The Málaga town of Macharviaya with its 500 inhabitants has just begun a twinning process with Galveston in Texas, which has a population of 50,000.

The reason why is because Macharaviaya is the birthplace of the founder of the American city at the end of the XVIII Century. In fact, Galveston derives from Galveztown in honour of the celebrated Spanish soldier, Bernardo de Gálvez (1746-1786) who was the Viceroy of Nueva España and Governor of Luisiana and hero of the American War of Independence.

An American delegation handed over the documents of town twinning to the Mayor, Antonio Campos (PSOE), which now have to be ratified in a Plenary Meeting of the Town Council.

The people in period dress are from the Asociación Histórico-Cultural de Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez de Macharviaya.

This is not the first twinning process that the locals have been through because in 2012 they twinned with Pensacola in Florida, which is where Gálvez fought his most renowned battle during the said war and where he pronounced his famous utterance, “Yo Solo.”

Editorial comment: Macharaviaya is that unpronounceable name on the road signs on the way to Málaga Airport but the name for residents of that town is equally… unusual: Macharatungo. Remember to wind down your window and bellow it as you go by.

(News: Macharaviaya, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)