Roof and Terraces (1)
In the foreground, a roof made of clay pantiles. In the distance, a hillside stepped into terraces.
This photo hints at a hard life; those terraces cut in to the rocky mountain can never have been very productive - and building them must have been a desperate labour, pursued by people who had to do it or die of hunger. Meanwhile, the stones on the roof of the house speak of hard winters; they are put there to stop a heavy snowfall from sliding down into the street.
But times have changed in Ares de Maestrat. The people no longer work the terraces; they have moved to the city, where the pickings are easier. Nowadays they come "home" only for their holidays. And the snow no longer sits in piles on the rooves of the buildings. This photo was taken in January, and yet there is not a trace of snow even in the shadowed parts of the valley.