The Cafe de Estraperlo is a hidden Malaga gem, wedged between two bicicleta (bike) shops near the harbour.  We sat at bar stools while the owner (Mark) entertained us with the story of how a classically trained musician and TV producer from England, ended up co-owning a bar in Malaga with a Spanish guy called José! And right on cue, José turns up. ‘He’s only 2 minutes late’ Mark notes, which for the Spanish, is virtually early!

After Cafe de Estraperlo we headed towards home, and we nearly made it ….. except that we had to walk right past Jamones. Raúl and Javier weren’t there, but we finally met the third partner of the business, Felix.  There’s a fantastic mural of the three of them on the wall (Felix is the one in the middle).

We also meet Robert and Elizabeth from Denmark (who arrived in Malaga that afternoon to escape the cold dark winter).  We talk about architecture (Robert is a semi-retired architect), Aussie Mary AKA Crown Princess of Denmark (and how she could possibly learn Danish in just 3 months) and travelling.  Elizabeth tells me the heart-wrenching story of the death of one of her two children.  I’m now crying in Jamones. sigh.

We ate melt-in-your-mouth Jamon (Iberian smoked pork cut into paper thin slices – you really don’t have to chew, I’m not kidding), potatoes with spicy paprika and my new favorite food “Pimientos de Padron”. The pimientos de padron are little green peppers that taste a little like sweet green capsicum, except that one in ten has a kick like a mule!!  They are cooked in olive oil until they blister (about 1 minute) and then sprinkled with salt.  It’s a dish that is sweet, salty and spicy (drool).

The next morning, we leave our Malaga apartment to catch the train to Sevilla. On our way past Jamones we see Raúl, setting up for the day (it’s 9.40am, which in Spanish terms is unfathomably early, and the streets are still deserted).  The train ride is efficient and uneventful, but I’m tired. from too much vino tinto the night before, or too much crying with Elizabeth, perhaps both.

Adios mi amigos (goodbye my friends).