9. PUENTE'S IBERIAN RIVER ADVENTURE: THE EBRO
Terraced slopes alternating olive and almond trees with grapevines. Horizontal fields of rice as far as you can see. Hill, coast and river villages. Linking all that: The Ebro river.
As one of the of the internal boundries in Spain, the Ebro more or less separates green Spain to the north and dry Spain to the south. Some residents of green Spain say the division is cultural, too, claiming that "Africa begins at the Ebro"
While that politically incorrect statement isn't really true, the Ebro, like the Duero, is indeed intimately linked to Spanish history, and to the history of the towns right along her banks and even farther afield. Like the Duero, the Ebro is a highway (navegable far upstream until construction of dams in the 1960's) and an important natural barrier, with strategic outposts going back to pre-Roman times that became important again during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
The Ebro has many personalities between its source and the sea - some more interesting than others - and some parts of the river are easier to follow than others. The above description and most of the photos are from the last part of the river, not far from the sea, but if you prefer an inland route, just let us know!