Andalucia Day 9 Baeza - Jaén

Next stop: Jaén, just a short drive of about an hour followed by a stop at a city Mercadona with a minute underground carpark with a traffic light system to get in and out. Arrival at the apartment is equally challenging, there's nowhere to leave the car while we see where we should be going and I try ringing the person who should be there to welcome us to be met by a torrent of Spanish the speed of which floors me. Eventually, threatened with the alternative of speaking English, she slows down  and we understand that she is still on the bus. She then arrives with a bewildering bunch of 6 keys and one remote control with 4 options for opening other gates (no exaggeration, I just counted to check). She is as flumoxed by the keys as us but eventually we all get into the apartnment block grounds, into the garage, into the lift, out of the lift (phew!) and into the apartment. Better not to think about going out for the time being.
We take advantage of the washing machine while cooking fish, with tomatoes of course, for lunch. After a well-deserved (!) siesta we take a relatively key-free route out of the apartment block and set off just down the road for the Palacio de Villadompardo. The building, worth a visit in itself, houses the Baños Árabes and the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Popolares and the International Museum of Naif art. 

The Baños Árabes underground are particularly beautiful due to the star shaped holes in the roof which were originally used to let out steam and hence control the temperature, have been very well restored with an explanation and video of how they were used. Outside it has started to be pretty hot and the cool shade is very pleasant.

We also spend a lot of time in the museum, looking at old carts, and the tools of traditional activities connected with agriculture and everyday life, and at the Naif paintings, in particular those by a local painter - Manuel Moral,  who started painting at the age of 70, depicting in particular the olive groves  characterising the landscape around Jaen.

At the top of the building the Mirador offers a view of the city and surrounding countryside and a refreshing caña. Everything, except the beer, was free.

Evening is approaching and after a short stroll around the historical centre we turn in to watch the sunset from the balcony with jamón serrano and Vermouth (more about that another time).

Kilometres by car: 65

Kilometres on foot: 7