Leaving the flat via the front door and navigating through a rather complex set of traffic lights, we find ourselves in Málaga’s park. This tract of reclaimed land (Málaga’s coast used to be roughly where our block of flats is) is now the main thoroughfare from West to East and has an astonishing 11 lanes, and a pokey, miserable little bike lane. But to give credit where it’s due, They are working on a proper asphalted, separated bike lane that will eventually be part of a network linking the East of town with the centre. I can’t wait for it to open.

In between the traffic you can find plants and trees from pretty much anywhere around the globe. There are palm trees from Central & South America, Africa & Asia as well as the antipodes. There are huge Jacarandas and Magnolias. You would need four adults at least to form a human ring around them. There are various pines including Monkey Puzzle and my favourite, The Canary Pine, the tallest tree in the park. The South side is bordered by a Plane tree-lined avenue of yet more lanes of traffic, beyond this is the port. There is a plan to create a tunnel for the traffic, allowing for much more space for pedestrians and dare I say it, cyclists.

So what can you expect to see when it comes to fauna? The feral pigeons are the predominant birds, and Brown Rats are rampant whereas I very rarely see them up the hill. Billy gets hot under the collar, wanting to chase every one we come across. Monk Parakeets are next on the list, using the tall palms for their communal nests. The regular finches and tits are here, and Short-toed Creepers thrive. I saw House Sparrows, Spotted Flycatchers and a loan Robin perched on a park bench, of which, there are plenty throughout the park. The Robin was a surprise, as was this peculiar male Blackbird. It got me wondering whether if birds were unfeathered, we would be so taken with them?