Thursday, June 30, 2016

The Old And New Virgin Of Carmen

Fuengirola has a great installation along the paseo in our neighborhood, Los Boliches. Large historic photos of what the city looked like when it was still a sleepy fishing village, through the 1960s and '70s when the city changed drastically.

(As always, click any image for the bigger picture.)

FROM THE TERRACE.

At the time of major development, not much thought was given to quality, environment, or history. All that mattered was tourism. Some cities and towns in Spain lost a lot of their history and beauty. Some fought back in later years and are still fighting. Fuengirola fared a bit better and was rescued sooner. It's no longer a small, simple fishing village and some history was lost, but not all, and even more was uncovered. And the city is making every effort to improve what was done badly and to maintain control over current and future development. The improvements we've seen in our 3+ years here have been very positive. There are also displays in specific locations around town so you can immediately compare the old with the new. Here's the first of several I plan to share.


IN TOWN, THE OLD CHURCH OF THE VIRGIN OF CARMEN.
THE NEW CHURCH OF THE VIRGIN OF CARMEN.
THE OLD SAN GERALDO ... NO, THE NEW SAN GERALDO...
WELL, THE SAME OLD SAN GERALDO — WALKING HOME.
(CHECK OUT THE CREASES ON THE BACK OF HIS CALF FROM THE CAFÉ CHAIR!)

25 comments:

  1. Nice creases! I miss you two. And Spain!

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    Replies
    1. Knatolee:
      Come back! We didn't have enough time!!!

      Delete
  2. I LOVE seeing pictures of your village along the mediterranean sea! kinda looks like a florida beach with the palm trees.

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    1. anne marie:
      It's got a very similar look to San Diego County, California... and to places in Florida. And then it's got something all its own!

      Delete
  3. I like the newer building better. The photos along the paseo are a great idea.

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    1. Walt the Fourth:
      You've made me look at the new church with a more appreciative eye. I trust your judgment. It has grown on me over time but I was disappointed by the contemporary replacement and almost apologized for it in this post.

      Delete
  4. I love seeing the old.
    I am old, so, yeah, there's that.
    And the photos are great; I could almost "feel" the creases on San Geraldo's calf!

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    1. Bob:
      Oh, please, the NEW church is probably older than you! By the way, that's the best offer San Geraldo has had in a long time.

      Delete
  5. I see that SG has upgraded from tea towel to very smart-looking straw hat. I bet the photo walk is fascinating. Remember the trees you mentioned as tamarind that aren't tamarind? I wonder if they are tamarisk?

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    1. Wilma:
      He's had the hat since Sevilla (a genuine Panama). There's always a tea towel in his bag or pocket... and he still whips it out at whim!

      And, yes, thanks for mentioning the trees again. I asked people are around town and the few answers I got were tamarindo (tamarind). Because of your comment, I knew that wasn't right and then I finally found pictures of tamarisk, which is definitely it. I've been taking photos to do another post and just haven't gotten to it. Thanks again!

      Delete
  6. you live in a fantastic place. The newchurch is great

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    1. Gosia:
      I tend to like the old village look, but I'm learning to appreciate the contemporary additions.

      Delete
  7. I think I would like San Geraldo. I imagine not feeling that I had to talk non-stop and we could sit quietly if we wanted or not depending on how the mood took us. Right? I like the installation exhibition and look forward to seeing some more. Thank you.

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    1. Rachel:
      Yeah, San Geraldo will do! I've been waiting to feel better (I do) so I can walk all over town getting photos of all these places now.

      Delete
  8. Good that your town has recognized the importance history has played in its development.
    Also good to see that San Geraldo is 'print/plaid/strip free!!! He will become a trend setter!

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    1. Jim:
      We're celebrating 175 years of being on our own (used to be a part of nearby Mijas). The display is part of the celebration. San Geraldo would never be fodder for my "fashion posts." (Well, sometimes he could for different reasons, but I make him change his clothes).

      Delete
  9. At least SG doesn't have varicose veins!

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    1. Ron:
      He's got well-developed and unblemished legs (except for those confounded café creases).

      Delete
  10. It's such a pity that so much of the Spanish coast has been spoiled, yours looks as though it has got off fairly lightly.

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    1. Coppa's girl:
      I had heard that so often about the Spanish coast before coming here. I've seen some areas that should have been protected, but I've been surprised by how much beautiful coastline still exists.

      Delete
  11. You do such an amazing job of selling your new home that I'm determined to visit one day.

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    1. Stephen:
      We love Southern Spain! I highly recommend it.

      Delete
  12. I am not so fond of virgins. They always look like they are on stage imitating a cheap pain.

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    Replies
    1. Spo:
      Oh, you'd find it difficult here. We've got virgins on every street.

      Delete

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