Pablo Picasso grew up in Málaga, though after the age of 19 he is said to never have returned. The Museo Picasso Málaga displays a small portion of his paintings and sculptures. So, in honor of Picasso whose hometown I am visiting, and of beaches where the ocean meets land, here is a painting by Picasso named The Beach (La Baignade) -
Whether it is to be active or to be calm, the beach and the ocean together satisfy me in a way that other forms of this earth have not. Recently I have found myself near and in the ocean for a variety of reasons. What I love is the variety of beaches (a beach is not "just any beach") and the meeting of land with water you find at each and every one. Currently I am in Málaga. This city lies on the Costa del Sol in Andalucía, along the southern coastline of Spain. To the left and to the right are beaches. Sand and rocks going for miles, interrupted by ports and harbors and docks, apartment buildings, and chiringuitos (small restaurants and snack shops dotting the playas). Some beaches are crowded and cigarette-butt-laden, others are prim and groomed. Others are a little more wild and a little less touched - such was Playa Almayate which I sought out today with my boyfriend Ryan. We wanted to leave the city for the day so around noon we took a regional bus from Málaga to the town of Almayate. We had to guess where to get off because none of the stops were marked. After what we hoped to be enough time had passed on the bus for us to be in the right town, we descended and walked along the highway until we found a sign advertising a chiringuito pointed toward the right, toward the ocean. We followed the sign and walked a quarter mile through pepper and squash fields until finally we were greeted by the ocean and the bright, bright sun. Here I am, above, with our shade-providing shrub. Pablo Picasso grew up in Málaga, though after the age of 19 he is said to never have returned. The Museo Picasso Málaga displays a small portion of his paintings and sculptures. So, in honor of Picasso whose hometown I am visiting, and of beaches where the ocean meets land, here is a painting by Picasso named The Beach (La Baignade) - Of course, there are seasides made better for sitting than dipping. If the shore is rocky there is perhaps still beauty to be had in the view. If there is more trash than sand washing up on shore, then perhaps there is something more interesting to be seen just a bit inland or a trash-less beach not too far away (to mind comes the port of Essaouira in Morocco in 2010, where in the port area closest to the old town seagulls dove constantly to the bottles and bags piling up on the rocks, whereas a quarter of a mile south lay a long, sandy, and spotless beach perfect for a walk).
1 Comment
Wendy
2/8/2012 11:01:18 am
I love the beach, too, so I can gaze over the wide expanse of water--whether a river, lake or ocean. I would love to be sitting on a sandy, warm beach this summer! Not to be found in the 4th Corner, though. Enjoy!! (love the artwork)
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yes blog is currently 'archived'yes blog started when I moved from the States to Spain in 2012 and documented the results of saying 'yes' - to the people and learning opportunities - that came my way. Archives
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