Hurrying out of the cab, looking back to confirm that I did not leave anything, I quickly run off into the train station. Am I late for check-in? Do I need to check-in? Do I need to check my bag in? How serious is the security screening here? I look at the schedule board and spot the Malaga route, still on schedule, and I just discovered that security consists of one screening of your bag in a line with approximately five or so people waiting. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore! I had anticipated so much time for security, check-in, etc. , typical procedure in the states, but here I am so early that there is not even an attendant at the gate. These Europeans are calm, cool, and collected; veterans in the art of traveling!
Before I knew it I was boarding my first train! I must admit I was rather curious. Would I feel rail-sick (motion sickness via railway)? Would there be in-rail movies? How does the multiple stopping situations play into the equation? Within minutes we were long gone from the big city hustle and bustle and surrounded by beautiful fields and lush greenery. Incredible! Back home, it takes a significant amount of time to go from one extreme to another.
I take in the scenery for a bit and later decide to read my book. Suddenly I awake. Never fails, I can only read so long before I knock out. Suddenly we are one stop away from the station in Malaga! The much anticipated train ride was coming to an end and Malaga was on the horizon! I get off the train and cannot help but wonder what Malaga has in store for my roommates and I. We hop a cab and within minutes we are cruising the coastal streets of Malaga. Shortly after we arrive at our hotel, check-in, drop our stuff off, and go straight to the first restaurant we see. We down some tapas, take down a few pitchers of sangria, and start to strategize our weekend! We decide on a combination of beach and seeing the sites via a double-decker bus. A mix of cultural enlightenment and the Mediterranean coastal life came across as the ultimate happy medium.
As per the plan, we found ourselves devouring our complimentary breakfast and then returning to the room and taking a power nap. Before we knew it, we had slept for hours. We woke up and threw on our swimsuits to go celebrate my roommate’s birthday in true Miami girl in Malaga style, at the beach! We had been warned that the beach was not going to be what we were used to, but we went anyway. We had to see it for ourselves! The sun was shining, but there was a breeze that we all knew was sure to be deceiving. The sand was burning our feet, so we instantaneously ran to the water to cool our feet and dip our toes into the Mediterranean. Wow, was that cold!?! Regardless, we enjoyed the day chatting it up and enjoying a cocktail with good friends and a beyond beautiful scenery. That night we went out to what would come to be our go to bar in Malaga, you know the kind where everybody knows your name and they are always glad you came? We had a few cocktails and danced it up. We later went to dinner at a phenomenal restaurant, where we had special seating right near the kitchen and got wined and dined like royalty. We could not have asked for a better end to such a magnificent day in Malaga! At the end of dinner, we sang Happy Birthday to my roommate!
The next day we weren’t as ambitious, in fact many of us were recovering from sunburns. We enjoyed such a change of pace and welcomed it with open arms. We paid to get tickets for the Seville sightseeing tour, but we ultimately only did like three-quarters of the tour and then just settled for a paella, tapas, and cocktails pit stop, which ultimately signaled the end of our productivity as we knew it. All in all, we loved our change of pace and the beautiful coastal sites and lively energy that Malaga had to offer! I would definitely recommend making a stop and seeing what this coastal gem of Malaga is all about!
melissartnsoul 