Malaga in March Day 5 Alcazaba, cattedrale, Museo Thyssen

The weather on Sunday is decidedly good. In the morning we stroll around the centre, all the more pleasant for the blue sky, and go to Mass in the cathedral, which is grand, although perhaps I prefer the outside. 

We go to see the outside of the Picasso birthplace Museum and sit for a photo each on the bench with the Picasso statue. There are quite a few people around, appreciating the welcome sunshine and it's very relaxing to wander around.

After lunch back at the apartment we head for the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle which are both free on Sundays after 2pm. The walk up to the entrance to the Alcazaba, with bougainvillea still flowering and orange trees to provide colour, affords good views first over the centre of Malaga and then towards Muelle Uno and Malagueta and the bullring.

There are quite a few people around, but not enough to call a crowd and we stop at the bar which has little tables with a view where a lone and unflommoxed lady is preparing food and drink for a long queue of people. We decide to wait and order two coffees. Despite the long queue she carefully prepares a tapa of mashed pumpkin with quails eggs in a miniature cast-iron pan which is also the serving dish for a man at the table next to us.

We continue up to the Alcazaba, the gardens are pretty and the buildings as well, nothing on the scale of Sevilla but definitely worth the visit. It's only March but the flowers and warm sun contribute finally to a summerlike feel. There are some pretty corners of interesting architecture and fountains too.

A long wall with towers continues up to the Gibralfaro castle but can't be accessed. To reach the castle we go back out of the Alcazaba and up along first the road and then the path to the castle. The views are spectacular and thanks to the climb in the warm sun I actually finally feel hot. At the top of the path, to the right there is a Parador, and to the left the entrance to the castle. You can walk all along the walls, right round, and admire the views, explore the central area, which is all open and there is even a small museum.

By the time we get back down to the centre of Malaga we have walked enough to be hungry and thirsty and go to 100 Montaditos, which is empty, for a cana and just one montadito each. It's Sunday so everything is 1€. Time to go to the Thyssen Museum which is free on Sundays after 5pm. There's quite a queue but it's moving and it takes us about 15 minutes to get in. The permanent collection includes 230 works, mainly by 19th-century Spanish artists and mostly depicting Andalucia. You can find more information about the exhibition here . We find it interesting for the pictures showing life in Andalucia, in particular, and also the section dedicated to paintings of Nature.

It's been a busy day, so we head for home along the darkening streets, (Antigua Casa de Guardia is closed on Sunday evenings in winter.......!)