Following a hectic spring travelling around Europe, I thought to myself, ´where would I like to travel?´ This year, being that I live in Madrid, I opted to go home to London and then come back to Spain to travel around in the country where I have chosen to live over six years ago.
 So on my return to Spain, I flew to Galicia in the north-west of Spain on the border of Portugal. The region is fairly unexplored by the average tourist and secretly I hope it will stay that way. Full of hidden gems, from empty white-sand beaches to delicious food and wine, it has become one of my favourite weekend escapes over the last few years. From the little fishing port of Bueu, we caught a boat to the Isla de Ons to relax and disconnect.
With a population of around 80 people, Ons is a natural reserve and part of the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia. From the island you can see the Isla de Cies, which as was written in The Guardian, has one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Having explored the island, eaten endless octopus, ´pimientos de padron´ and ´navajas´, I returned to the mainland to Santiago to catch a flight to the south of Spain.
On my arrival in Malaga, the heat of the south hit me like a wave. Andalusia is the second largest in area of the autonomous communities in Spain and has a strong cultural identity. Due to its proximity to Africa and its history for many years under Moorish rule, the Arabic influence can be noted in both the language and the architectural styles. The region therefore contains some of the most striking cities in Spain, such as Seville, Granada and Cordoba. Having visited Andalusia many a time, I decided to visit smaller places such as Marbella, Nerja and Malaga itself, where I could take things easier in the intense heat.
My holiday time was finally up and I came back to Madrid, to a slightly more pleasant climate, 33 degrees, blue skies and the special factor, no humidity. I have had one of the most relaxing summer holidays in a long time but I have to say I am happy to be back home again.
Kim Goddard
About the author
Kim is currently part of the European team in the International Development department at IE. Following her legal studies in London, she became the Director of various art galleries in both the UK and Spain, organizing international exhibitions in Asia, Europe and the US and editing various publications on Film and the Arts, and then went on to work as a legal assistant and translator at an International law firm based in Madrid.