To Zaragoza with the pensionistas!

We were asked to join the pensionistas group in the village when it formed a couple of years ago and although we were not OAP's ourselves, although we are retired, we agreed to support them.

32 of us set off just after 8.00am from Torre del Compte by coach towards Zaragoza on what was going to be, according to the weather forecast, a very hot day.

To see the photos full size, click left on them.

Just after 10am we arrived at our first port of call at La Franca at the "International Centre for Water and the Environment", (or CIAMA in Spanish). This site, some 15 kms outside Zaragoza, was chosen because of it's proximity to the Rio Ebro, which is a couple of fields away, and it was already home to the Palacio de los Marqueses de Ayerbe, (XVIII), with the Convento de San Vicente de Paúl, (1884), right next door. The Palace has historic gardens constructed between the 17th and 19th centuries with a French influence.


A more recent structure created in 2008 for Expo '08 is the viewpoint with the rock gardens.


A model shows the layout best, convent top-left, palace to the right with very neat gardens in front. The real gardens were a bit overgrown but they were working on them.


The rocks were brought from different places throughout the region of Aragón. At least they don't take as much looking after as plants.


One advantage of being on a trip with pensionistas is that you can stop for a photo and still not have fallen behind the remainder of the group!


And so into Zaragoza where the coach dropped us and a group of us popped into the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar to catch the lunchtime mass - at least it was much cooler in there. Our lunch was at the Las Palomas restaurant situated in the Plaza del Pilar and what a lunch it was. Everyone did it full justice. Highly recommended!


At 16.30 till 19.00 we had a guided tour of the Museos de la Ruta de Caesaraugusta. Caesar Augusta was the Roman emperor who, during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, gave his name to Zaragoza as it is now known.


The tour started in the theatre...


...where the seating area and stage have been excavated and covered with a roof...


...and then went on to the Roman baths, the river port area and the Forum. The only problem is that we weren't allowed to take photos with flash and all of these places were underground apart from the remains of the theatre, so you will just have to take my word for it that all of these places were fascinating. Thank goodness they were underground and cool, outside it was like a very hot oven! However, a fantastic day out.