Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

Fri 25th April - Sun 27th April

According to the tourist office, Vejer was voted the most beautiful town in Europe in the 1970's and it's easy to see why. Situated on a hilltop overlooking the mediterranean, Vejer is a fortress of white Spanish terraced flats stacked on top of eachother, complete with a church tower and a small castle at the very top. You'll need your asthma inhaler to explore the steep streets but it's definitely worth getting lost in this small maze of shops and tapas bars just to stumble across an incredible view overlooking the other side of the city clinging to the hilltop.

One of my best friends in London, Charlotte, was kind enough to loan us her parents' flat in this town which we would have otherwise overlooked on our trip. I hate to write about it now and risk that others might discover its beauty so if you're reading this, promise you will not tell anyone else about it!

After weeks in a leaky van and the freezing cold, we were ecstatic to move indoors to a flat in the centre of town. Campsites aren't all that bad, but they're never located within walking distance of the city, so you're always committed to a bus journey and cooking in the van at night. The sheer luxury of sleeping in a full bed without having to build it first and walking out to dinner made us seriously consider signing up for Spanish lessons and packing in the rest of the trip to stay for the summer. Doubtful that Charlotte's parents would have been keen to that idea, we decided just to appreciate the flat for a few days and remember what it was like to have a stable household.

Thank you Van der Meersch family!! Talk about the best daily life routine you could ever ask for! We'd awake in the morning and walk down to the local panaderia for fresh bread. After helping ourselves to a fresh cup of espresso at the cafe overlooking miles of rolling green hills, we would climb back up the white cement stairs and sit on the roof overlooking the Med while munching on yogurt and fresh bread. Afterwards we'd either wander the streets in town, take a tour or just sit on the roof and read a book until it was lunch time. Lunch = sangria and tapas, followed by a few Cruz Campo, the local beer. By 3pm, you're feeling pretty sleepy and it's siesta time so we would curl up in the very cool tiled bedroom and awake just in time for a stroll around town at sunset. What a life!!

If you are considering visiting Vejer (which we definitely recommend!) check out El Cobijo for rooms. Susanna (the owner) is extremely friendly and the rooms are beautiful and cozy. You will not be disappointed.