Go West

Another location that topped the lists of Spaniards´ suggestions for our continued search for the "perfect place" was the area around Cadiz. Cadiz lies on the windy Atlantic coast of Spain and was recommended to us for its combination of warm sun and cooling wind. Furthermore, the people of Cadiz, the Gaditanos, are known for their irreverent humor and fun-loving nature (could Gaditanos be even MORE fun-loving than the less-than-serious Spaniards we had met almost everywhere else???)

We couldn´t find any hosts in Cadiz and we´re not looking to live in a big city anyway, so we contacted the owner of a boutique hotel (read: candles, incense and strong blocks of color) in a small, white village (please note that when I say "white village" I am referring to the color of the uniformly white-washed buildings). The guide books in English didn´t have much to say about the village, so we were quite surprised when we got off the bus to find a really charming and lovely place perched atop a small hill.

We spent the two weeks here painting (and I became a steam-iron professional). The hotel is for sale and the owner, whose attention was mostly spent on preparing for her new phase of life as a yoga instructor, wanted to spruce it up without spending too much money. She gave us a list of painting and cleaning tasks and left us to do our thing. It was enjoyable to be in charge of our own planning and to spend hours on the wonderful roof terrace but it was a challenge to rely on her to provide us with food provisions as it wasn´t high on her list of priorities.

It was fun to be in a little town and I must admit that I really enjoyed the freedom of walking down the street for supplies or just taking a stroll to the grocery store. For me, this was the most viable location in Spain so far. The town was close to beautiful, unspoiled beaches; there were lots of interesting activities on offer (I attended a day-long meditation seminar and an Astanga yoga class); there were incredible views of the mountains of Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar from the rooftop terraces and I made a couple of really nice expat friends.

The highlight of our time there was spending time with Annie B, a Scottish expat who runs Annie B´s Spanish Kitchen cooking school from her home. Check out her website HERE. Her enthusiasm for all things was absolutely contagious and it was a delight to be with her. She even took us out for a day of driving around the mountains to see if there were interesting towns there.

So...why didn´t we stop looking and park ourselves there? Most importantly, Michiel wasn´t as enthusiastic about it as I was. What we are really looking for is a small home with a bit of land. In Spain, if you live in the town, you don´t have any land at all. Buildings are right next to one another and chances are very good that you won´t be able to escape the noise that Spaniards are so fond of. Additionally, the countryside around our town wasn´t very enticing - especially after we learned more about what how the famous Levanter and the lesser known Poniente winds make farming and fruit trees impossible to grow without some kind of serious protection.

We ended up having a great experience in this part of Spain and are very grateful that our Spanish friends recommended it to us, but the search for our perfect place had to continue. Next stop....Catalonia.