After the big wave of Mumford & Sons here’s a little story about
The Spanish Bakery.
As a quick recap, most locals have been reading news about Gene Adelsperger’s family “Spanish” bakery and its closing(after 35+years), the subsequent remodeling(closed for a month), and much-anticipated-reopening (September 12th) under new management with Virginia Whetstone. Gene is still the baker (Yippee!).
I got the recap from Gene on Friday at the beer garden by Ann-O-Malleys, in the midst of a wave of friendly strangers wandering into town and dedicated to the Gentlemen of The Road Stopover. Locals either hovered at their usual places or left town. The best I can say, in brief, is the experience of Mumford & Sons was like a metaphorical Tsunami. I believe we can host the Pope now…in 2015…for the 450th anniversary.
A little more background for my sideline story first:
The Spanish Bakery, 42 1/2 St. George Street, is nestled behind a chocolate store under the canopy of trees, surrounded by picnic tables. Re-enactors have loved it for the authentic snacks and breads. For four years I was pretty involved with living history demonstrations around town and developed a craving for the fresh bread and sweet potato pies (more like pop-overs, but we always called them pies-and still do). Life put me into a new direction and I folded up my historical clothing and got new hobbies, still keeping in touch with historical patterns in town. I gave Gene an acrylic painting of a Spanish soldier re-enactor which I had done from photos and sketches at the Colonial Spanish Quarter (now part of the Pirate Museum complex). The subject is seated in what used to be the vegetable garden area behind the Taberna del Gallo, now called the Taberna del Caballo.(New management there too)
The great thing about this town is the positive connections with supportive people. Gene told me that in all the transition with changing management and remodeling, he reinforced that “The man of the bakery” (my soldier painting) would stay on the wall or the new owners could buy it for $650. I dropped in at the bakery today…and there was the soldier painting…on the newly painted wall. The two ladies who have worked the counter for “donkeys years” were wondering who painted it, and the story? I had a chance to tell them. They wanted my business card. Good idea. Glad I had some to share. (Thanks Michael)
Artist footnote: Maybe one should check on the “placed” artwork more than every couple of years. Maybe one day it will fly off the wall with a sold sticker and never be an issue again. That’s why I love this town. Thank you Gene. (Nudge nudge…maybe Virginia Whetstone needs some commissions?)
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- Spanish bakery Soldier Painting
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- Historic Spanish Bakery