This spring, I was lucky enough to travel through some amazing Spanish cities, visit old friends, make new friends, and taste a lot of delicious food! This trip will be one I cherish for sure. I flew over solo, but one of my favorite hobbies is talking to strangers, so I made a few new remote friends! Shout out to Alison, who joined me for tapas after our incredible Dali day tour - I love that your dad showed you Dali works from such a young age! And to Richie Martin (yes, that’s his name :) for befriending me in the Sevilla hotel lobby with your football-loving group. I hope it’s cooler in Wales than it is here in Charleston - go ManU! And to the group of Chattanooga girls I met in the back of a Barcelona bar- the world is small after all! In an ancient bathhouse, a new friend graciously shared her excitement for the art museums in her home country of Mexico! Very excited to join you one day and see your grandmother’s artwork! Last but definitely not least, to my old roommate Alicia and her husband Juan for graciously hosting me for a few days in Castellón + helping me navigate other cities, teaching me about the culture, and showering me with more food and wine than I could imagine! Muchas, muchas Gracias!!

I had so many wonderful experiences, but one of my favorites was visiting the Bardomus olive farm in Castellón, Spain - thanks to Alicia and Juan! I’m excited to bring this wonderful day into my studio on canvas, so I can continually share these memories! The earthy green tones of olives are just so soothing and take me back to the rows and rows of selfless gifts from the ground!

The Bardomus landscape is gorgeous and sits on a hillside, taking you high enough to find views of the Balearic Sea. Before we roamed around, we had an extremely hospitable Almuerzo, which is a mid-morning light meal/second breakfast in the office — paired with beers and a generous offering of vintage rum! The hospitality in Spain is seriously unmatched! Yes, I said breakfast - it’s 10:45 am. But really, anytime is perfect for pan con tomato, jamon, cheese, savory pastries, and a cold beer - one of the many reasons I love Spain!

A visit to Bardomus was one of the most authentic experiences I could have asked for, truly. Not only do they produce incredible olive oils, you can visit this beautiful farm, do an olive oil tour, and tasting! Juan walked us through each of the varieties they produce in the tasting - pointing out which had more spice, sweetness, and earthy - all incredibly delicious! Bardomus partners with unique restaurants to create custom oil blends - if that isn’t the coolest thing having a custom olive oil to serve your guests, I don’t know what is - so fun! They also offer an incredible program to adopt an olive tree, and you receive olive oil after each harvest season! It’s a growing program and hopes to expand shipping to the US. Bardomus can do no wrong - I’m a fan clearly and forever grateful for my friends sharing this beautiful space :) Def give them a follow on their Instagram!

The earthy olive tones, sunburnt shades, and juicy oranges can be found in this upcoming Savoring España collection - launching in August! So stay tuned as I’ll continue sharing more fun stories and inspirational moments from my travels trip :)

Bardomus Olive Farm - Castellón, Spain