Street art of exceptional quality

La Bañeza. The art took center stage again today. But this time it wasn't Roman or Muslim masterpieces; it was contemporary art: graffiti. Many only know the often ugly scribbles in our big cities. These works have nothing to do with that. These are images from artists à la bonne heure.

La Bañeza is part of the “Street Art Cities,” a worldwide association of cities of all sizes that generously accommodate Street Art or Urban Art. At the same time, Street Art Cities has launched an app that archives the works of this art form, making them accessible to everyone. Their database currently includes 10,000 images from over 180 cities. In La Bañeza – a small town with a population of 10,000 – there are 237 pieces of graffiti from artists around the world.

We absolutely wanted to see them, which is why we didn’t linger long in Benavente, our first stop today. We wanted to see the images in sunshine. The weather is going to change in the next few days, bringing a lot of rain. So we parked on the outskirts of town and made our way to the center. “Just go with the flow,” said Icke, and that’s what we did. Always following our noses and seeing what we could discover around the next bend or behind the next building.

It was early afternoon, and the streets were practically empty except for a few mothers pushing their strollers through the alleys in winter coats and furry hats at 25 degrees. Only a few cafes and pubs were open. We asked for tapas – with no luck. No food, just drinks. However, we could feast our eyes on the graffiti. We stood in front of these massive images with our mouths open, wondering how they do it. There's the artistic aspect, of course, but it’s also technically demanding. To spray or paint at ten meters high, you have to be not only an artist but also an acrobat.

We tip our hats to these people. With their art, they’ve made La Bañeza more beautiful. This little town will remain a fond memory for us because of its fantastic graffiti.