Vejer de la Frontera

23 December 2007

Vejer de la Frontera is contemporary with the nearby town of Conil de la Frontera so that much of the political, construction, occupation and re-conquest history is identical. The major differences between the two are threefold. First, Vejer is inland and, second, it is one of Andaluz’s famed white hilltop cities.

Third, it retains, largely intact, the characteristics of a walled city: narrow, winding streets, no sidewalks, front doors that open literally on the street, interior courtyards and paving block streets.

A church of the period is in the largest, but still very small plaza within the original walled city. Beside it is a café, apparently the pre-eminent place of worship today, with a series of loudspeakers blasting its music up and down about 3 blocks.

Parts of the old fortifications are more evident than others.

While el Castillo is not well preserved as castles go it did provide us with some entertainment in the form of four 8 year olds who were determined that we should see the best views of it. Their insistence should have been a hint, but Roger blithely followed their instructions taking us deeper and higher into the site.

Eventually we reached the highest vantage point with some nice but not overly dramatic views, including the ubiquitous clothesline.

Now that we were at the top, their fun could begin as they closed and barred each door we had gone through and sprayed them with a spray bottle of sudsy soap. It gave them a big thrill to run away hooting with laughter, as they hid around each successive corner, at the crazy foreigners who fell into their trap.

Just outside the original walls, the city’s lovely Plaza de España boasts a beautiful palm-shaded fountain.