Our experience at the Foreigners Office this morning was a pleasure. But we needed copies of our passports that expired last year and the US consulate did not return them when they sent us our new passports. So, now, in lieu of those passports, we have to go back within 10 days with documentation that shows we were living here for the seven months not covered between the last copy of our old passports and the start of our current passports — utility bills, monthly payments, etc. If we had our old passports, this would be a breeze. Now it’s just a bit of searching, downloading, and copying. The requirement is that, in our first 5 years here, we may not have been out of the country for more than 3 months at any one time or for a total of 10 months over the entire 5 years. We haven’t. Now we just have to document what’s missing. Still, I have tremendous appreciation for Málaga’s Oficina de Extranjeros! Even the security guards were kind and professional.
 |
| THE TOMB OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IN SEVILLA CATHEDRAL. |
Colomares Castle in Benalmádena was begun in 1987 and completed in 1994. It was built by a retired American, Esteban Martín Martín, to honor Christopher Columbus.
Martín claimed to be disappointed by the lack of homage paid to Columbus.
I wonder, did he not read his history books?
I had never heard of the castle and discovered it (kind of like Columbus discovered America), when admiring the view from up above in Benalmádena Pueblo. It wasn’t until I got home that I learned what it actually was.
Promoters of the castle claim that it contains the Guinness Book of World Records’ smallest church. The church is said to be 1.96 square meters (6.43 square feet). However, I cannot substantiate their claim anywhere other than in information provided by the promoters of Colomares Castle.
Alongside what is probably not the world’s smallest church is an empty mausoleum in which, I’ve read, Martín hoped Columbus’s remains would one day be re-laid to rest. Not likely.
In addition to his apparent adoration of Columbus, Martín was a huge admirer of the late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. I don’t think I’ll be investing my 2 euros to visit this castle (of which you can only see the exterior).
 |
| MY FIRST SIGHTING. WHAT IS THAT? |
 |
| WORKING MY WAY AROUND FOR A MORE COMPLETE VIEW. |
 |
| THIS IS PROBABLY AS CLOSE AS I’LL EVER GET. (UNLESS I GET A BETTER ZOOM LENS.) |