Living and Learning in Málaga—A New Apartment
This month marked two wildly contented years in Málaga. The anniversary passed with barely a nod of observance because we were in the last phases of moving to a new apartment. Though our possessions are few (clothes, linens, plants, and books—yes, I’ve begun accumulating books again) and we’d been able to move things slowly over time, there was still a bit of a rush toward the end. But now we’re settled, and wildly contented Year Three begins in an apartment of such charm that I find myself grinning a lot.
The previous apartment— in the heart of the Centro on the famous Calle Larios where every procession, red carpet event, fashion show, and protest is staged— featured an open plan living room/kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a terrace with a view of rooftops in the Centro and beyond. Its black-and-white color scheme and Ikea furnishings were comfortable if commonplace. The building’s concierge ensured we never missed a mail or package delivery; two roomy, glass-walled elevators made the ascent to the fifth floor airy and jaunty; and we could walk out the front door of the building into the teaming stream of tourists and locals or out the back door into a plaza of five restaurants. I loved it the first year. Less the second year, mostly due to the hike in rent but also because living smack in el centro del Centro could at moments lose its shine. I do have fond memories of the place, but we were ready for something different. And we found it!
The new apartment is a thirteen-minute walk from the previous one. It’s located in the Soho neighborhood, also known as Barrio de las Artes, still in Malaga Centro but in a less congested part. And once the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo reopens next year, we’ll be steps away from it.
We’re on the third floor, which in Spain is actually the fourth floor, since the ground floor is considered zero—a weird concept of nothingness existing in somethingness. Anyway, we have three bedrooms very cozily laid out around the sala/comedor. In the bathroom, a large, double-dolphin lamp set upon a pedestal will provide extra illumination once we find the right bulb. The full kitchen has a door if I want to shut myself in with the food and the cooking appliances. Its whole north wall is a set of windows so there’s plenty of light coming through even on gray days, making it a sweet place for sitting at the little table for meals. Even cleaning up afterward is a joy in that kitchen.
But the things that drew me when the agent showed us the apartment were the crown molding, the baroque chairs, the chandeliers! The overall French décor— though I couldn’t name it at the time since I’m illiterate in interior design and the relevant art movements—felt elegant and old-world, but also welcoming and homey.
Is it at all funny or weird or incongruous that I, whose Philippine and Mexican ancestors lived under Spanish colonial rule, am living in a Spanish apartment furnished with a pair of Louis XV chairs, sconces with carved angels, chandeliers in each room, and in the bedroom where I sleep, a giltwood baroque mirror, wood-carved headboard, and marble-topped Italianate chest of drawers with painted porcelain knobs? Also, the lace-trimmed pink bedspread and the matching curtains in the bedroom have never been my style, but I have thoroughly embraced them.
I’ve layered the French décor with textiles and art I brought back from my trip to Ecuador a few years ago. Black-and-white 1920s photos of my grandparents, 1940s photos of my parents, and 1960s photos of my cousins in the Philippines perch on a sideboard, a freestanding pedestal, and a round table with pedestal base. Acrylic portraits of our grandchildren by an itinerant street artist might clash with the old-timey feel of the decor though oddly the colors match nicely.
The terrace with its French bistro table and chairs gives a view of the street to the east and directly across the pasaje the neighbor’s laundry hangs from makeshift clotheslines. I absolutely do not mind looking at jeans, t-shirts, and towels nearly every day.
We hear our neighbors the way we never did in the other apartment with its thick nineteenth-century walls. But the sounds we hear are the thuds and clanks of daily living.
There’s a Vietnamese restaurant next door and beyond that a Portuguese Galician restaurant that serves a delicious caldo de Gallego. And I’ve gone more than once to the nearby cafetería for the menú del dia.
There’s a neighborhood feel to the place, and this apartment feels like home.
