burial and use as a quarry during Muslim rule, the theater survived in exceptional condition. In 1994, the Casa de la Cultura was demolished to expand the archaeological zone, uncovering the extraordinary extent of the Roman theater’s preservation beneath the urban fabric of Málaga.’




So ends the day, with a quick nip down the alley and into the town.







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