European Interlude

Shortly after the back-to-back shows that replaced their usual spring trip to northwest Spain, Roger and his wife, Mary, quickly hopped on a plane to Europe. They had hoped to spend a week in Aix-en-Provence first, but the intense heat there prompted them to fly sooner than planned to Porto, then head to the cooler northern coast of Spain.

A Visit to Galerie Flak in Aix-en-Provence

On the morning before they left for Portugal from the Marseille airport, they visited the Provençal country home and summer gallery of Julian Flak, whose Flak Gallery on the Left Bank in Paris has long been a favorite of theirs. Julian greeted them graciously in his hundred-year-old mas (a traditional rustic stone farmhouse in Provence) on Mont Sainte Victoire, in a landscape made famous by the painter Paul Cezanne. Roger has long admired Hopi and Zuni katsinas from Arizona and New Mexico, and they are Julian's speciality (along with tribal and oceanic art). It was a real treat to talk with Julian about their shared interest.

Cudillero: A Fishing Village Shaped by the "Indianos"

The next day, after an overnight stay in Matosinhos, Portugal — famous for its seafood restaurants — the Johnsons drove four hours north to the picturesque fishing village of Cudillero, in the Spanish province of Asturias. Roger has painted many a boat from the harbor there. They stayed in a former Casa Indiana that had been converted into a hotel.

Historically, an Indiano was usually the son of peasant families residing in the poorest regions of Galicia and Asturias, sent to the Americas at a very young age to make a fortune and to send earnings back to their struggling families. Hundreds of thousands of young men were part of this mass emigration from the mid-1880s to 1930. They went mostly to Brazil, Argentina, and Cuba, and to a lesser degree, to Puerto Rico and Florida.

When any of these sons of Galicia and Asturias eventually returned to their homeland with their newfound wealth, their impacts on the local economy and culture were enormous. They built colorful, symmetrical mansions that still dot the countryside today, always with palm trees planted that recalled their sojourns in the Americas. They also built schools, roads, and hospitals and became leaders in their communities.

Cedeira and Santiago de Compostela

Roger and Mary also spent three nights in Cedeira, a Galician harbor town whose boats have often been subjects of Roger's paintings. The bulk of their stay, however, was in a 19th century granite house in the historic center of Santiago de Compostela. This stay happened to coincide with the Feast of Saint James, so they were able to witness costumed folk bands playing bagpipes below their balcony, two beautiful fireworks shows at 11:30 at night (!), a carnival in the Alameda public park, and crowds of people enjoying their days off in the streets and outdoor cafés.

The staff at their favorite seafood restaurant (Restaurante San Jaime) and their favorite tapas place (Taverna Do Bispo) greeted them like old friends.

New Friends, Familiar Galleries

Over pizza at La Piccola Italia restaurant, they enjoyed chatting with two fellow travelers — Bob, a retired Delta Airlines pilot, and his wife, Ellen. The couple hailed from Arizona, and they even knew Peter Strub from The Marshall Gallery in Scottsdale, which represents Roger. What are the chances of meeting anyone in far-off Galicia with a personal connection to one of Roger's galleries?

Home and Back to the Easel

During their stay in Santiago de Compostela, Roger also made several trips to the Galician coast to scout out new material for his paintings. All too soon, the Johnsons headed back for a final night near Porto before flying home. Roger is already working on several commissions and new paintings, grateful for the European interlude, but ready to be back at his easel.