I attended a lovely event at the Art Gallery of Ontario last night hosted by the Spanish Tourism Consul and convention bureaus from Barcelona, Adalucia, and Costa del Sol. It promised to be an informative workshop highlighting the benefits of bringing meetings and incentive groups to Spain, combined with a "Wine Tasting Experience". I imagined a convivial evening shared with industry acquaintances (check), an opportunity to make new vendor contacts (check), and perhaps a enjoy a trip down memory lane recalling my visit to Barcelona with Cava-Karen, accompanied by a glass of Cava (check and check).
I did not expect to fall in love - with Malaga. The cute Deputy Director of the Costa Del Sol Tourist Board - he claimed to be 62 and attributed his youthful appearance to the Thalassa Spas built around the region's natural spring waters - shared a compelling presentation which talked about Malaga's museums and art galleries (this is the birthplace of Picasso, to name just one), antiquities (a Moorish fortress and Roman amphitheatre - both available for group functions!), modern outdoor pedestrian shopping malls, and the ability to take day-trips to Tangiers in Morocco, to the beach resort town of Marbella (whose port is currently be developed a-la-Dubai with Arab money), or even travel by fast train to the country's capital, Madrid. All that combined with Mediterranean food, climate, and a dash of Flamenco....be still my heart.
This is where I'll be spending my honeymoon.
