Vive el Ebro - Episode I

oh boy! oh boy! oh boy!... do I have loads to share with y’all. I didn’t take my laptop with me, cause I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to plug it in; a note book and a pen (although pens became coveted throughout the journey, as they kept dissapearing), otherwise it would have been impossible to remember what, when. who and where. I wil split it up in chapters in order to make it easier for you and for me.

The Road to Reinosa (Santander)

After picking me up at 7.30am, Jordi and I headed to Calafell, where Rafa (Rafael) and Sole (Soledad) joined us on out trip northwest on old hiway N232. A truckstop for lunch, as we drive through the “Monegros” an extensive and very arid area, similar to the Ariizona dessert, which used to be covered in trees once upon a time, till some brilliant head decided to clear cut them all down, in order to build the famous “Armada Invencible”, the spanish flotilla of 200 ships, that was obliterabed in a storm before have the chance to fight Nelson.

As we aproach Cantabria, the flatness becomes green mountains. We arrived just after 9pm, in time for dinner, an “olla ferroviaria” (railroad stew pot) offered to us by the town of Reinosa, served at the “Polideportivo” (Poli for short) is a sport center/gym that became the single bedroom that 100 of us shared. We will sleep in these type of facilities for most of the trip.

Reinosa-Fuentibre-Reinosa

Since we are going back to Reinosa this evening, we left our things at the Poli, and the vans, we all road bikes and Wilbur ran alongside. 

There ‘s also a group of walkers, about 30 people that leave an hour earlier. First we gathered in the town square and received the Tshirt to wear at the events. The ride to Fuentibre, the birthplace of the Ebro river, was an easy one, just under 4 miles each way. We took sediments from the river, and had our first lecture on the importance of sediments flowing down the river to maintain a balanced ecosystem. This town also provided an “olla ferroviaria” for lunch, which has loads of calories needed for biking.

On our way back, we took a detour to a lovely pond created by an abandoned iron mine. Since I was riding in the back of the group, to prevent Wilbur getting from getting in the way of the other bikes, by the time I got there everyone was skinny dipping in this cool and clear water, just awesome. 

Next we stopped to visit an old hermit. 

A brief stop at the Poli, and of again down river in Reinosa for a lecture with Eduardo, a local environmental engineer, who told us some of the problems created in the area by unknowledgeble contractors that recanalized the river to the size of their excavators, two combined side by side 25 meters wide, while the actual width of the river varies from 100 to 300 meters. Later in the evening we watched a documentary that narrated Franco’s brilliant (not) idea to build a massive dam, to supply water, or as he called it gold, to the areas along the river further south in the Rioja area, and flooding 3 small towns in the process, where most inhabitants simply drowned. The story told by a few survivors from those towns, people who are still waiting and will never receive an apology or recognition to what happened to their families, their homes, their towns, or any so called “gold”.

Reinosa-Polientes (51 kms)

After the bikes and walkers left, and before taking off to the next stop, an elderly man walked by, and he asked what we were doing there; I explained, and he aksed if anyone told us about what they did to the “political prisoners” they had stashed away there, how they had non or very little clothing and no shoes. I told I saw the documentary earlier, and saw how they used them to build the dam. He then pointed to the wall behind me and said that was the wall they used shoot them when they were no longer useful, he used to wake up at dawn everyday to the sound of the firing squad. It was the church he said that would claim anyone they did not like, free thinkers who did not attend mass would be treated as political prisoners. Everyone was afraid of the church.

We picked up lunch in Villanueva and drove it a couple of miles to a picnic area, where everyone cooled of in the river. Diego, our fearless basque leader, had to go rescue Wilbur, as he threw his stick down river instead of up river without realizing Wilbur would go after it and would be taken by the current.

The bus that had brought the walking group from Madrid 2 days earlier was now picking them up, so they could all resume work on Monday.

Today is San Cristobal, the patron saint of Polientes, so we were able to join the locals in their celebration. 1 euro for a pot stew plus a nice piece of delicious Empanada Gallega served by folk in the town square. Most of us left early in order to get up early the next day.

Polientes-Escalada (24 kms)

Escalada is the most beautiful town so far. Guido, the local member was busy cooking a large meat stew and a large vegeterian rice with organic produce for lunch.

Shortly after the local baker (from a few towns over) came with her van filled with breads, empanadas, pastries, jams and other goodies for us to buy.


Guido asked us to pick as many cherries as we could to take with us.

Lunch was served by the town pond where the children were plaing and splashing. After Guido stories and a shortl siesta, we were all free to take small trips here and there; some of us went to the “pozas”, ponds created by lime and sediments, the water uncertain origen, comes from a cave. 


The water here is freezing cold, yet looks so good you have to do it.

Just above these pozas, where the cave is located, is the town of Orbaneja, which attracts local tourism. Now, I know I said Escalada was the most beautiful town, but that was before I saw Orbaneja. 

We were told that this town was occupied by the people who worked for the local nobles, that gathered in another nearby town. 2 euros is the entry fee to “la Cueva del Agua”, located in the center of town, the cave that provides water to the ponds below.

After dinner we gathered for our first “asamblea” (roundtable) to discuss water and other relevant issues.