Historic art corner

I went to church for the midweek Eucharist this morning, and ended up saying Morning Prayer and Ante-Communion, as nobody showed up. There was shopping to do, lunch to cook and emails to answer, then a tea-time I had another visit from Luiz whose installation of a new toilet cistern valve had not been entirely successful, as the generic valve design isn't a perfect fit, and sealing it is tricky. He worked on it for another hour and a half, then left with instructions to let the seal cure for a day before testing by filling the tank.

Then I went out for my paseo, climbing up the Gibralfaro path a little way for a good photographic glimpse of a large cruise ship, in port today. 3,750 passengers and 1,000 staff this one, called 'Mein Schiff 3'. Built in Finland, registered in Malta, run by TUI, this is a new generation vessel, one of a series with same name followed by a number. These have diesel-electric engines, where a cleaner, modern diesel generator provides electric power to the propulsion units. Good to know that the tour industry giants are responding to the environmental challenge in this way. The sea tourism market is still expanding, however, so many older ships remain in service largely unmodified, I'd guess, as on some occasions the acrid smell of ship's diesel fumes wafts over Playa La Malagueta, a kilometre from the cruise terminal.

Tucked into the quay next to the Melilla ferry terminal MSC Corinthian was moored. It's only two weeks since she last visited. Collecting or delivering passengers? I wondered, but there's no way of satisfying my idle curiosity. 

I walked then into the Old Town to Calle Cister, hoping to find Abadia de Sta Ana open, which it was. The photos I took much earlier in my stay weren't in perfect focus, and I wanted to improve on them. It's lovely to go in there because marvellous monastic plainchant is playing in the background. I was a little more successful this time, and took a picture of a large and beautiful crucifix which presides from the south transept wall over the nuns' choir stalls, which face the altar from that side, enclosed and hidden from congregational view. These days, no nuns live here, so a hidden treasure is accessible to the public. Annoyingly, my close up headshot of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad weeping tears over her dead son was still slightly out of focus, so I'll have to return tomorrow.

In another cul de sac nearby across Calle Cister is the Museo de Revello Toro, one of Spain's great contemporary portrait artists, still going strong at 91. He's designed prestigious posters for the Malaga carnival on two occasions as well. Much of his collection is exhibited permanently here, and the 17th century house was originally owned and worked in by Pedro de Mena, once of Spain's outstanding religious sculptors, who carved the wooden figures of saints adorning the Cathedral's choir stalls, just a stone's throw away. He had strong associations with Abadia de Sta Ana, and asked to be buried there. Something went wrong at the time, and it was only in 1991 that his remains were finally interred close to the threshold of the church, according to his wishes. There's a lovely bust of hin on a plinth just outside the museum entrance. I arrived there just as the doors were about to close for the day, so all I could do was say hasta manana to the custodians and head for home.