To this very lovely existence, there is the dark undercurrent of dismay and despair from reading each day what new evilness is afoot in the United States under the absurdity, cruelty, criminality, ignorance, and ineptness that is the Trump administration with its endless assault on free speech and human rights. So we did this, for what it’s worth.
Looks great, Donna!
Thanks, Cecilia! Feels great, too!
So beautiful, Donna! And I’m in solidarity with your 🪧 protest signs.
You are lucky to be there and not here!
Thanks, Mary Ellen. I really am lucky. (Jesus has asked about you.)
Lovely!
Thanks, Allison! I hope you’ll come back to visit.
Wow, what a wonderful home! I love your stories.
Darlene
Thanks, Darlene!
I loved this piece. I’m in awe, as usual , of the vivid and subtlety of your stories so preciously shared with us.
The US is roiling. It’s not as bad as the DC tyrants will make it in a quarter or two.
I’ll be leaving Texas for summer and early fall …..leaving about mid May. Looking for a place to land but aware these policies are bringing instituted, not even by policy. It’s a fascist whim….stress is sky high.
Enjoy what you have, do your best, do something everyday, without fail.
Be kind to yourself, enjoy this softly beautiful haven you’ve found.
We will be ok. We are American immigrants.
This will take time……
Thanks, Gerty, for your generous words and hopeful outlook. But I’m afraid a lot of people are not okay right now. As you say, the US is roiling and it will get worse. Every day the conversation with friends here is about what’s happening over there. We’re angry and worried. But you’re right, I live in a haven and experience joy each day. I’m lucky and grateful. Take care, Gerty.
What a beautiful haven! This seems to be a fitting shift from being so wonderfully immersed in the cultural stream and excitement of the Calle Larios. How perfect that must have been for your first year. And as you continue settling in, this new exquisite apartment seems more conducive to “roots.” Irony aside, it must be possible to overlook the political palimpsest of eclectic decor by thinking instead of the artisans, architects, and curators dedicated to their passions even as they were captive by the ideologies of the time. Your new place has captured “the villa” and just shoehorned it a bit to fit in the Centro. I’m confident you think occasionally of what the rent would be for this delightful place were it in the states. I am so happy for you!
A sidebar:
djt’s mental disease, while always apparrent, is calcifying as he ages. It is increasingly clear to even conservatives that he is unfit and truly dangerous, though few say this publicly. The near universal acquiescence to djt is abhorrent, but cracks are beginning to show as he and muskrat repeatedly go too far.
Yes, Gigi, good point about appreciation for the art and craft on their own merit. And yes, djt has a mental disease to match his moral one. I hope the cracks soon advance to an all-out collapse of him and his evil plans.
Hurray for staying away from Trumplandia and Felon Musk!
It’s quite a relief to be physically distanced from it all, though we do worry about what’s going on.
So happy for you! This looks perfect. I still dream of moving to Valencia…
Thanks, Susan. I still I have to get to Valencia. It will happen for sure this year.
love this story Donna. It is so depressing and infuriating and yet, the cherry blossoms are decadent, the magnolias regal, the plants are bursting.
Yes, beauty persists even in the midst of destruction.
This is absolutely the best! Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you, Martha! And thanks for your always interesting newsletter.
Congrats Donna! You are living the life. Love your new digs. Having so many experiences. Happy for you.
Thanks, Terry!
Wow, Donna, your new place looks lovely!! All your living abroad updates are SO inspiring. We hope visit Spain again later this year or next (possibly even move in the future). Sending hugs!
Thanks, Sheryl. It would be great to see you here.
What a beautiful write-up Donna. I envy you being in Spain, being away from here. How lovely. I look forward to living vicariously through more of your stories, and when I make it huge in real estate (!), Malaga is very high on my list!
Thanks, Reema. Best wishes on your new career. It would be fun to see you in Málaga someday.
Love the new digs!
Thanks, Dawn!
Love the new living environment, fabulous!
Always dreaming to return to Spain this time Malaga. Stay well & safe!
Would love to see you here in Málaga, Pat!