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Mineral and Mines Run
Eric did it again! If anybody could imagine that driving through a polluted, dirty, disused waste area could be interesting, this could only be him.
After arriving at the meeting point and having our first cup of coffee, 30 members and their cars set off to find out what this was all about. Armed with a little pre-information, we drove through one of the largest chemical industrial areas in this part of Spain. Even on Sunday whilst the refineries are quiet, the air could possibly have exploded if you had struck a match, and you could literally taste the gasses which are being produced there. After negotiating the roads which are constantly being changed in order to cope with the transport needed to bring the end products of this industry to us, we arrived into a completely different sort of industry, the “minerals and mines”. The Sierra Minera has been mined for centuries, producing metals varying from common lead to precious silver, and resulting in one of the most unusual landscapes left behind after the ‘goodies’ have gone. The ruins of the mine heads, the multicoloured separating grounds, the ventilation shafts and the remains of the smelting plants are all that are left of this once booming era.
We drove into Portman and were amazed at the fact that the old quay, where once boats had been moored, was now at least a kilometer away from the sea, resulting from the dumping of the remains, after the ore from the mines had been crushed, separated and washed, into the once beautiful bay. Photos of the former glory of the area could be seen in the old miners’ museum, which proved to be well worth the 60cents entry fee.
Then on to our coffee stop and many of our members felt immediately at home in the bar “Hogar 3rd Edad”. – A Home from Home for Pensioners!
After returning through still more ruins, and the town of La Union, once the hub of the mining industry, we arrived at one of the industrial heritages of the past,“Las Matildes Mine” Here we were welcomed by Ana our Spanish guide, into the restored mine head, and she, in her very best English explained to us about the mines, their locations and their produce, and in general the history of the whole area, we were also shown a film describing the workings of the mining gear and how men were lowered to the mine face, and how the ore, dug by them was brought up to the surface, also how the ground water was removed in order that the work could continue. We were shown lots of photos of the restoration of the mine head and also of the former miners, many of whom were children, used because of their cheap labour. The very interesting and enlightening tour came to an end; we gratefully thanked Ana and returned again to our cars.
Those of us that were going to the already booked restaurant went on to enjoy an excellent meal to finish off an excellent day, and the other members returned to their homes also after enjoying a good day out.
Posted by Webmaster3 on 2009-02-23
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