Sometimes you find a foreign city so irresistibly charming and attractive that you miss it intensely. You find yourself with a strong sense of nostalgia and cherished memories. The list of my favorite cities includes Rome, Prague, St. Petersburg, Paris and London. Certainly, New York, where I used to live, deserves to be on the list with its strange charms. Madrid should be on the list as well with its fabulous palaces, cathedrals and squares, as well as Kyoto. But when I first saw Malaga, a southern resort city in Spain, I hopelessly fell in love with it.

Ostensibly, Malaga’s charm seems to derive from its cobalt-blue sky and Mediterranean climate that attract foreign tourists. Indeed, you can frequently see cruise ships from other European countries such as Italy and Germany docked at its port. Malaga is not far from famous historic sites such as the Alhambra Palace, Ronda and Cordoba. At Nerja, a municipality close to Malaga, you can see a magnificent stalactite cave that boasts the world’s biggest stalactite pillar. You can go to the Balcony of Europe viewpoint where you will be enchanted by the spectacular colors of the Mediterranean Sea and the awesome blue sky above.

On a deeper level, Malaga’s charm stems from the beautiful harmony between Christian and Islamic cultures that coexist within it. In the city center, you can find narrow alleys built by the Jews and the Muslims to block the strong sunlight and create shade by using the buildings closely facing each other on both sides. In the Palace of Mondragon in Ronda, you can see a perfect combination of Western and Islamic architecture. For example, the pillars are Christian, but the arches are Islamic and so are the oriental patterns on them. At Alhambra Palace, too, you can find the peaceful coexistence of Christian and Islamic architecture that reflects the spirit of reconciliation.

Another charm of Malaga is its warm-hearted people. Thanks to the nice and friendly people, you will find it pleasant to stay in Malaga. Koreans tend to assume that “jeong,” or affection, is ingrained only in Koreans, and yet I find the Spanish society is full of “jeong” as well. Actually, the Spanish “jeong” seems even better, because it is extended to foreigners as well. On the contrary, the Korean “jeong” is usually limited to one’s own faction, group or family, and is seldom extended to outsiders or foreigners.

When I flew to Malaga last week, I was showered with the Spanish “jeong.” Everywhere I went, I encountered warm-hearted people who cared about my staff and me, and tried to be of help to us. For example, professor Antonio Domenech from the University of Malaga was thoughtful enough to come to the airport to greet my staff, Park Ji-won and Jazmin Shin, and me at midnight. Professor Kang Eun-kyung thoroughly prepared various literary events for us. Patricia was kind enough to guide us through the maze of campus buildings. Andrea, who impressed me with her flawless Korean and charming personality, took us to nearby historic sites and introduced Spanish culture to us.

Dr. Jose Angel Narvaez, rector of the University of Malaga, also impressed us with his exceptionally warm hospitality and “jeong.” Rector Narvaez not only cordially received us in his office, but also kindly hosted a welcome dinner, in which two vice presidents, Victor Fernando Munoz and Tecla Lumbreras, and Dean Ana Rosa del Aguila Obra also joined. When Rector Narvaez and I met last year in Malaga, we became good friends instantly. When we saw each other again last week, we hugged affectionately and called each other “my brother!” Who knows? When we see each other again next year, we may have become even closer.

Students at the University of Malaga were impressive, too. Highly motivated, they were enthusiastic about learning about Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, Korea’s economic success, and the cutting-edge technology of companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai. They were eager to learn Korean literature and culture as well. I brought along a Korean writer Lee Jangwook on the trip and he had a wonderful time with students who had translated his short story into Spanish in a translation workshop.

Before my trip to Malaga, Spanish Ambassador D. Gonzalo Ortiz Diez-Tortosa was kind enoughh to visit LTI Korea twice to discuss the cultural exchange between Korea and Spain. I was impressed by his extraordinary enthusiasm and dedication. We became closer as we found out that our fathers were born in the same year, 1920 and so were we. Besides we had many things in common such as valuing cultural diplomacy and understanding.

My good friend, Theresa, once told me, “Spain has many facades and layers of history.” I presume the multifaceted history of Spain helped create a charming city like Malaga. Previously, I have left my heart in some irresistibly charming cities such as San Francisco, Rome and Berlin. Leaving Malaga for Seoul last week I left a part of me behind.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. He can be reached at sukim@snu.ac.kr. -- Ed.