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| 1. Colored window and balcony |
Here we are again, talking about a wonderful Colombian area, in the Department of Santander.
Barichara is the star of the region. Nobody can resist the rustic charm of this colonial town, founded in 1741 and designated as a national monument in 1978.
Barichara is a Guane Indian name and
there are several interpretations about its meaning, all indicating the
serenity of this place: ‘place of relaxation’ and ‘place of rest with flowering
trees’ are the most recognized.
In any case, this village is a peaceful one. Besides,
its colored walls, picturesque doors and windows, the fine stonework and the
cobblestone streets are a paradise for photographers.
Everything
in Barichara is about color. Look at this small window and at the small balcony
in the background (picture #1). The blue color makes them pop-up on the white
surface, accentuating the perspective of the wall.
On a similar subject, look
at picture #2: an elegant house entrance, with a wood carved door, painted with
delicate color. The spot is nicely balanced by the presence of the succulent
plant, which adds more style to the whole.
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| 2. An elegant house entrance |
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| 3. Moto-taxi on the Barichara streets |
Let’s go
on with two pictures you probably have already seen on my G+ or Facebook pages
(#3 and #4).
Moto-taxies are very common in many Colombian small towns.
However, in Barichara they have a special appeal because they are painted with
bright colors. Colored moto-taxies add a special charm to Barichara’s streets.
The second image (#4) is an explosion of colors.
Several elements that we have
mentioned in our first post about these Colombian towns are concentrated in
this image: : colored
houses and walls, colonial architecture, picturesque doors and windows,
tropical trees and flowers. And, of course, the moto-taxi (see my January 2018 post).
To be sure, this
picture would be nice even without it. The colored wall with its colored line
and doors, the lines and the flowered trees made a nice spot and a great
perspective by themselves. But the yellow moto-taxi adds something special to
it.
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| 5. Tropical trees and flowers |
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| 6. Flowers and plants on Barichara houses |
Talking
about flowers and trees in bloom, look at the next picture (#5).
Flowers and
trees are the real subject here, but, again, the green window and the tiled
roof make a nice balance with them. Tropical vegetation is everywhere in
Barichara.
Trees are not only decorative, but very important for their shadow,
as a shelter from the hot sun on the streets and inside the patios of the
houses. See pictures #6 and #7.
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| 7. Shady trees |
As we
already saw talking about Socorro, people are another great component of these
towns, where they mix nicely with the colonial architecture.
I particularly
like image #8, where a local painter walks with his picture. And talking about
artists, let’s move inside the studio of a local craftsman (picture #9).
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| 8. Local painter |
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| 9. Local craftsman |
Barichara
has always been a magnet for painters, craftspeople and photographers, many of
whom have shops in town. Wooden sculptures, along with traditional and
religious objects, like the ones exposed in this studio, are an important part
of Barichara’s artistic environment.
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| 10. Walking through the streets of Barichara |
Back on the streets we find more people. This time, hats are the subject. Barichara us deep inside a rural area, and hats reflect this characteristic.
Look to pictures #10, #11 and #12.
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| 11. Going back home |
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| 12. Talking inside a small shop |
And let’s
close the people’s section with a traditional pastry-coffee shop (picture #13).
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| 13. Inside a pastry-cafe in Barichara |
Related to art and culture, we can find also some less usual expressions. See picture #14: this is not simply a Grand Vitara. It is a Colombian Gran Vitara.
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| 14. A very Colombian SUV |
Look at the signature on the left, but
most of all at the big sticker on the right. This is a traditional hat, called sombrero vueltiao, the Colombian name for sombrero volteado (turned hat).
It is not from this area, but it is quintessential Colombian, originally from
the northern Caribbean Region. The quality of this hat - created amongst the
Zenú tribes of Colombia- is determined by the number of pairs of fibers braided
together to make the hat, and by its bending flexibility. The more flexible,
higher the quality.
Back to Barichara, let's close this collection with an icon of the town: the 1780 Templo de la Inmaculada Concepcion, on the north side of the Parque Principal, perfectly inserted in the colonial arquitecture of this town. A storm was approaching, not bad from a photographic point of view. Tha church was still in the sun, and the dark grey clouds made a great background, highlighting the main subject of the picture.
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| 15. Templo de la Inmaculada Concepcion |
That’s
all folks! See you next with the las post about the towns of this area. We will
visit Guane.
All pictures © riccardo forte / Digitally watermarked by Digimarc® Guardian
