Spain was a revelation. It seems like a hidden gem with practically no one we know talking anything about it except for Barcelona and Costa del Sol. But the interior is splendid with magnificent cities and charming small towns that date back to medieval times, such as one that we spent several days exploring, Baeza. The locals hangout in the central plaza, strolling along at a leisurely pace, gossiping and discussing matters of importance to their world, no doubt. It’s a relaxing pace after the likes of Madrid and even Toledo, both of which we visited and enjoyed thoroughly. But they have their crowds and hoards of tourists, where Baeza is simpler, a more intimate glimpse of the people out in the countryside. Baeza sits on a hilltop and was formerly a walled city with some of that remaining overlooking the olive tree fields below in the valley. You smell the olive oil processing plants on certain days, but its more intriguing than offensive, just to know a bit about how those oblong green gems get made into the golden green liquid that brings so much cooking to life with the delicate earthy flavors it imparts.
The painting is the street where we stayed, the sign actually that of our hostal. An off kilter place that felt like a cross between a medieval castle and a Wisconsin lodge, but it was clean and friendly, and also the home of a multi-generational family still in residence. It became our home for a couple days as we experienced their small town and a lesser known part of Spain.
Baeza Night
Watercolor on paper
5.5″ X 4.5″
SOLD
