MERCEDES CARRABBA

Storyteller. ARTIST. Coffee Roaster.

Altea, Spain's art-filled streets, small businesses, and history remind me of Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

My family has run an art studio in the Pike Place Market for over forty years, Studio Solstone. My mother, Sarah Clementson, paints watercolors of the Pacific Northwest for her annual calendar, and my late father, Michael Yaeger, known as the “Mayor of Pike Place,” was a dedicated advocate for the market community. I grew up in that world, counting change for their studio, wandering the market stalls, and later building my own businesses. I created the Market Ghost Tour and published the book Seattle’s Market Ghost Stories. I founded Ghost Alley Espresso, a hidden coffee spot in Post Alley, and Queen Anne Roasters, where I roasted and sold coffee as a guest vendor.

Now, I continue my storytelling and artistic journey in Altea. I seek to share the town’s rich history and creative spirit through immersive art classes. If you’re in Seattle, visit Studio Solstone in the Atrium of the Pike Place Market, where my mother still paints. And if you find yourself in Altea, join me to discover the views.