Fashion fuels eccentricities and a mighty Morris Minor perched on top of a pair of sturdy legs is a fabulous way to highlight horse power.
The classic symbol of British motoring is just one of a dazzling array of marvellous motors and haute couture displayed in Malaga’s Automobile and Fashion Museum.
Housed in an elegant old tobacco factory, the collection is all down to Portugal’s João Magalhães, who started collecting the cars in the late 1940’s and now has just under 100 on display.
What makes the museum so special is that each car is matched with a mannequin dressed with clothes from that era.
From the early bulky contraptions of the Victorian era to the wackier “flower power” Rolls-Royce from 1966, which was inspired by John Lennon’s famous Roller, it is the placing of the cars with the fashions of the period which make the museum special.
There’s posters, artwork and pieces of furniture, plus props, including classic skis, luggage and golf clubs too, along with a fine collection of hats from famous designers like Dior and Chanel.
Many of the cars have been lovingly restored and the hugeness of the museums allows the works to be showed off with finesse and glamour, something Malaga has in abundance.
A wonderful place to stroll and admire the architecture, wide streets and palm trees, Malaga is also famous for being the birthplace of talented artist Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios y Crispiniano de la Santísima Trinidad Picasso.
Visiting the Picasso Museum is a joy, with 285 pieces of Picasso’s finest, donated by his family and highlighting his brilliance, inspired by his own father Don José, a talented bird painter who encouraged his son to pick up a brush aged seven.
During his lifetime, Picasso. completed 150,000 pieces of art and spent most of his life living in France. His colourful lifestyle, which led him to marry four times and have three children, ended in 1973, when he died, aged 91, leaving behind a legacy of brilliance, with his blue and rose period, African and cubism art, Picasso’s most well-known.
But Picasso, who was dyslexic, was also a master of poetry and the Spanish museum plays homage to this too. Art highlights include the powerful anti-war statement, Guernica and the revolutionary Les Demoiselles d’ Avignion.
A simple respect for their famous son is a life-size bronze statue of Picasso sitting on a marble seat enjoying the beauty of the Plaza de la Merced, a stone’s throw from the former family home, which itself is a museum.
Picasso lived in Malaga from 1881 until 1891 as his father was a drawing assistant at the Malaga School of Fine Arts and curator of the Municipal Museum, where he had his own art workshop in lieu of a salary. The family later moved to La Coruña, when Don José was promoted to become a professor.
Born on 25th October 1881, Pablo was baptised a month later at Malaga’s oldest church, Santiago, built on top of a former mosque and his uncle Baldomero Ghiara owned a jeweller’s close by and supported Picasso financially while he was studying at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid.
The Plaza de la Merced Museum now contains remnants of his early life, with photographs of the family and some of the master’s earliest paintings, many featuring the theme of bullfighting, including the “Little Yellow Picador”, which Picasso drew when he was eight.
Picasso also inherited his father’s love of painting doves and flamenco dancing and at the corner of the plaza is one of the oldest pharmacies in the city, the Farmacia Bustamente, a social place where the family met up with their friends.
Much of his art was intertwined with themes of drinking and nightlife, but Picasso was said to prefer green tea to alcohol. Malagueños, however, are known for their love of sherry and the city’s oldest bar, the Antigua Casa de Guardia is a popular venue for locals enjoying a cheeky wee drink and a plate of tapas, including local favourites of fried anchovies, cold almond soup and potato salad with cod, orange and olives.
The city is so compact, it’s easy to walk off the tapas and it’s lovely to stroll through the palm tree lined wide streets and admire the elegant architecture or enjoy one of the many sandy beaches.
A great way for a taster of what’s to see is via the City Sightseeing bus and boat tour, which allows hop on, hop off at the various attractions to taking to the water to see a fabulous sunset down at the marina.
Malaga is spoilt for choice when it comes to culture. Highlights include the Calle de Marqués de Larios, the most famous street in the city and home to some of the most fashionable and popular shops.
Like most Spanish cities, there are plenty of squares to sit in and admire and the Plaza de la Constitución is in the heart of Malaga’s oldest quarter. Close by is the majestic cathedral which dates back to the Gothic period of the 16th century.
High up and towering over the city is the Castle of Gibralfaro, an impressive fortress standing proudly at the top of a mountain to protect the locals.
Art is big in Malaga and the multi-coloured cube shaped Centre Pompidou has an extensive collection of both modern and ancient.
Traditional Andalusian paintings are in abundance at the Carmen Thyssen Museum and feature mainly the collection of the fifth wife of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen worth over a billion pounds.
Like the cars and fashion, it shows the city’s penchant for style, substance and sunshine!
Fact Box
Low cost carriers fly from all UK airports to Malaga, while Holiday Extras can help with airport hotels, parking and lounges.
Flying from Edinburgh, a great way to chill out before taking off is to relax in the Swissport operated Aspire Lounge at Gate 16. As well as a large selection of complimentary drinks and food, there is plenty of space to sit and watch the planes take off on the run way, with free Wi-Fi, digital newspapers and print magazines.
Upon arrival in Malaga, check out: www.city-sightseeing.com, which is a great way of a whistle stop tour on land and water.
A wide variety of where to stay options to suit all pockets and tastes can be found on www.visita.malaga.eu and the site also helps with culture attractions and what’s on.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2
Top photograph courtesy of Malaga City Tourist Board
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