Naps, Drinks & Butter Disasters: A Day in Malaga

Scenic Eclipse at sunrise

We woke early this morning - not because of any alarms, but because there was something worth seeing out the window. I was awake at 3am local time, my body still adjusting but Ros was still sound asleep at 7am. The Scenic Eclipse was slowly gliding into port, docking right in front of us as the sun began to rise, so with a bit of guilt I woke her up. It felt surreal watching it arrive, knowing we’d be boarding in less than a week. Its not a small yacht it’s a pretty big ship which in less than a weeks’ time will be home for 24 days.

After that bit of quiet excitement, we headed upstairs for breakfast. The outdoor terrace with a view of the harbour and old town. It was a lovely buffet arrangement of all things sweet and savoury, so much to choose from we wanted to try it all. Back downstairs afterwards, and I ended up falling asleep again – turns out early morning ship-watching is exhausting.

Castle views & cold drinks

The plan for the day was a hop-on, hop-off bus tour around Malaga. We picked it up mid-morning and stayed on for a bit, just enjoying the views and commentary. There was a crazy 180 degree turn the bus had to do to get up the hill, but the cars coming down didn't really care, until one of the bikes coming down nearly got taken out. Eventually, we hopped off at the castle up on the hill (Castillo de Gibralfaro), where we wandered around for a while – great views back over the city and port. 

And of course, after walking up and down medieval stairs, all I could hear behind me, as we were climbing steps was an out of breathe Ros repeating Bar, Bar, Bar, Barilo, we found a Bar nearby for a drink break – hydration is important, especially in this heat. Ros had a Tinto de Verano and I had a Heineken.

Fortress walks & milkshake rewards

From there, we made our way down towards the Alcazaba. The pathway down the hill was made with slate and concrete, very slippery in sneakers (as Ros slipped a few times but kept upright), and very steep descending, lets just say the knees got a work out going down the hill, was about 30 minutes down, so glad we did the downhill route, not the uphill route as others were. At the bottom of the path there were shops selling hats (Ros actually bought a hat, which says a lot, it was hot as)

With hat on, we entered the Alcazaba, It’s a beautiful fortress complex that winds its way down the hillside, all stone walls and orange trees and glimpses of the sea. By the time we got halfway, it was definitely time for another drink – an iced latte for Ros, and a chocolate milkshake for me. Felt well earned.

Ros was getting excited to see her brother so we decided to head back to the hotel and try to cool down.

Aron the giraffe

Aron arrived and checked into his room. The bathrobes they had were a bit quirky - one was in the print of giraffe. So we got Aron to put it on and hop into his bathtub. So many great pictures to include ... I may also have video haha

Butter confusion

Back at the hotel in the afternoon, we caught up with Aron who had just arrived in town. The three of us ended up down at the bar for some nibblies – highlight was Ros bit into what she thought was a chunk of cheese, only to discover it was actually straight butter. There was a moment of confused chewing before the realisation hit. Soon after the bread arrived, so she broke off a bit and chewed on it to soak up the excess butter (garlic, no less) in her mouth.

Ship-spotting & market wandering

Later, we took a walk down to the marina to see the Scenic Eclipse up close. We wandered around trying to figure out where our room might be – got it narrowed down to a few possibilities. The ship looks even more impressive from the dock. We also had a quick look at some of the nearby markets, and I picked up a new shirt – always nice to get a lightweight shirt.

Dinner & done

Aron was still feeling a bit ordinary, after stomach upset, so back to the room for a quick nap before dinner (bit of a theme today – naps and drinks), then out for a 9pm dinner upstairs. A singer was just setting up as we arrived, adding to the laid-back vibe. Pork for me, chicken for Aron, and Ros went with the fish. Food was good, service even better.

After dinner we called it – wandered back to the room and crashed out. Big day, but a good one, Ros was so happy to see her brother after so long. Loving Malaga!