The trip started with a three-hour delay before we left the airport, morphed into five days without suitcases.

In spite of the mess ups the trip has been very interesting. The first day we went to a vineyard. We tasted several kinds of wine and had a gourmet lunch that was beyond belief. Everyday we have beautiful meals. The most frequently served delicacy is the regional wild boar ( black hair but no tusks) that feed on acorns in the oak forests. The rear legs of the female are packed in salt for several days and then air dried for several months. People buy an entire leg for the family. The lower priced domestic pigs have white feet and the boats have black feet.

We have had the roasted boar for lunch. Every lunch is a gastronomic adventure, hotel diner’s in the evening are very mundane.

One of my travel dreams was to see the Alhambra. It was not as spectacular as I dreamed, the Turkish palace and Harem was superior.

We have visited the Royal Chapel of Isabelle and Ferdinand and the Cathedral of Malaga. The opulence of the church always astounds me.

The highlight thus far is the Picasso museum. Many of Picasso’s eight decades of work are organised by themes. Malaga was his home, his family remained there but he left because of Franco.

We had an evening demonstration of Flamenco dancing. It is one of the few arts that is listed as a cultural heritage by UNESCo.

We have visited several markets. This part of Spain grows fabulous fruits and vegetables that are exported to the rest of the EU.