Plucky Survivors See Europe Day 53: Costa del Sol

I decided not to drive all the way to Gibraltar today but did go for a drive anyway.  I was in search of something I didn’t find.

I’m working on a destination movie for Hallmark that involves a museum.  That’s all I can say for right now but for a setting I had chosen the Costa del Sol.  I had visions of quaint seaside villages, cobblestone streets, mountains on one side and the Mediterranean on the other.  Apparently, that only exists in my head.

I asked a LOT of people to direct me to towns like that and got nothing but blank stares and shrugs.  Thinking it might have been a language barrier, I went in search of it and what I found was more just like Torremolinos and Malaga – mile after mile of modern buildings, fancy (and some less fancy) resorts, and lots and lots of souvenir shops.  It’s more like a downscale French Riviera than charming old school Spanish.

Guess I’m going to have to back to the drawing board on the setting.

There were a couple of stops along the way.

In Malaga I went to one of the best museums I’ve seen on the trip, El Museo Automovilistico y de la Moda, the museum of automobiles and fashion.  Yes, the stars of the show are the cars, but it’s so much more than that.

I’ve talked before about how I think the best museums provide context, allowing the viewer to understand the time, the place, the culture, and the reasons behind the creation of the art on display.  This museum does that in ways that were evocative and fascinating.

Alongside most of the cars, they displayed fashion, either of the era or inspired by it.  Dresses, hats, shoes, gloves, coats… it was like stepping back in time to view not only the automotive art, but the design ethos of the times.  It became very clear that different modes of design are influenced by one another, in this case showing how the styling of cars influenced the styling of clothes and vice versa.

I was reminded of a car I saw at an automobile museum in Vegas, the 1955 Dodge La Femme.  It was marketed to women with a pink and white design scheme and matching accessories including a purse, a raincoat, and an umbrella.  That was probably more craven than inspired by design, but the intersection has been there all along.

It’s still evident today.  Many newer car designs are trending toward the boxy, full-figured look instead of the windswept sleek designs of the last decade or so.  Look at the Kia Santa Fe or the Ford Bronco as examples.  Boxy, structured, oversize clothing is on trend in fashion as well.

Yes, I looked it up.  I get most of my clothes from Target.

Sprinkled throughout were various art exhibits.   I loved this museum and could’ve spent all day there.  Enjoy the photos – there are lots of them.

After that, I made a stop in Torrequebrada, another resort area where there is a casino.  It was small – maybe 50 machines and a handful of tables that weren’t open yet.  I was one of the only people in there and didn’t stay long.

Because parking is basically non-existent in this area, I hadn’t had a chance to eat so by the time I made it back to the hotel I was starving, but it was 4pm and everything was closed for the afternoon siesta except for the snack bar at my hotel.  The hamburger and fries weren’t even worth taking a picture of.

I chilled for a bit and did some work, thinking I’d go to bed early since I have to get up an drive again tomorrow, but then found myself getting hungry at 10pm.  Luckily, that’s dinner time here, so I went for a walk and found all the restaurants packed to the streets.  I was going to go to an Italian joint for something simple but I happened upon a small Greek taverna and got my go to – a chicken skewer with onions and peppers, rice, tzatziki, and warm pita bread.  It was fantastic, although I know I’m going to regret eating this late.

Tomorrow, I make my way to Seville for a couple of days before heading on to Portugal.  Until then.