For hundreds of years Bierzos wealth has been based on mining activity. And not just coal. The half hour journey to Castropodame for Sunday mornings match took us through a ghostly little village called Onamio which consists of several rows of run-down mining cottages. For much of the 20th century up to the early 80s iron ore was extracted from the area and the mines were given the grandiose names of classical composers, coto Wagner, coto Vivaldi, etc.. All that is left now are some bizarre holes in the hillside that look as if theyve been left by enormous spaceships along with the habitual slagheaps and bits of rusting industrial paraphernalia.
A little further on and now climbing up to Castropodame village there are newly placed wind turbines high above us purring to themselves in the breeze. But just below the turbines another example of industrial archaeology lies unseen to any but the untrained eye. Nearly 2000 years before man was extracting coal, iron ore and slate from the mountainsides in monster size bites a different sort of mining activity was on the agenda in Roman occupied Bierzo. A substantial portion of the empires gold reserves was taken from these mountains after a very special technique had been employed. It was called ruina montium, and as a feat of engineering its comparable to that of the Great Wall of China. Those clever Romans built a vast network of canals covering literally hundreds of kms, some collecting thawing snow from the highest 2000m peaks, and transported water to the operational zones. Next the water entered a Swiss cheese of pre-cut tunnels and galleries and the effect was not only erosive but also
explosive. The water pressure compressed the air in the deepest caverns and the mountain literally collapsed. Ingenious or what? The sediment was then washed downhill to artificial lakes, the gold was panned and the wealth extracted for at least 200 years. Quite remarkable. And to think that some still ask what have the romans ever done for us?
The most famous of these large scale Roman goldmines is a World Heritage Site in a place called Las Medulas which lies about 20kms from Ponferrada. But perhaps the second biggest mine was located above the village of Castropodame and the earthworks and the reddish soils which had been blasted out of the mountainside can still be observed. Nobody visits them. As far as I know theres not even a signpost.
And in the shadow of the site of one of the most remarkable stories never told, there lies a football pitch. And the mountain which the aluminium boys must tear down is the village team of Castropodame and a bulky bunch of lads they are too. The aluminium boys team is somewhat depleted by several suspensions from last weeks battle of Valdecañada and Sunday morning hangovers have also paid their toll. The end result is that we have no substitutes which means
I cant be substituted.
As always we scored first and this time it was Bierzo Baggie who nipped in between two defenders and slammed it low past the keeper before performing a strange air-guitar arm swinging celebration that may have seemed slightly undignified for a man of my age. Well, it was my first goal for 5 years. Predictably our opponents soon equalized from a set piece and we went into half time all square but playing well. The game looked destined to finish in a 1-1 draw but with 10 minutes remaining BB found himself in a similar goalscoring position. With only the goalkeeper to beat I tried to loop the ball delicately over his head. Never having been the delicate type, footballingly speaking, I looped it over the bar as well. Shame that because they went straight up the other end and scored and we ended up losing 3-1.:mad:
Next week sees a bottom of the table clash between the two worst teams in El Bierzo. Disappointingly our opponents, OMD, will not be bringing their synthesizers and treating us to a half-time greatest hits compilation because the said initials refer to the construction company who sponsor their shirts.
Oh, and the photo is of the Roman goldmines at Las Medulas (not those of Castropodame).
