Reaching for the Stars in Málaga this Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Marianne under Fiestas and Festivals, Malaga, Places

Malaga Christmas lights 2015

Málaga always puts on a good show at Christmas.

The display of Christmas lights was so good last year that I wondered how they could follow it. I needn’t have worried.

Malaga Christmas lights 2015

This year, we’ve been treated to thousands of tiny twinkling lights, with moons and stars which form a net across the pedestrianised shopping street, Calle Marqués de Larios.

Once again they are AMAZING!

Malaga Christmas lights 2015

It’s an absolute joy to join the crowds of Christmas shoppers, who collectively gasp, clap and cheer when the lights are switched on at 6.30pm, each evening!

We’ve had such mild weather recently it’s easy to be fooled by the blue skies and warm sunshine, but yes, it really IS Christmas Eve.

You can still get in the Christmas mood by visiting the outdoor skating rink in front of El Corte Ingles store, or go to see one of the sixty-seven (yes, 67!) Bélens (crib and Nativity scenes) around the city – of which one of the best is at the Town Hall.

Malaga’s Christmas lights shine from 6.30pm – 2am daily, until 6th January 2015.

Malaga Christmas lights 2015

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to say a great big THANK YOU for following my blog, and my Christmas wish for you is that love, hope and happiness fill your hearts this holiday season, and for all your dreams and wishes to have wings.

¡Feliz Navidad! MERRY CHRISTMAS, folks!

You might also enjoy:

OH Come, All ye Faithful – all about the beautiful bélen in Torre del Mar

Spain’s BIG FAT Christmas Lottery – El Gordo

OH Come, all ye Faithful

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Marianne under Axarquía, Laws and Customs

Oh come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
Oh come ye, Oh come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the King of Angels:
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yesterday I went to see the Christmas nativity scene (known as a Belén) at the council offices in Torre del Mar. When I first arrived, I could hear the excited chatter of school children as I approached the Tenencia de Alcaldía offices, opposite to the National Police Station on Calle Andalucía.

Just through the entrance door of the council chambers is an exhibition room, where the nativity scene can be found. The children were just finishing their visit and were all excited to be receiving some sweets as they left the building – which gave me a perfect opportunity to have a look around, before the next group of children arrived.

As I entered the exhibition room, the first thing I noticed was that the walls were covered with children’s drawings, showing their perceptions of Torre del Mar. As you can see, the lighthouse features in many of the pictures.

The creator of the nativity scene, Antonio Fortes Calderón, was on hand to explain that the display covers thirty square metres and consists of 60 individual pieces – many of which were made of papier-mâché.

Antonio was keen to show me around the delightful Belén, pointing out various areas of the display which were representative of the area in general, but also very specific pieces that were instantly recognisable to me as parts the town.

I absolutely LOVE the revolving light on the lighthouse!

Here’s the very distinctive blue-and-white lighthouse and the beach, complete with the running track (Sendero Litoral), together with a model of the old church of Torre del Mar (now replaced with a more modern church).

Two of the (three) old chimneys of the Azucarera (sugar mill) are depicted, along with the old railway station (now the bus station).

And this photo shows the bandstand and the old lighthouse, which is now hidden amongst the buildings, just off the promenade.

Torre del Mar means Tower of the Sea, but that particular tower, after which the town is named, is no longer standing. Antonio has included a model to show how it would have looked, back in the day.

If you’ve a spare half an hour, pop along and have a look at all the pictures the children have drawn, and as you walk around this magnificent Nativity scene, see how many buildings from the town you can spot.

You never know, you might bump into Antonio whilst you’re there!

Do YOU like to visit a nativity scene, to get you in the mood for Christmas?

Silent Sunday in Spain: All Saints’ Day

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Marianne under Axarquía, Laws and Customs, Slice of Life

November 1st is celebrated with a national holiday each year in Spain, as Todos los Santos (All Saints´ day). Cemeteries will be packed with families paying their respects to loved ones who have gone before them.

Have you met Malaga’s sensational Phoenician Goddess?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Marianne under Axarquía, Malaga, Places

Allow me to introduce you …..

This is Malac, also known as Noctiluca, Goddess of the Moon, the night and of fertility. This beautiful lady cuts a lonely figure as she stands on the promenade in Rincón de la Victoria, gazing longingly at the sea.

Her people, the Phoenicians, who were experienced sailors, navigators and traders, founded the settlement of Malaka (which later developed into the city of Málaga) at the mouth of the Guadalhorce River, around 770BC.

Yes, Málaga’s history can be traced back more than 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.

Málaga’s early inhabitants were mainly engaged in fishing. They revered their great Goddess, Noctiluca, and worshipped her with offerings and sacrifices at her sanctuary in the present day Cueva del Tesoro (one of only three such marine caves in the world), in Rincón de la Victoria.

Each year, an image of the deity would be carried in procession and immersed into the sea to provide good fishing for the fishermen. The Phoenician influence was considerable and many traditions and customs have been bequeathed and continue thousands of years later.

To this day, on 16th July each year, sailors and fishermen from villages along the Spanish coast, parade their statues of the Virgen del Carmen though the streets and introduce her to the sea to bless the waters.

The statue of the Phoenician goddess, Malac (Noctiluca) is by well-known Málaga sculptor, Jaime Pimentel.

The divinities may change, but the customs continue.

Malaga: Orange Blossom, Incense and Art

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Marianne under Axarquía, Fiestas and Festivals, Malaga, Places

It’s an exciting time to be in Málaga.

To add to the heavenly scent of the orange blossom (also known as “azahar”), this weekend sees the beginning of Holy Week – with incense wafting into the heady mix.

Semana Santa features seven days of religious passion and spectacle – not only in Málaga city, of course, but in every town and small village throughout Andalucía.

Plus, one of Málaga’s famous sons returns each year to take part –YES, ladies, Antonio Banderas is in town!

Entrance to the old Tobacco Factory, Malaga

Blossom outside the old Tobacco Factory, Malaga

Entrance to Russian State Art Museum, Malaga

Málaga already has a well established art scene with its Picasso museum, Contemporary Art Centre and Baroness Carmen Thyssen museum, but this week has seen the city’s credentials as an Art Hub extending further, with the opening of the Russian State Art Museum from St. Petersburg.

The Russian museum is housed in the beautifully restored Tobacco factory (Tabacalera) to the west of the city centre, near to the already popular Automobile Museum.

And today, Málaga extends it’s cultural connections still further, with the opening of the Málaga branch of the Pompidou Centre – the first outside of France.

Dubbed the Pop-Up Pompidou, the museum is housed underneath El Cubo, a huge glass cube in Muelle Uno – the city’s fabulous port area.