Malaga museum and mountain motoring - both in one day!

(Click photos to enlarge)

For more photos, click June Run Gallery

Well the June event didn't go quite according to plan. Despite heroic efforts from some committee members (particularly Nick) and weeks of discussions, the powers that be in Malaga put up so many last-minute obstacles that the proposed display in the Roman Amphitheatre had to be called off. It seems sometimes that forward thinking just doesn't have a place in Spanish bureaucracy! Fortunately the indefatigable Ken Cotton came up with a "Plan B" and rehashed his ill-fated run from last April when torrential rain had meant that the route was impassible for most of us. No problems with rain this time, though – rather the reverse since it must have been the hottest Saturday yet this year, with unbroken sunshine.

We met, as planned, at the Museo Automovilistica for a display in their car park (sadly their photographer did not turn up until after we had left!) and there was a splendid collection – not quite as impressive as the models inside the museum perhaps but all equally cherished. Some, like the celebrated "Beast" (just as long as the most ostentatious Cadillac) did not come on the run afterwards but attracted plenty of attention during the early part of the morning. The museum had kindly organised concessionary entrance fees for drivers and passengers – a particularly exciting visit for those who missed our first one last year. And apparently those of you who couldn't make it this time can get in for the reduced price of 3 Euros if you show your Club badge.

At midday the club cars left the bustle of the city behind for the inland countryside of the Axarquia east of Malaga driving through this spectacular mountain area, following the Ruta de la Pasa and joining the Ruta del Sol y del Aguacate.

 

 

 

The Route of the Raisin began at Benalgabon climbing steeply into the hills with never- ending views of mountains and the sea. Further inland it was easy to see how it got its name, with vines clustered thickly on every available piece of land, so steep in some parts that it was difficult to see how anyone could harvest the crop.

At El Borge the local industry was celebrated by a huge bunch of silver grapes on the roundabout just outside the village. These vines, of course, produce the muscatel variety of grapes which are dried into those luscious fat raisins or used in the sweet Malaga wine.

 

Some of the classics found the climb a bit too much and had to stop to cool down. And those in open-topped cars had to slap on masses of sun cream.

But then the route wound downwards into the valley and into the pueblo of Benamargosa curled round its dried-up river bed. Here it was cool drinks all round before driving back to the coast joining the Sun and Avocado route, with dense plantations on each side of the road.

 

A trip round the relatively newly opened ring road into the Guadalhorce valley towards Cartama avoided driving into Malaga. This is going to be an amazing road once it links up with the unfinished section out towards the airport, but currently it has a deserted air with very little traffic on its impressive four-lane highway.

 

 

Lunch was later than usual but fortunately the venue – Hacienda Romeral del Rocio – serves an inexpensive eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet at the weekends well into the afternoon and in welcome air conditioning. Their photographer was ready and waiting for us and the wedding guests in the adjoining venue had great fun posing with the classics ‐ rather like having two displays in one day!