I am still in
Cenicientos, a small village in the Madrid region, a mere one-hour drive from the Spanish capital but a whole lifestyle away. Rural, simple, and very quiet.
The other day, my good friend Federica and I went to visit our old friend Gwen, a lovely French girl who's lived in Madrid for the last 2 years, and while in town we had the opportunity to see a couple of the many exhibitions of this year's
Photoespana.
Firstly we saw the work of German artist
Gerhard Richter, some 400 overpainted photographs taken during personal trips and family occasions since 1989. See the complete series
here.
After that we went to see
Annie Leibovitz: a photographer's life 1990-2005, a great exhibition of more than 200 images shot by one of the most acclaimed portraits photographer of our times. And indeed some of the pictures displayed are such unique and true works of art, in which
Leibovitz conveys the signature familiar approach with her subjects.
Finally, we quickly looked at a couple of exhibitions held at the
Circulo of Bellas Artes — Club of Fine Arts: quirky images of shop windows in the 1930s by Chzech artist
Jindrich Styrsky (On the Needles of these Days); a small retrospective of portrait photographer
Patrick Faigenbaum (Photographs: 1974 - 2008); a film on urban China by documentary photographer and filmmaker
Zhao Liang (City Scene).
Fran and Trabucco the house donkey — Cenicientos, Spain. 
Girl and dog playing in the Abbey's courtyard — Cluny, France.
Noori, my favourite baby girl on the planet — Avignon, France.
1789 remembered — near Carcassonne, France.
Entering Andorra on a fine day — Pas de la Casa, Principality of Andorra.
Metro station — Aluche, Madrid, Spain.
Circulo de Bellas Artes: the other side — Madrid, Spain.
Spot the difference — Madrid, Spain.
Holding hands on Paseo del Prado — Madrid, Spain.
Cloud 1 — Some place, Europe '09.
