A Spanish breakfast and then Malaga, the big city

This morning, I followed Steven down several streets toward the sea for breakfast.  I have been yearning for pan y tomate con zumo de naranja - toast with shredded, fresh tomato and OJ. It was exactly as I’d hoped for. And of course there was café con leche… On the table, was a white ceramic bowl half filled with water, covered by a lid with a hole in the top.  We tried to guess what it was, but finally asked the waiter if it was a finger bowl (well, it had water).  He raised his eyebrows and chuckled.  An ashtray. The water puts out the ash. I am trying not to roll my eyes.  

Today was an adventure as we followed cousin Manolo and Maria Angela through the streets of Malaga with a cousin we had never met, also named Maria.  This story is a bit convoluted…Maria del Mar sent me a text message in January 2019, telling me she was Maria Angela’s cousin and she liked The Girl a Immigrant book. I did not know how she was related, but we corresponded now and then and she sent me family photos.  About two weeks after she first sent me the note, I received a text from a man named José Antonio. He said his mother was Maria del Mar and he had heard about the documentary I was in, Pasaje a Hawaii.  He wanted to see it.  At that time, the film was not yet public, but only on Spain’s public television station. Fast forward to April, 2022. I asked him if he’d seen it yet?  No. After I sent him the link, he sent it to his mother, Maria del Mar and told me his grandmother had also seen it.  Everyone loved it and he invited me to the family bar called Café Bar MariMar. His mother owns it. I promised to see them when I arrived in Malaga.  I was slow to decipher the family connection, but I did it!  Both Marias are first cousins.  José Antonio’s grandmother is sister to Maria Angela’s mother.  My eyes were opened.

This brings me back to today.  Malaga. Narrow, zigzagging streets. Basement parking garage. Good news is that we went to La Plaza de la Merced, where Picasso sits on a bench.  I’ve been there several times, and the day was beautiful, conversation was very Spanish and the tinto de verano was refreshing at an outside cafe.  The ladies led me inside and I immediately knew why.  Books! It is a very old place with piles of books.  I was in heaven and they couldn’t stop smiling at me. 

We were invited back to Malaga Friday night for a paella dinner in honor of José Antonio’s 30th birthday…at 10:30 pm. (😳) Manolo and Maria Angela (photo above) have graciously offered to lead us there from Los Nuñez (thank goodness!) 

Steven and I lost his car in the car park as we walked on three floors of cars.  I always take a photo of the floor and car stall number, but not this time… and then the ticket machine wouldn’t let us out.  Sometimes there are just too many adventures for one day…