Torremolinos, it's not 1959 anymore!

Lots of great history and connections for the McMahon's in these two regions of Spain . When I was five years old my then seven brother and sisters (Michelle and Michael were just a dream at that point), joined our parents Irene and Franklin for a six month stay in Torremolinos, Spain. Back in 1959 it was a sleepy fishing village just beginning to be awakened to the tourist mecca it would become. Then the house was heated with coal delivered by a donkey drawn cart. I remember we stayed in an old house with large windows and massive windowsills. So large were the sills that my brother Hugh and I laid out some blankets and both slept there. I remember riding in the donkey carts, but not much more. Attached here are some of the old photos from 1959 that show the McMahons in and around Torremolinos.

My brother Mark, who was eight years old at the time, remembers more. He tells stories about crossing the road and playing with the kids who lived in the orphanage and with the "gypsy kids" who lived in the caves above the town. Both Mark and I remember the Thanksgiving turkey that was delivered in a straw basket, alive . The turkey was "harvested" by a local woman who did some cooking for us. The story goes that Mark witnessed the end of the turkey and to this day shy's away from this Thanksgiving staple. My parents wrote a story about our adventures in Spain that was published back in the US. If anyone is interested in seeing this article, I can forward a copy to you. Let me know.

Today Torremolinos has been describe as, "Spain's biggest resort, a Costa del Sol hotspot without cultural attractions or monuments to distract from its straightforward sun, sea and sand recipe, is particularly popular with the snowbird and gay crowds. Calle San Miguel's shops, bars and cafes are a social focus for the city of bargain-priced resort hotels." - TripAdvisor

The house we lived in for six months is long gone, replaced with high-rise apartments and shops. The orphanage was first built in 1935 and called "College of Railwaymen Orphans". The orphanage was closed and pretty much left to crumble . When my sister Mary visited Torremolinos about 15 years ago with Buck and Nora (nephew and niece) her photos show a broken down empty building. In 1998 the City of Torremolinos "restored, conditioned and equipped (the building) for use as a cultural center. In 2001, renovations were completed and the building was dedicated as the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Cultural Center. Picasso was born in the next town over (Malaga) and lived in the area until the age of 10. He left Malaga moving on to Barcelona and France, and never returned to his home town.

On of the items mary sent me was a hand-written map, drawn by my father, that helped her and now me find the location of house we lived in Torremolinos. It was a nice connection I didn't expect coming from my father all these months and years later.

Alhambra, a Very Impressive Site

We spent a full four hours touring this memorable site . The Moorish architecture and designs were spectacular, to say the least. Spain is full of wonders, the Alhambra being one of the most impressive. We were very glad to have gotten a chance to see it.

Alhambra has been awarded a World Heritage label from UNESCO. This is how they describe it. "Unique artistic creations, the Alhambra and the Generalife of Granada bear exceptional testimony to Muslim Spain of the 16th century. They form an exceptional example of royal Arab residences of the medieval period: neither destroyed nor changed by the alterations of radical restorations, the Alhambra and the Generalife appear to have escaped the vicissitudes of time. Despite the development that followed the Christian conquest, the Albayzín still bears witness to the medieval Moorish settlement, as its urban fabric, architecture and main characteristics (form, materials, colours), were not changed when it was adapted to the Christian way of life, to survive as a remarkable example of a Spanish-Moorish town .

Archaeological excavations have shown that the hill where the Albayzín is now situated has been occupied continuously from as early as the Roman period. In the mid-8th century the region's governor built a fortress where the Plaza de San Nicolás is now located. After the disappearance of the Caliphate of Cordoba (1031), the ephemeral Zirid Emirate of Granada replaced it until 1090: the emirs devoted themselves to the embellishment of their capital, constructed on a site of exceptional beauty. A new defensive enclosure was added and around this a settlement grew up. The town prospered under the Nasrid dynasty and this was reflected by considerable development of the city, but Granada did not become of the important centres of Muslim Spain until much later - in 1238, when Muhammad ibn al Ahmar founded the present Alhambra."

La Mancha and Don Quixote

The fictional gentleman from La Mancha has played a significant role in the McMahon Family over the years . I think Don Quixote was one of my father's favorite literary characters. It was a major event when the musical "Man of La Mancha" staring Richard Kiely came to Chicago for the first time. I think he took all of us all to this production. There is something about the themes, "to dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to reach for the unreachable star.....that is my quest"......that lends itself to the whole McMahon freelance lifestyle. The story spoke to my father, and as an extension to all of us offspring. I still have a mousepad with the Picasso Don Quixote image on it that my father gave me.

On of the connections my father made to this story was when he started a film distribution company to promote his many documentary films, he named it Rocinante Sight and Sound. Rocinante is Don Quixote trusted horse. I found a windmill named after Rocinante, very cool.

Coming to this region of Spain, walking among the windmills, going to the Dulcinea Museum in Toboso, seeing all the public statues celebrating Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, Dulcinea and Rocinate was a very special experience for me.