Februar, marec 2013 - Adria Airways

SPAIN
for everyone here, from luxury suites to affordable campsites.
The latter are especially popular with young travellers coming in
not just from Europe but from all over the world. Aside from the
pristine nature, sandy beaches unlike any you can find in Europe
and the Mediterranean, mild climate and open atmosphere, they
come here in search of the strong Atlantic winds that make this
coast a veritable kitesurfing paradise. There is a 7km stretch of
beach north of Tarifa that is famous for having the best conditions
for kitesurfing; its campsites, pleasantly shaded by pine
trees, are always bursting at the seams with visitors in search of
adrenaline. There are a number of other beaches between Tarifa
and Cadiz, each and every one of them popular with surfers. Let
me name but a few: Valdevaqueros near Tarifi, Bolonia, Zahara,
Barbate, Trafalgar, Conil, Fuente del Gallo, La Barrosa ... They are
known not just for the winds but also for the majestic dunes of
Sahara sand (grains of which are carried across the Atlantic strait
on the wind) and the expanses of space where everyone can find
some peace and quiet.
It is not unlikely that they will continue to proliferate throughout the
current decade, transforming the peaceful coast into a concrete jungle of
mass tourism. This theory is supported further by the growing number of
golf courses that continue to take up the best locations along the coast.
Its mild and sunny climate makes Andalusia a promised land for golfers
and an inviting destination for wealthy, ambitious players as well as for
people who like to treat themselves to other pleasures aside from golf.
That is exactly what Andalusia offers – this is the land of pleasure!
Even if you are able to resist the
magnificent nature, culture and
traditions that Andalusians cherish
so proudly and the relaxed and
passionate character of the people,
there is one thing that will make
you fall in love with the region:
the food!
The food will hook you and keep you coming back again and again ...
Whether prepared in an expensive first-rate restaurant or a local village
pub, the tapas are always delicious. Try a plate of gazpacho and you
will remember it forever. Then there is the prosciutto; it melts in your
mouth and makes you want to sit there for hours on end just tasting it
and drinking wine …
The diversity and quality of food (not including Seville, obviously) could be
compared to the range of accommodation on offer – there is something
After a few days on the beach, when sand has filled and
invaded every part of your body, you might become tired of the
lack of shade and the warm beer. In that case, the best thing to
do is hop in the car and drive inland. This part of the country
is scattered with countless white villages, known locally as
pueblos blancos. Arcos de la Frontera, Setenil de las Bodegas,
Ubrique and Vejer de la Frontera – these are just some of the
places you absolutely have to see in addition to these gems
in the Andalusian landscape: the romantic Medina-Sidonia,
the enchanting Castelar and Ronda and the historic Cadiz to
top things off. You are sure to fall in love with these towns and
villages, their rich history and their magnificent setting amidst
rolling sunflower fields, orange and olive tree plantations, pastures,
meadows and oddly shaped cork trees that give shade to
many a shepherd. To be fair, it is most of Andalusia that prefers
to stay in the shade throughout the day, regardless of whether
it is a hellish 40°C or raining outside. The siesta is a God-given
privilege, and it would be a sin to break a command as important
as that. The siesta is a big part, if not the trademark of the
Andalusian atmosphere.
While this atmosphere is the very thing that has brought us
to the south of Spain, the reason for our desire to travel, it can
also be slightly frustrating for ... let's call it a normal Central
European visitor. First, you get up too early and disturb the
locals in their sleep when you try to make your morning tea;
then you complain about the shop not being open yet when
you want to buy some fresh bread; next you have to wait for
the cafe to open so you can have some coffee to start the day
right; at the beach, you wait in vain to rent a recliner and umbrella;
at noon, you can't find a single restaurant to buy a steak
and chips for lunch. You soon start to wonder whether you are
normal at all: in the evening, when all you want is a cold beer
and a light snack before bed, you can't understand why people
think you are a stingy German tourist as they try to force a large
dinner on you, not to mention the loud music that plays in
the bar below your apartment until early morning. The same
process starts all over again the next day and the day after
that, the next week and the week after that and so on until your
vacation is over. What a crazy world you might say to yourself
as you leave this strange land where they get up too late and
go to bed even later after sleeping through the afternoon. But
whose world is it that's crazy, theirs – or ours Or maybe we are
just jealous of the Andalusian atmosphere …
96