Summer has been long! We have been used to a six week summer break in San Diego so coming up on three months off seems like forever. The countdown to school starting and the reality that THREE kiddos will be off all day has me frantic to soak up all the time I can with these babes at home. So today we planned an adventure. We woke up, Evan packed us a lunch and we took off to explore a town about an hour away, Vejer de la Frontera.
Vejer is a white city set on hill about 190m above sea level a little south of Cadiz. On the drive we saw wild flamingos all over! The rolling Spanish countryside is breathtaking and the area was much more green than the areas right around where we live. We still can't get over how beautiful it is here.
Our first stop in Vejer was a random hardware store right on the city limits. We parked and went inside and it was fantastic. We love "junk" stores and this one was bursting at the seams! It had everything from beach toys and cosmetics to paella pans and paint. I'm sure if you were looking for something, you'd find it there.
We decided to drive up in to the city. The roads are incredibly narrow and super steep. We found parking and got out and explored. Ashtyn was mesmerized by all the playgrounds but Evan was insistent that, "We didn't move to Spain to play on the playground! We came here to explore! So let's do it!" I love their adventurous spirits and enthusiasm.
Avery really wanted to ride the sweet donkey, Chino. Evan used his Spanish to negotiate a ride for both the girls for 2$ and they were thrilled. Blake wasn't too sure about the donkey so Evan kept him at a safe distance in the stroller. After the ride we explored a garden and playground close by.
We decided to eat lunch and drive a little closer to the other sites since the roads are so hilly and it was really hot and windy. Maybe not the best idea... Remember how the roads were super super narrow? Yeah. There were busloads of tourists crowding the tiny streets, all getting a first-row show to my pathetic, nervous driving. Some spaces were way too close for comfort. I had to stop and pull my mirrors in at one point in order to clear the opening. The kids were cheering for me when we finally, miraculously, found a parking spot. Actually we found two parking spots and I intentionally double parked just to take a breath.
The streets of Vejer are so charming. The white buildings are clean and we loved seeing the beautiful doors open to indoor courtyards filled with colorful Spanish tile entryways and pots filled with beautiful plants and flowers. Being so close to Morocco, there are many shops filled with colorful treasures, pottery, lamps, baskets, and textiles. I wanted to buy it all!
We got ice cream in the town center and the kids splashed in the tile fountain. We climbed the steep steps and saw the remnants of the wall that was built to protect the city throughout history. It was used as a fortress town by the Phoenicians, later by the Roams and then underwent five centuries of Moorish rule until it was captured by King Ferdinand of Castille in 1248. Vejer then became a border town against the Moors and hence the "de la Frontera" was added to it's name. The king gave control of Vejer to Don Alono Perez de Guzman, founder of the ducal house of Medina Sidonia. The famous battle of Trafalgar took place just off the coast near the town in 1805.
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