Malaga’s reputation is built around the most famous and influential artist of the 20th century – Picasso. But little did we know that all other four senses were going to be engaged in our visit to this coastal city of Andalucia.

MERCADO CENTRAL DE ATARAZANAS
Our first stop in Malaga was to tease our sense of taste. Upon meeting Javier, our guide for this gastronomic journey, we went to a deli shop whose displays are rolls of the famous cod fish Spain is normally associated with – the bacalao. The fish looked like rolls of paper stacked on top of each other as Javier explained how in the olden times, salt was the main ingredient in preserving the fish and how it has persisted to today. Moving on, we came upon this huge enclosure with a distinctive Moorish horse-shoe shaped entrance. The rest was a modern building with metal louvres sidings and more Moorish arches for accent. “This is the Mercado Central de Atarazanas,” Javier said. “Atarazanas means shipyard. This used to be a shipyard because the banks of the ocean use to reach up to its front.”

A beautiful stained-glass mural can be seen even from outside. They were images that told the history of the building. Walking inside, Javier explained, “There are three major areas, the meat, fish, and the fruits and vegetable sections. Unfortunately, it’s Monday today and there was no fishing Sunday, so the fish section is closed.”

We had traditional appetizers of, pescado frito or sardines in flour, and sliced aubergine or berenjenas con miel, both deep fried with batter. I was leaning more towards the aubergine because the trace of salt added a twist to its flavor. “We don’t add salt to the fish because we try to preserve the freshness of the fish,” Lola, from the Andalusian Tourism Board, informed us. We all downed these appetizers with a refreshing drink of what I remember as Tinto de Verano, red wine with triple sec giving it a sweet flavor. Inside, it was the cheese section that got me drooling. Javier was a wealth of information as we walked about every aisle and once we reached the fruits and vegetable section, I carted out a container trail mix and nuts, while our publisher ended up with a container of olive with a slightly bitter taste. If only for the abundance of colors and textures, Mercado Central is truly a unique Malaga experience.

Outside the mercado, we walked to a nearby corner deli where we were served all-jamon tapas. “There are three kinds of ham. The difference is what they are fed. The premier hams are known as Hamon Iberico. These are black hogs that are fed purely with acorns. You want to look for those with black hooves. At the opposite end are the Hamon Serrano, where the hogs are fed with cereal. They are available everywhere in Spain. Then you have the ones that are fed a combination of cereal and acorns,” Javier told us. However, yet again, it was the cheese section that caught my eyes. With his help, I ended up taking home a type of Manchego and blue cheese. I was in heaven.

Moving to the next restaurant, Javier said, “Russian salads, is very popular here that there is even a competition for it. This restaurant won last year’s competition!” What a privilege for us. The cool temperature of the salad was perfect as the sun hit the sidewalk where our table was located.

PICASSO
After all these food tasting, we now go the real visual stimulus, art. First off was the Picasso Museum. Our guide Maria was able to demystify the style and the lover Picasso had when he painted certain pieces. It was fun for me because the names are familiar and now I got to match the name of Picasso’s lover with the style. However, the ultimate Picasso, “Guernica”, is in the Prado while the seminal “Les Demoiselle des Avignon”, remains at the MoMa of New York. Nevertheless, it was still a thrill to be surrounded by the vision and genius of the 20th century’s most celebrated artist.

From the Museum, we crossed the Plaza de la Merced, saw “Picasso” seated on a park bench, had a few selfies with him and went straight to Fundacion Picasso, the house where he was born. It was a two-storey affair that had hallways connecting different areas of the house. I could almost see the young Picasso, precocious, mischievous and animated as he ran around the house, sketch pad in hand, scattering the many drawings from his imagination. It is a contrast to the very-academic works of his father that were on display, who taught art as well in the local school.

EL HAMMAM
The Hammam (Arab bath) we visited engaged our sense of touch and smell. Located on a busy street, the sense of calmness starts right at the reception where a section for drinking tea calmly was set up; apparently, this was the last section before leaving the baths. Inside, we were guided to the changing section, then it was quite a long walk to the first section, the shower. We had to choose the oil scent that we would like for our massages. Very elegantly presented in a hallway, there were four beautiful boxes, all with delicate lattice work and we had to smell the aroma that came from each of these boxes. I ended up with lavender and our publisher with rose. Despite it being only a 30-minute massage, the therapist still managed to put me to sleep.

After the massage, we made our way down to the baths to choose which water temperature we wanted to soak into. The medium temperature was the biggest section and was under a skylight. Draped all around it is thin cheese cloth that separated the soaking area from the corridors around it. Behind it is the cold water section. I chose the area with the hottest temperature, and yet it was comfortable to the skin. This section was a darker, enclosed section, and better for calming the body. As I laid in the water, I could see star-shaped cutouts on the dome that mimicked the hammams of the past. There were two more sections attached to it – the hot stone, where one can stay on a massive heated stone; and the steam room. To lie down in a darkened room in warm water with candlelight brought down anxieties I had for the day.

THE ALCAZABA AND THE MALAGA CATHEDRAL
Despite having already seen the Alhambra, the Alcazaba of Malaga was still a thrill to behold. A terrra cotta fortress in the middle of the city, it is said this Alcazaba is one of the best preserved. We took an elevator to get to the entrance. I was once again transfixed by the beauty and intricacies of this Moorish citadel. It definitely does not compete with the size of the Alhambra. But the multi-lobed arches, the alicatado tiles, ceilings of geometric designs, the double walls that provided extra fortification, and walkway for the guards of the past still made this Alcazaba a jewel on its own. What made it even more charming is the Roman amphitheater attached outside and still used to this day.

“This is ‘La Manquita’ or the ‘One-armed Lady’ as Catedral de Malaga is lovingly called. Built in the 18th century, because of financial issues, the most memorable feature of this cathedral is the tower that was never finished,” Santiago, our guide, explained. To this day she remained in the same state and has even earned that “endearing” moniker. But despite this lack of limb, it is still considered one of the best cathedrals in Spain. Inside, what is most interesting is the choir section. Just like other Andalusian cathedrals, the choir area is at ground level instead of a raised balcony. Each chair of the choir member has a small piece of wood at the edge of the seat. When a choir member is standing up while singing and feels tired, the piece of wood on the folded chair can be a “mini-chair” as he can “sit” on the wood, giving him the illusion of standing when actually he is just being propped up.

Aside from this ingenious invention, the more than 40 carvings of the different saints and the symbols that accompany them in the entire choir area, are simply astonishing. An example is St. Joseph, patron saint of house hunters. Carved next to his figure is small house. This is attention to details give this section its esteemed reputation. At night, I was blessed with an astonishing view of the cathedral from my hotel bedroom. Lit from below, it was a cathedral in pure splendor. It reminded me of the Parthenon in Greece, looking like a grand beacon for the entire city.