Cats and cows

Our clients persisted in keeping us twiddling our thumbs waiting for stuff to arrive. So after lunch we set off along a very narrow and winding road to Escuaín, hoping to spot some quebrantahuesos (bearded vultures). This is yet another village in the middle of nowhere, 1200 m above sea level, with the worst access road yet. Escuaín obviously didn't get any of the European money for restoration and tourist facilities that Tella enjoys. The only inhabitants are cows and hordes of cats (see extras). The cats seem to have found feline paradise; I've never seen such plump and healthy feral cats (see extra for one of the more magnificent ones). They sat around lazily in the shade, or munched from thoughtfully provided buckets of dry cat food. Meanwhile the cows strolled the streets and gardens. One or two of the houses must be used in summer, because we did see a bank of solar panels, but most of them are in ruins. If you can read Spanish you can read more (and see photos) here. Even if you can't read Spanish, see the long list of place names on the right of that page; all of them are abandoned villages.

On the way home we detoured via Bestue, where a large crane had somehow been installed -- goodness knows how they got it up there -- and workmen were hard at work restoring houses, with plaques acknowledging the European subsidies being used to do it.

This part of Aragon is covered in thick deciduous forest; the leaves are just beginning to turn, and the foliage looked gorgeous in the buttery late afternoon light. Go large to spot S.

Oh, we didn't see any vultures; probably completely the wrong time of day.