We took a bus from base to our destinations, but even on the bus ride, there was plenty of sites to see. Both the cities on our tour are referred to as "Pueblos Blanco" or white villages. Most of the cities in Spain share this mainstay in architecture of white concrete buildings. It makes a stunning backdrop for almost any photo which really inspired us both. Between the two of us we took over 300 photos! Lucky for you I made a few collages of just the really good stuff.
The first stop on our tour was Zahara de la Sierra where we walked through the city with a guide who told us facts about the origins and history. Along the way Brad and I listened, as we snapped away as fast our camera's could process.
After the historical tour of Zahara we got the rare privilege of touring one the few remaining artisan olive oil factories.
Here the very animated proprietor told us all about the process from the tree to the bottle. His English was as he called it "a great big gazpacho" but that only added to his flare. He talked about making oil the way that nature intended it, "a nice and slow" His most colorful comparison between the artisan oil maker and the corporate was summed up to be,
"They have a big watch and little heart, where I have a little watch and big heart" They care most about time, so they rush the process which turns out an inferior oil, and when he does it, he lets it take the time it should so that his oil is the best that it can be. He was definitely a high light of the trip. I have not yet met one Spanish person who has been rude to me. I think I am going to like it here very much!Brad and I both share a passion for capturing flowers and this place is lousy with them! So many beautiful subjects, the possibilities are endless.
My love of signs of all types is alive and thriving here in this land of new, I think my favorite from today is the "caution: you may feel the need for a romantic get away" sign...or children at play as I guess its actually meaning is, but I like my explanation better ; )
After a very refreshing Spanish lunch we hopped back on the bus, to make our way to our second pueblo, Grazalema.
I think that someday when I have huge house I am going to decorate a part of my house like the streets of Spain. No matter where you turn there is another calle(KA-yeh) or street full of depth, history and visual interest. It was hard to pick only a few pictures to put into the collage.
At the center of Grazalema there was a square bustling with people, and with all the lovely architecture surrounding it, there were plenty of faux subjects that allowed me to capture my strangers in a blissfully candid nature.
The squares main center piece was one of the towns 4 churches. It stood tall and foreboding, covered with moss and the very essence of time long since passed.
About 5 pm we climbed back on the bus exhausted from the being amazed at ever turn, so with full memory cards and dead batteries, we surrendered to the sandman while the bus motored us back home.
This was a great first trip out into our new home land, and although it left us tired, we are still wanting more! And you can go ahead and bet the farm, that we will be back at it as soon as our new GPS with European maps gets here!
Until then, Hasta Luego
¡Que Bonita! You guys are living the life, I'll tell ya. Great pics. Woot!
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Who needs to get settled in when you have the entire of continent of Europe to see! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. This part of Spain does look like a place Dad and I would like. I suspect he may be starting to warm to the idea of coming over eventually. ?? He said he would have to carry his own gun slinger hot sauce for the trip. lol We will see.
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