On our last sea day, we tried something different. There was an inflatable maze set up in one of the theaters and it was for lazer tag.
We were given a vest with a gun, and placed on teams. It was fun and a new experience, but not something we loved, probably because we didn't do so well. 😃
They really did a fantastic job of having unique opportunities on our sea days. Many of these activities are only available on cruises with many sea days. We also attended a talent show of the crew. So much talent!
Overnight, we sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Too bad, it was the middle of the night. I would have liked to see that. It separates Europe from Africa, only 9 miles wide at the narrowest point.
Today we are in Malaga, Spain. We went on a four hour bus and walking tour. Unfortunately, our guide was very difficult to understand. We probably got less than half of what she said. I researched what we saw online when we got back, so I can share a few facts.
Malago has a population of about 600,000. It is 2,800 years old, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe. It was founded in 760BC by the Phoenicians.
Malaga has warm winters and hot summers with 300 sunny days a year, almost as many as Yuma. May is the busiest tourist month. We can attest it was very busy today.
We started at a lookout where we saw the harbor, our ship and a bull fighting ring. Bull fighting is still practiced, but losing popularity.
Next we stopped at a square where there was a sculpture of Pablo Picasso.
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| Picaso birthplace is on second floor of this building. |
He was born in Malaga in 1881, and lived here for 10 years. His father was an art professor, and moved the family to Barcelona. There is a musem dedicated to Picasso here with many of his earliest paintings. His better known work is on display around the world.
He was baptized in the Church of Santiago, which is the oldest church in Malaga started in 1509, built over a mosque.
Throughout the city are many beautiful flowers and Jacaranda trees. They have the most beautiful purple blooms. Amazingly, we've seen these trees in California; Sydney, Australia; and now Spain.
Because the city is so old, there is a lot of different architecture. In the picture above, you can see the old fortress walls and a new hotel being built on the left. The city is very clean, except for much graffiti.
The Roman Theater is below the fortress walls.
Antonio Banderas is from Malaga, and has a home on the penthouse floor of this building in the city center.
We toured the Cathedral of Incarnation, also known as the One Armed Lady. The reason for the nickname is that only one tower was finished during its construction from 1528 to 1782.
There are several theories as to why the second tower wasn't finished, including the money was given to the American colonies to fight the British and/or to make improvements to the city for all the benefit of all the population.
