Esco

Another Saturday means another day to get out of town and explore the countryside...

(this one makes me laugh out loud. I think  Doe was laughing because she made it across the street right before the speeding car crossed her path ;)     )

Look at all the sheepies 

Part of the lake that was caused by Esco being flooded...

Saturday we drove to the Pyrenees mountains. This was on Beloved's Bucket List. We had gone to the Pyrenees once before on our honeymoon to France, and that was where we learned about the Great Pyrenees sheepdog. Two years later we bought our own sheepdog and she lived with us in both Loveland and Vancouver. Her name was Josie. She was a lovely reminder of a beautiful but short trip to this part of the world.

Beloved (hubba hubba!)  and Josie our Great Pyr. She was a sweet dog.  

But the trip to the Pyrenees in 1991 was too short to explore. So we had always wanted to go back and see this area again. 

Hitting Lightspeed in one of the tunnels  ;) 

About one and half hours into our drive to the mountains we saw a rough roadside sign with the word 'Esco' on it. Doe remarked that there was a dirt road that seemed to lead up to the old city, but the road was blocked. Since the rain had stopped we jumped out to investigate further. 

Esco is a small abandoned village literally out in the middle of nowhere. It has a sad history. A vibrant village that had been in existence since the 1300s Esco was destroyed in the 20th c. In 1959 Franco's government decided to flood the surrounding farmland by building a dam close by. As a result the city of Esco was abandoned and left to decay, leaving behind what once was assumed a shining city on the hill. 

(love this shot. Doe: Let me imitate the joyous exuberance that being a teenage girl brings. Bumpo: I'm going to do whatever my sister does because she is awesome. Tank: All right I'll play along, but I have no idea what I am doing. Beloved: Not. Gonna. Do. It. )

Esco 

We think this must have been the main thoroughfare through the city. If you looked closely you could see tiny stones paving the roads, now long overgrown with weeds and grass and moss. 

Trees 

Interior detail of a stone floor. Such good work. 

Doe and Beloved talking to a man who appeared out of a house in the ruins. We think he is some sort of caretaker for the village. They were able to determine that he survives on the sheep and lake fish that are in the nearby lake. He is one of four residents of Esco. 

We heard a radio playing from the house next to where the white car was parked. 

Pottery roof tiles. 

Doe and I go to check out the church. 

Horse stall right off of the entrance to a home. What a nice way to wake up every morning :) 

Entrance to the church.

The roof to the second story had collapsed in places. 

Beautiful stonework in a side nave.

Looking towards the altar???

You had to use your camera flash to see the stairs at one point ;)  (Beloved left his phone with the Flashlight app in the car).

staircase

                                             

Stairs to the upper windows. Note condition of the floor. Yes there was discussion about someone going up those stairs to the windows. Mama poo-pooed that.  Such. Buzzkill.

toilet 

An amazing amount of effort to make the walls. It looks like the Spanish nougat turron

Now I want some...

Floor detail

more detail of the paving work in Esco

 Wooden door-hinge. 

There were these swathes of rock in the countryside. It had the consistency of  baked phyllo dough and would crunch and shatter when stepped on. 

Walking back to the car. 

Smile! 

An unexpected treasure. 

Here's a link for further information. If you're going through Vasco country on your way to the Pyrenees, don't miss out on Esco. It's worth the stop. 

http://www.ibtimes.com/travel-esco-abandoned-village-spain-photos-709810