We got ourselves up reasonably early for the drive back to Segovia. Laurie had heard of a place along the way called Las Medulas, a former Roman gold mine with very interesting rock formations, so that became our midpoint destination. It took nearly four hours to get there, and we were ready for a stop and some lunch. After exiting the highway we followed signs for another 30 minutes through the countryside over smaller and smaller roads before coming to the village. We discovered the main visitor center was closed for lunch, so we wandered into the village to find a spot for lunch. The place we saw was clearly a tourist factory with a bus outside, so we went a bit further and found a smaller courtyard cafe. The food was very ordinary, and the waitresses harried by the roomful of tourists. I tried ham with pimentos appetizer per Laurie’s suggestion and the port chop entree; neither were wonderful but I ate all of it, of course. The Spanish concept of a large, leisurely lunch does not always fit well with tourists on a road trip, but I think the ones at fault may be the tourists trying to fit sightseeing in the middle of a 7-hour drive.
We found a second tourist information center and learned that Las Medulas is really meant as a hiking destination with long walks needed to see the rocks and remains of the mines. We took a short walk around a confirmed there was not much to be seen without hiking many kilometers. That wasn’t happening.
There is, however, a nearby overlook at Orellian, only another 15 minute drive and steep 15 minute walk to reach. There, at last, we were rewarded with a fine view of the countryside and the scars left from the ancient mines. The Romans used a kind of early hydraulic fracking technique that left huge gouges and waste areas of rocks. It makes for an eerie mix of natural beauty and wasteland. We didn’t nearly do the site justice — you really need to take some hikes and visit the caves and tunnels. But we were on a schedule and still had another 3-4 hours to get back to Segovia.
Once back on the highway, the rest of the drive was uneventful. Laurie took over driving duty as I dozed. As we neared Segovia, we contacted Maggie and learned they were back home after their own visit to Juan’s family in Malaga. We stopped at Maggie’s to return the car (with many thanks) to Juan and partake of a nice late dinner of grilled veggies that Maggie prepared. Then finally back to Laurie’s place in Segovia for a good night’s sleep.
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