The artists, Pablo Ruiz Picasso from Málaga (1881-1973), and Joan Miró i Ferrà from Barcelona (1893-1983), shared a life-long friendship. Both had emigrated from their native Spain to Paris where they met in 1920. Although Picasso spent the rest of his long and productive life in France, Miró returned to Spain in 1940 and settled in Mallorca in 1956, where he lived and worked until his death, aged 90.

My photo was taken at Can Mayol, an old fortified Sóller property, now the main building of Sóller’s train station. Can Mayol also houses the Railway Museum where currently two exhibitions can be enjoyed, one with graphic works by Miró and one with ceramic works by his friend Picasso. The town of Sóller named Miró an adoptive son; the artist’s maternal grandfather was born in Sóller. Miró’s friend Picasso is not adopted by any Mallorcan pueblo, as yet, and why should he?

Should you want to go to Sóller by train from Palma, let me remind you that the Sóller train will not run between December 9th, 2008, and January 31st, 2009, due to structural works needed on the tracks.

The photo was chosen from my archive. It was taken in Sóller, Mallorca, Spain. The date: October 15th, 2005. The time was 11:18:38. The original photo had been taken in Mougins (France) in August, 1968.