There is a phrase some Spanish children hear all the time in school, “¿Estás en Babia?” It is our equivalent of, “Are you daydreaming?”

“To be in Babia” became an easy way to describe someone who was someplace else mentally. The phrase goes back to the kings and queens of Spain when they would leave their castles and political responsibilities and head for the mountains. They would disconnect in the silence of nature. Babia is a comarca (larger than our counties, but smaller than our states) in the northern mountains of Spain, about an hour and a half north of us.

We visited for a few days, wanting to escape and “estar en Babia.”

During a short trip to the Picos de Europa, I found a village I want to spend more time in. It sits alongside a reservoir which has now covered several villages. The mountains rise up from the turquoise water, inviting us to explore.