Corralejo, Fuerteventura - March 25

Towards the tail of winter, I became desperate to get away somewhere there was some sun.

I can't stand winter - the cold, the dark, the short days, the dour mood. I'm not usually one for impromptu trips, especially when they're abroad, but £35 return flights to the Canary Islands seemed too good to pass up. So, I enjoyed an early spring getaway to a place I haven't been in almost a decade: Corralejo, Fuerteventura.

For the better part of seven years from the age of eleven, I was fortunate enough to visit Fuerteventura with my family around Christmas. We don't really do the whole Christmas thing, so it was always a nice escape from the madness, and the cold, at home.

These childhood breaks away posed their own challenges, but the good ultimately outweighed the difficult, and I have a fond nostalgia for Corralejo as a result.

Returning alone in my late twenties was odd.

I visited places where I once walked with my family, ate in restaurants where we shared meals in the past, and took in familiar sights, only this time in isolation.

For company, I brought my Zenit-EM 35mm camera and a roll of Kodak T-MAX 100, which I was using for the first time. The black and white pictures below track my trip from the beachside hotel through to the north of Corralejo.

The spots along the way where I chose to point my lens might not mean much to anyone else, but they evoke strong feelings for me, in one way or another.

The view from my room. The sea was off-limits due to the strong winds, but it made for an extremely pleasant morning sight.

Elephant Mountain (I think), a local landmark, off in the distance. I've always been interested in climbing it, but perhaps next time.

One of several hotel balconies. I spent a lot of time here reading, smoking, and generally enjoying not needing to do anything.

The hotel off in the distance. At night, the walk back from town is pitch black, with only the occasional car headlights giving you an idea of your surroundings.

When I first visited Fuerteventura, I was struck by just how much of the island is a wasteland. Away from the lively beaches and few towns, there's not much to behold except rocks, wild plants, and desert.

You are now entering...

When I last visited Corralejo, there were many of these abandoned development sites around the outskirts of the town. Most of them look much the same a decade later.

My brother and I would often walk past this water park on the way back to the hotel. It was never open in the winter but always looked alluring, if not also eerily empty.

I bought Bleu De Chanal perfume in a shop like this one around the age of thirteen, thinking it would change my life. It didn't, but the smell still takes me back and I had the bottle for almost eight years.

Poco Loco was a family favourite back in the day. My brother and I were infatuated with the owner's wife once upon a time. Mercifully, she no longer works there, as I fear I would have crumbled upon entering.

The old site of McCarthy's Irish Bar, which has now packed up and moved down the road. Many evenings spent here anxiously awaiting dinner. Not one of my favourite places in the world.

I don't know whether it was the elevated building or the sizzling hot plates, but something convinced me in my teens that El Toro Bravo was the place to go for steak.

Reminding myself that not everything needs a caption.

The routine after dinner was simple: Hit the arcade, trash Harry at air hockey, go to smöoy for frozen yogurt.

The playground in the north of the town was always a good resting point. Wandering in the sun for hours would often take its toll. My most recent sunburns are telling of how little I've learned...

The north of town is more residential and has a distinctly local feel. It was a bit isolating as children, but it's a nice escape nowadays.

We visited this church in 2011(?) as my mum felt some good 'ol Catholocism around Christmas would be familiar. Turned out to be a Protestant church. Yuck. Cool building, though.

The northernmost point of Corralejo, with the island of Lanzarote in the distance. A beautiful, blustery sea view that's enjoyed by holidaymakers and locals alike. It's here where I ran out of film, but it did feel like a fitting place to reel in the roll.