Day 2 in Malaga

November 2, 2021

This morning, after we'd finished breakfast at our new hotel, I got a text from Stefan at Bike2Malaga, who had said he'd call around this morning to find a shop that had a Di2 wire. "Take your bike to Eurobike" followed by the address, "they have the cable."

We rode over and it turned out to be a very busy shop with nobody who spoke much English. I could show them the broken cable but we were stuck there. I called Stefan and he spoke to the mechanic. It can be done, maybe mañana but more likely mañana mañana. They showed me the long queue of bikes waiting for service.

I walked back and Al rode his bike. We each came up with an idea for something to do tomorrow as we are done with walking around the town. My idea, to somehow visit the Caminetti del Rei, wasn't going to work since the earliest we could book an excursion was sometime in December and (according to my guidebook) there's only one train per day each day and no bus. (The good news is that it seems to be open in December so we might be able to visit when we ride through the area.)

On my walk back to the hotel, I saw several flowering bird of paradise plants. Apparently they are quite popular as indoor plants in Vancouver, for their foliage because they don't get enough sun to bloom.

Al's idea, though, we will do. We went to Bike2Malaga and rented me a nice carbon road bike. We will do a loop ride to the north tomorrow. It's a pretty challenging route with lots of climbing but I'll have until 5:00 to complete the route and get the bike returned.

With this arranged and the bike in the hotel lockup, we had lunch in the old town, walked around some more, and then I visited a museum and Al headed back to the hotel.

Our first "menu del dia" started well. The second course and dessert weren't as good as this salad, but it was only €9.50 and included a beverage--in my case, a glass of rosé.

On an exterior wall of Parroquia de los Santos Mártires Ciriaco y Paula, an interesting-looking church. We didn't go in; it appeared to be undergoing major renovation.

Image not found :( — We wondered what the "Hammam al Andalus" could be. I looked it up. It's a spa offering "Arab baths."

I chose to visit the Museo Carmen Thyssen because I thought I might like the temporary exhibit. It turned out the paintings in the brochure were the only ones that appealed to me! However, i really liked the permanent exhibits I saw. The images below are from the museum website.

This painting and the one following are in the "précieux" style. The detail is incredible. They aren't large works.

The English title of this one is "Model Making Mischief."

I loved the way the painters of seascapes captured the light. This view of Malaga shows the lighthouse before the breakwater was constructed. The lighthouse now is far from shore and no longer used.

Afterward, we went out for more walking (we hadn't seen the city by night yet), another glass of wine and a light meal. We've managed to stay up until a normal bedtime--the question is, will we be able to sleep?

It seems hams are mostly sole whole in Spain. Al went in to take a photo.

Today's ride: 4 km (2 miles)
Total: 41 km (25 miles)

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Scott AndersonI’m so sorry, Jacquie. Such bad luck!
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonSorry for the obvious question, but maybe it didn’t occur to you. Can you just buy the cable from them and take it elsewhere to get it installed?
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3 years ago

Jacquie GaudetIt seems it’s just like home; all bike shops are super busy. Replacing this wire requires some special tools and it’s best if done by someone with experience.
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3 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Scott AndersonI did ask, or try to. But the mechanic wasn't sure what length of wire would be needed. When I was renting the bike, I learned that that particular shop was the only one in town that had the necessary part and would be the best at installing it.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetWell, foop then. It reminds us of the year when the airlines lost our bikes for three days and we anxiously sat around Innsbruck for the first 3 days of a short 3 week tour. While we waited, we enjoyed one of the best hiking experiences we’ve had in Europe.

At least it’s not raining? And there are a few rides straight north of Málaga that look really attractive that we’ve never ridden. I’ll look forward to seeing what you find.
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3 years ago