Februar, marec 2013 - Adria Airways

SPAIN
When siesta becomes a way of life
ANDALUSIAN ATMOSPHERE
Text and photographs: jože balas
Andalusians are different from your typical Spaniard.
Maybe it's because of their Moorish blood that
comes through in everything: in culture, cuisine and
architecture, but most of all in their spirit, the eyes
of black-haired beauties, the music, flamenco, poetry,
football and bullfighting. It comes through in the people;
they love to do what they are good at and they are proud
of what they have.
This article neither starts nor ends in Seville, even though that was where
we started and ended our trip around Andalusia and despite the fact that
there are countless stories we could tell you about the city. It does seem a
shame not to mention at least a part of its rich history and describe at least
a fragment of its beauty, be it the Plaza de España, the cathedral or maybe
the Jewish quarter. It is true that after this trip, what I remember most about
Seville are the fat cockroaches in the American restaurant famous for its
barbecue dishes. One way or another, Seville merits a mention in any story
about Andalusia, but still … Why don't we head off the beaten path instead,
into the countryside and to the coast Andalusia is a large region, too large
to experience during a single visit, but it offers a variety of wonderful places
where you can spend your time and money. Since even the thought of the
concrete Mediterranean beaches and summer chaos in crowded Malaga
and Costa Del Sol is enough to make my toes curl, let's head off instead to the
Atlantic coast, somewhere between Tarifa and Cadiz.
Its location and natural features make the Costa De La Luz almost the exact
opposite of the Costa Del Sol, its Mediterranean sister. The main difference
is the sea: on the Mediterranean side, it is relatively flat and calm, a veritable
swimming pool compared to the Atlantic. On the Costa De La Luz, the sea is
cold, with large waves whipped up by the wind; definitely not the first choice for
people who tend to feel chilly. It could almost be said that Northerners are the
only visitors who actually enjoy swimming there – Germans, Danes, Swedes,
Russians and the people of Bohinj, whose lake is similarly chilly. This is likely the
reason why the Atlantic coast is more or less deserted, and there are no signs
of mass tourism anywhere. The Costa De La Luz has something for everyone
from tramps begging on every street corner, hoping to scrape together enough
for a bottle of beer, to partying backpackers and rich people hiding in fenced
communities. More than anything, the coast is a haven for modern hippies
looking to escape from the crowds and concrete beaches, the noisy restaurants
and pubs and the consumerist fever of the Western world. It is this free and
restless spirit that defines the Costa De La Luz. Nevertheless, pensioners are
now starting to flock to the urban settlements on the Atlantic coast where the
infrastructure is sufficiently modern to meet the needs of the more demanding
visitors. Much like they settled en masse on the Costa Del Sol and other
parts of the Spanish Mediterranean coast where property was cheap in the
1970s, they are now migrating to the west, perhaps for the same reasons as the
younger travellers – peace and pristine nature. There are a few exceptions, but
the Costa De La Luz is virtually uninhabited from Tarifa to Conil de la Frontera.
Even Tarifa, the southernmost point of continental Europe with regular ferry
services to Morocco, gives the impression of a provincial, if not abandoned
town. The illegal hashish trade has given it a bad reputation, with streets said
to be shrouded in clouds of hashish and marijuana smoke as soon as evening
falls. Between Tarifa and Conil, an old fishing town, you won't find more than a
handful of villages. The houses are scattered so sparsely that it is difficult to tell
where a settlement begins or ends. Opulent tourist resorts, however, are sprouting
up between Conil and Cadiz as an indication of things to come.
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