Why the gloriously peaceful House of Sleep gets my nod
AFTER an exhilarating yet demanding year producing the TV drama Cold Feet, I was exhausted, so when the chance presented itself to spend a long weekend at a Spanish establishment called Casa La Siesta (the House of Sleep), I couldn’t possibly resist.
In a world where holidays are increasingly expected to offer self-renewal, spiritual fulfilment and ‘clean eating’, Casa La Siesta upholds a refreshingly simple ethos. The only things you should do are eat, lie by the pool and read the books you’ve had downloaded on your Kindle for over a year.
I visited with my dear friend Katie. She’s a wonderful fruit but a terrible driver. After leaving the airport, she thought she could drive in any lane. I know they drive on the other side of the road here, but the basic rules still apply.
We arrived somewhat frazzled by our first (and thankfully only) holiday argument, which involved me saying: ‘Pull over! I don’t care if I’m not insured, I’M DRIVING! You’re a greater threat to Spain than Franco!’
Casa La Siesta is nestled in the hills of Andalucia, surrounded by the pleasingly familiar Spanish landscape of burnished grass against cobalt skies.
The property is located in a tiny village. There’s no wandering out for dinner and stumbling into a tapas bar where a man called Juan is playing sultry Spanish guitar. You come to the house and stay – that’s the beauty of it. We did venture out (more about that later), but once you’ve relinquished yourself to the art of doing nothing, leaving it is very hard to do.
Upon entering the courtyard, the smell hit us instantly: lavender, thyme, lemon, garlic and smoke perfumed the air.
The first thing that struck about Casa La Siesta was the plentiful, beautiful and well-appointed places to sit. These guys certainly know their four-poster day beds from their reclining loungers.
The second thing we noticed was the complimentary poolside beer tap. We resisted taking pictures of our open mouths under the tap – this is a classy establishment, after all!
After we were shown to our room, I could have flamencoed across the floor like a gitano. Wood-burner? Check. Roll-top bath? Check. Beds as comfortable as Strictly on a cold December night? Check!
The family-run hotel is just three miles from Vejer de la Frontera, a town renowned for its incredible food. The local delicacy is Iberian pork and Retinto beef. If meat tasted this good in the UK, I’d eat more of it. A diet of Andalucian grass, wild herbs and sunshine makes the cows and pigs very happy.
The chef at Casa La Siesta prepared a different menu each day. At lunch there were only a few choices, one of which was a smooth, rich, unctuous, yet refreshingly light gazpacho.
There is an honesty bar and luckily we’re very honest about drinking – we like it. Lunchtime was usually accompanied by a local buttery white. When the final bill came, it showed that we’d been very honest indeed…
If sitting by the pool and contemplating life becomes dull, there are activities available which include massages, facials and yoga. There’s also a local cooking school.
The yoga instructor was from a neighbouring village and was available at our request (and significant cost). She was simultaneously calming and terrifying.
On our final night, we ventured out to Vejer for tapas. When the clock struck 11pm, restaurants turned into flamenco dancefloors and townsfolk and tourists danced hand in hand.
After stamping our feet on wooden floors for a few hours, we welcomed returning to our comfy beds and the promise of cake for breakfast in the lavender-scented gardens.
It was with heavy hearts that we left, and our hearts were made even heavier when we were presented with the eyewatering bill. It’s a luxurious establishment and you definitely pay for that.
But even if our credit cards spontaneously combusted, we were grateful to Casa La Siesta for allowing us to do absolutely nothing and still feel content.