“The joy of discovery is amplified when you stumble upon a hidden gem”- unknown author.
In the province of Albacete, Andalucía, Spain, there is a tiny town called Villaverde de Guadalimar. We visited it many times for our summer holidays. We rented a bungalow in the middle of nowhere -although near Villaverde, and enjoyed a week or so during August. Amazing place! A hidden gem.
We liked it so much we visited it more than once!
Needless to say it is really hot in the summer season, but must say there are so many tiny streams all over. In fact, there was a small stream that passed behind our bungalow. It was lovely to wake up in the early morning, listening to the birds singing with the combination of the water running in a hurry to get through the forest and become part of a more important river.
At night it was a delight to look at the sky. Due to the nice weather in the area, there was a star show every single night. We used to sit down in the darkness and enjoy the magnificent view of the Milky Way, looking for the different constellations, interrupted sometimes by a satellite orbiting our planet.
My husband and I have learnt through the years to enjoy silence. We had that opportunity in Villaverde. Then we realised it was a different kind of silence. It was not a dead one, it was full of life. In that silence we heard many different noises from a variety of animals. I still have a good laugh nowadays remembering the evening we were enjoying both the silence and the stars, when all of a sudden, we heard a noise of an animal getting just behind us. We jumped from our seats and ran inside as fast as we could looking for shelter! When inside the house, we realised we had all the windows open – was it a good shelter?? Anyway, we could see the animal in the front of the house, smelling our chairs…. It was a big and terrifying…. rabbit!
This tiny town was where El Pernales, whose real name was Francisco de Paula José Ríos González, was shot dead by the Guardia Civil (military-style police force that is responsible for maintaining order in rural areas). He was the most wanted bandit by law enforcement in the early 20th century for his misdeeds, but for the humble people he was a hero, a champion of the peasants and a defender of their causes. The legend is still alive in the mountains, as anyone who visits its villages can confirm, especially among the older people, who still fondly remember the bandit, like a Spanish Robin Hood.
Nice places and nice people are hidden gems. I have been lucky enough to have found both. I keep visiting the nice places every time I can. Regarding nice people, I keep in touch with them and they have become part of my life.
I think it is true that whoever finds a friend, finds a treasure. I can say I consider myself rich.