Malaga’s MOREISH

and milk – hard to come by after the war. Wall tiles illustrate nine styles – solo (black), largo (very strong) semilargo (strong), solo corto (espresso), mitad (half and half), entrecorto (semi-short), corto (short) sombra (shadow), nube (cloud).

To complete the square he added a tile with an empty cup: “No me lo pongo” – I won’t have coffee.

At Mercado de Atarazanas – a food market awash with colours and smells – we tasted olives, almonds and raisins at Cristóbal Ríos.

Hidden at the back is family-run Bar Central, where we shared a platter of fabulous meats and cheeses.

Our farewell lunch was at familyrun Mesón Mariano.

In Malaga if you book a table for lunch it’s yours as long as you like so there’s no pressure to rush.

We feasted on alcachofa confitada con jamón (artichokes confit), boquerones al limón (fried anchovies) and albondigon (pork meatball in almond sauce). I loved the atún encebollado (tuna in onion sauce).

And leche frita (deep fried custard) dusted with cinnamon served with turrón (nougat) ice cream.

All washed down, once more, with lots of that lovely local wine.

Next time you plan your trip to the sun on the Costa del Sol, stay in Malaga first. You’ll find the food is as moreish as the architecture. FACTFILE: Devour Tours offers food and culture tours in Malaga, Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Granada and San Sebastian. devourtours.com.