On a nice Friday afternoon, I embarked on an adventure with my good friend and fellow teacher Anto. After meeting with her following the conclusion of school that day, we hopped in her car and made our way to Linares, where she lives. After a quick bite to eat, we got back into her car and made our way out into the country.
It was a beautiful drive just north of our towns and what I was to be treated to was quite a surprise. As we pulled off the main road and made our way through fields of olive trees on dirt roads, we approached a very special place. Here we encountered a bull farm with many many bulls simply relaxing on the side of the road. Huge animals that could inflict serious pain to anyone in their way with their massive and dangerous horns. In fact, several times I had to get out of the car and open up the next gate we were to drive through. Anto was surprised at how fearlessly I did this. What I’m told is that as long as you find them in groups they are relatively safe. The problem occurs when you find one alone. Then you may have a messy situation on your hands.
After driving for quite awhile through this area, we arrived at our final destination for the afternoon. After getting out of the car and beginning our journey on foot, I found out why Anto wanted me to see this place. Our goal was to go asparagus hunting, but in addition to this, we were treated with some of the most beautiful countryside views I’ve seen this year. Hunting for asparagus can be a bit difficult. It takes a special eye that I did not have, but Anto was surprised at how fast I learned. By the end of our time, I was doing a pretty good job of finding them on my own.
One of the prettiest sights of the day was near the end when we made our way to a large lagoon type area. The sun was setting and it was a perfect time to sit, relax, and enjoy where we were at that particular moment. Not a sound could be heard, besides nature itself.
Finally, we made our way back to the car and began to head back. By then it was pitch black. Anto let me drive which was a real treat for me. After stopping for gas, we made a final stop in Canena, another town very near Baeza where Anto’s family is from. We stopped at a beautiful little bar/restaurant where we enjoyed a few glasses of wine and some wonderful tapas. When the day ended at approximately 3 AM (typical spanish) Anto gave me a nice bundle of asparagus to prepare for a meal the next day. Julie and I enjoyed a wonderful revuelto (eggs and asparagus mix, similar to an omelette).
