Las Médulas - a landscape of red and green

Gold was discovered when this area was part of the Roman Empire. It was originally located by panning in the River Sil, but it was realised that the source was the hills around Las Médulas. Water was the principal force used to break open the mountains, the water being carried from the Aquilanos mountains by a series of sloping channels. Shafts and galleries were built with wide an narrow parts, and the water was channeled in causing an explosive compression of the air.

I was interested to get a train time table for the stretch between Monforte de Lemos and Ponferrada, as all along the Camino de Invierno there are railway stations. I thought that if necessary it might be possible to use the train to shorten a day's walk, and then go back on the train the next day to resume. In the entrance hall of the station, attached to the wall with sellotape was..... an Horario (Timetable). Yes! Just what I wanted. I approached the ticket window and asked the lady behind if I could have an "Horario". I pointed to the one on the wall and said that was the timetable I was referring to. "We don't do timetables" she said. I noticed just behind her, on a table a stack of the timetables about an inch high. I pointed to them as said that that was the thing I wanted to have. She glanced at the pile of timetables and said "Those are for display. We don't give them out". I then noticed that she had something similar, a photostat copy to the right of her desk. "Is that a time table" I asked? By now she was getting a bit irritated at my insistence and said again "We don't do timetables". With this the shutter came down with a clunk! End of conversation!

I waited for the evening train to come in and the people to get on. There are so few trains down this line that it is not worth considering to use them. The train came in and I was surprised how old it was, and it looked really scruffy with graffiti all over it. I left the railway station with my next quest..... to find food! I managed to find a restaurant next to the river which started serving food from 8 p.m. I sat with a beer waiting for food service to commence. I resorted to my staple choice...... Jamon Serrano, Queso and Patatas Bravas. I wonder if you can overdose on Jamon Serrano? I am sure that by the end of this trip I will have proved or disproved this!