It’s raining cats and dogs this morning in La Línea de la Concepción, so we hang out in the hotel until around noon before heading to Málaga, which is located in the heart of the Costa del Sol, or “Sun Coast” of Spain.  No sol today, however!

The Costa del Sol is known as a playground for the rich and famous, particularly the communities of Marbella and Estepona and points in between.  We see plenty of luxury homes along the way as we zip past on the expensive toll road.

Once in Málaga, we return the rental car and take a taxi to our Airbnb, where our host Christina meets us for a personal orientation to the apartment and to the area.  The location is superb.

Our short stay in Málaga features one highlight – a visit to the Museo Picasso Málaga (4 stars on Trip Advisor).

The museum opened in 2003 in this city where Pablo Picasso was born and spent his early years.  At 89,000 square feet, it’s larger than it appears from the outside.  Included in the collection are 155 original works donated by members of the Picasso family – paintings, drawings, sculptures, engravings, and ceramic pieces – plus others on long term loan.  We also visit a large, temporary exhibit featuring additional pieces (art plus family letters and other personal memorabilia) depicting the life and times of his wife Olga – who she was and the story of their romantic, and later, turbulent relationship.

No photos are allowed, but in short, the museum exceeds our expectations in both size and scope, plus the audio guide adds interesting and helpful context.  One especially cool exhibit is the old, grainy home movies of Pablo, Olga and their young son Paul engaged in regular family activities.  We spend about four hours going through the galleries, but it would be easy to spend an entire day or more.  It gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from us!

After the museum, Bill returns to the apartment for the afternoon – he has acquired a cold and isn’t feeling well.  I decide to explore on my own.  Some sights are particularly noteworthy.

Other pics are just ordinary street shots.

Málaga is a beautiful city that has a decidedly more upscale vibe than places we have been thus far.  We leave Málaga with a positive impression but many unexplored possibilities.  Hopefully one day we’ll be back to finish what we started.  And perhaps we’ll even see the sun next time around!

We’re on the move again tomorrow to spend a few days in Granada.