Nap time in Andalusia
On this coast, life is good, it runs on Spanish time, so between 2 and 4 o’clock everything becomes silent, people flee the sun and rest. We laugh and we dance. Fairs (feria) go through each city, and there is always one within a 50 km radius. We eat well in Andalusia, proximity to the sea for fresh fish, fruit plantations and the famous olive oil all offer a great variety of recipes. Sarah’s favourite feast was octopus a la plancha, accompanied by saffron potatoes and it’s my favourite tapas too!
The people of the coast of Cadiz are bright, happy and with a special energy. There is always something to do, people in the streets and on the terraces. Local festivals, flowers and alleyways give a special charm to the villages. We always start the day with a good toast with olive oil. After lunch the whole town is quiet. It’s nap time. Whether you slept or not, the shops are closed and if it’s hot the streets are empty; later the activity returns. I enjoyed watching Sarah absorb all that and try to sample all the traditional tapas.
Castellar, Tarifa, Conil, Zahara … all these coastal cities are beautiful, but Vejer for me is the one that is best. Planted atop a hill with white houses all crammed haphazardly, some suspended in the abyss of the cliff. Vejer is a village reminiscent of northern Morocco, but with geraniums in the windows, it has a pleasant cosmopolitan and bohemian atmosphere. Its curved streets are organized in a huge and happy mess that invite you to walk around breathing the breeze that rises slowly around the little streets and enjoying every step.