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| Mijas, at the Costa del Sol, Spain |
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| Donkey at Donkey Taxi Stand |
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| Pottery of Mijas |
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| Salvador Dali appears in many galleries... |
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| Typical window arrangement in Mijas |
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| Mijas Bullring - Sunday Bullfights |
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| Sombra - Shade means expensive seats for the fight, Sol - Sun is similar to our Bleachers |
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| Street scene in Mijas |
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| Proud horses pulling carriages |
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| Town Hall of Mijas |
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| Noble head of an Andalusian Horse |
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| Donkey Taxi Stand 30 April 2010 - Mijas on the Costa del Sol, Spain It is supposed to be sunny 300 out of 365 days a year at the Costa del Sol, tourist heaven since the early 19th century, however, I encountered one of the other 65 days - rain! A side trip from Malaga brings one past concrete jungle Torremolinos, which used to be a quaint and romantic hide away for travellers, to tiny Mijas. Mijas maintains its 'typical' Andalusian status by keeping strict architectural control over any additions to the original village: everything is painted white, every building has a red tiled roof, every building has balconies adorned with wrought iron and planters filled with flowers. Mijas inadvertently joined the tourist economy in the early 1960ies, when a few visitors to the village stopped a group of workers returning home on their donkeys. The visitors wanted to ride the donkeys and take photographs - in exchange for a tip which far exceeded their daily wages. Ergo: the birth of the donkey taxi business, which is now one of the main attractions of already attractive Mijas. The farm workers left their terraced fields to return to weed, and invested in donkeys instead. For a few Euros one may either ride one of the sixty-odd floppy eared creatures, or be driven around town (where pavement and stairs allow) in a little donkey cart. Apart from the usual number of small chapels, a Virgin shrine inside a rocky outcrop, fortress walls dating back to pre Moorish occupation, a Parish church with a former minaret as a bell tower, is also has a bullring. The bullring was constructed in 1900 on request of the inhabitants, it can seat all of 600 people in its unusually oval shaped interior. It is still used, as a practice ground for aspiring bulls (novillos under 5 years old before they turn into raging monsters) and aspiring toreros (over 5 years old) as well as a venue for weekend Flamenco performances for visitors from the surrounding tourist heavens, such as Marbella and said Torremolinos. The Shrine of the Virgin of the Rock holds the (replica) image of a Virgin, which according to legend was hidden during five centuries and was found in 1586 by a bricklayer, father of two shepherd boys who were led to her hiding place by a dove. Some travel magazine published an article about the cavern and the miraculous virgin, who looks a little like Barbie Doll with a Baby, and literally thousands of Japanese invaded the town to be married in such an auspicious location. The villagers saw the light and forbade any wedding ceremonies in the grotto, which cut the influx of newlywedders down to a manageable number. Mijas sits high on the side of the Mijas Mountain range and thus allows a panoramic view of expansive bays lined with famed beaches. Some of which are lined with wall to wall condo developments as well, result of changing the Spanish Real to the Euro and people finding it 'helpful' to avoid the exchange of illegally hoarded loot into Euros by building real estate (a somewhat 'harder' currency) to great excess. Some inhabitants are almost happy about the present financial crisis, and subsequent cessation of out of control construction which was turning the pretty landscape into a sea of ugly structures. Owners are less happy, as the value of these properties has suffered similar drastic plunges as properties in Florida, Arizona and California. Mijas is especially proud of it's miniature museum, which offers a collection of such oddities as stuffed fleas dressed in clothes, Michelangelo's Last supper on a pin head, the Lord's Prayer written on the edge of a visiting card and other rarities of the same ilk. A few retired, but beautifully maintained and well fed Andalusian horses pull light carriages through the flat part of town, and one may enjoy the picturesque village from the comfort of an upholstered seat, under cover and today augmented by large garden umbrellas secured to the carriage floor. It rained BADLY after all. Restaurants and souvenir shops, as well as bakeries, wine shops, artisan's stands and a few very fashionable boutiques have taken over from the shops of a more rustic past. I strolled throughout the village on foot, under my 6 Euro Korcula umbrella, which has withstood the ravages of several rainy ports without falling to pieces and enjoyed the white washed and rain washed village scene, as well as a 'typical' pizza in a restaurant run by a man from Toronto, Canada, which does seem to be 'typical' of the village, where many shops and restaurants are owned and managed by expatriates from abroad. Expats have not yet made inroads into the donkey business, which is still conducted in Andaluz instead of Spanish or English. The donkeys take it all in stride, and pierce the air with lusty braying - rain or shine. |
