'Tis the Season

Yesterday was a great day. It's been a while since Angelines and I have taken off on a Monday. It used to be every Monday we would go somewhere new to have lunch and explore. Since we've moved into the house, and since the economy's gone south we haven't done much of that. Yesterday was an exception.

After an hour swimming laps in Antequera and a quick stop at Mercadona for sandwich provisions, we headed to Malaga with the excuse of seeing the alumbrado (Christmas lights). Of course, you can't fully appreciate the Christmas lights before dark so we had to find something to do between 3pm and sunset. We headed to the mall at the Renfe station in central Malaga and while we waited for the movie theater to open, we went to the bowling alley!

I haven't bowled since I was a Girl Scout. I remember we would take trips to the bowling alley with troop 309--I hated it! I don't know if it was because I was a sore looser and was never any good at bowling, or if it was the ugly shoes that always smelled; but I dreaded going bowling. Angelines, however, had never bowled and so I decided to put childhood hatred aside and give it another try. For one euro each we got 10 rounds... In the end, we miraculously tied and both of us had sore fingers; but it was a good time.

After the movie, the newest in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, it was dark and so we walked to the calle Larios in central Malaga to enjoy the Christmas lights. We were not disappointed. They were beautiful.

Looking up calle Larios.

Rotunda at the end of calle Larios decorated with a giant nativity scene and the Magi on camel-back.

A glimpse of the Cathedral's bell tower through the narrow streets of the city center.

Giant Christmas ornaments!

The facade of the Cathedral (La Manquita).

What trip to Malaga would be complete without coquinas??

...And thus we've officially inaugurated the Christmas season and spent a lovely lunes out on the town.