Gibraltar

“I want to see the monkeys,” Madam tells me one morning. We are still in Málaga, and I don’t even know if it has a zoo, or indeed any wild animals larger than a pigeon with attitude. “No, not in a zoo. In Gibraltar.” Gibraltar and I have something of a history. That sounds like … Continue reading Gibraltar →

Malaga Too

At the base of the Alcazaba fortress sits the remains of a Roman theatre, which is impressive not only for its age but for the fact that everyone managed to lose it for several centuries. Built during the reign of Augustus, it was used for public performances until the 3rd century, then buried, forgotten, and … Continue reading Malaga Too →

Torremolinos

All I know about Torremolinos I learned from Monty Python: "You sit next to a party of people from Rhyl who keep singing 'Torremolinos, Torremolinos', and complaining about the food, 'Oh! It's so greasy, isn't it?'" I dug up a couple more cultural references from the 1960s and 1970s: "A scandalous place where drugs and … Continue reading Torremolinos →

Malaga

Thursday Storm Goretti is blowing outside our bedroom window. I can hear the glass creaking in the wind. Sixty-mile-an-hour gusts are forecast overnight, and the temperature is hovering just above zero. I’m huddled under the covers, wondering whether I should go and fetch another blanket. What is it with naming storms nowadays? It used to … Continue reading Malaga →

Seville

'We need to go to flamenco dancing' said Madam. I was lying in my recliner and had fallen asleep. I was glad she woke me as I was worried I was going to have that nightmare again. The one where I’m chased by Scarlett Johansson and, just as she catches me, she turns into Jacob … Continue reading Seville →