Spain - 2015
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VIADUCTO DE GUADALUPE
Finalizado en 1959 y construido completamente en hormigón, significó una de las grandes obras de infraestructura ferroviaria de aquella época, al salvar el valle del río Guadalupe entre dos sierras escarpadas de gran altitud (la altura total de sus pilares alcanzan los 58 metros). Pese a que la funcionalidad inicial de la que serla conocida como la Vía del Hambre era unir por tren las localidades de Villanueva ce la Serena, en las vegas del Guadiana y Talavera de la Reina, en las del Tajo, diversos condicionantes económicos y políticos provocaron el abandono definitivo del proyecto en septiembre de 1962. Actualmente dos tramos de su trazado han sido transformados en Vía Verde: la de La Jara y la de Vegas del Guadiana-Villuercas.
VIADUCT OF GUADALUPE
Finished in 1959 and built completely out of concrete, this was one of the great railway infrastructure works of that time; crossing the valley of the River Guadalupe at a great height between two steep mountain ranges (the total height of its pillars reached 58 metres). Although the initial purpose of what would become known as the Via del Hambre (Hunger Railway) was to connect the towns and villages of Villanueva de la Serena, in the plains of the River Guadiana and Talavera de la Reina and in those of the River Tajo, by train, various economic and political factors led to the project being abandoned forever in September 1962. Nowadays two sections of the route have been turned into Green Routes: that of La Jara and Vegas del Guadiana-Villuercas.
Copied from tourist information board at Guadalupe.
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El viaducto
Tunnel from the viaduct
The station
Guadalupe street
Guadalupe
This was a very relaxed few weeks. We set off from Bilbao, spent one night at Tordesillas and the about a week or so at Monfrague camp site just pottering around.
We then went on to Guadalupe and spent over a week there. I had intended to do a bit of geology and had brought various maps and guides but complacency won and we mainly walked from the campsite but no-the-less it was very pleasant the weather was good, Guadalupe is a pleasant small town and the restaurant at the camp site was fine – and we had to speak Spanish!
I had intended to stay at a Casa Rural for part of our stay but it was a Spanish holiday and they were all booked up and the campsite was unusually busy. After over a week we moved north and headed for the Gredos mountains. We would have stayed there longer but it was cold and wet and we moved onto to Riaza http://www.camping-riaza.com although even here it was still cool. The camp site was fine but as it was out of season it was quiet and the restaurant was closed. We then moved on to a B&B http://www.molinodelaferreria.es/ingles/ where we stayed for a couple of nights; it was being run by a Romanian couple, not the owners, and was excellent.
From there we intended to visit a campsite, near Ucero, called Camping Cañon Rio Lobos; it looked like an excellent location and had a good write-up but was closed and does not seem to have reopened (2016).
So that day we had a longer journey than intended and ended up at Villaslada de Cameros http://www.camping-loscameros.com where we stayed for several days. The walking in the mountains was excellent and the only drawback was there was no restaurant in reasonable distance and the campsite had only a very limited ‘out of season’ menu.
From there we went to a small hotel associated with a winery then to ....… more to come
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Dehessa, Monfrague
Piggy
Turtles
Guadalupe
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Guadalupe
Sweet Acorns - Quercus rotundifolia catkins
Water boatman with 'headlights'
Gredos
Molino de la Ferreria
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Molino de la Ferreria
Sendero de Virgen...
Hi!
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A road side refuge
Michel's clock, that I covet!
Us with our host
Michel
Michel's house and garden