Minas do Sao Domingos

The Minas do Sao Domingos are an abandoned Au-Cu mine in the south-east of Portugal. Mining began during Roman times and started again in the 1950s. Now its a ghost town of miners cottages, ruined mine offices, warehouses, even a railway station (above). Ironically the landscape was strangely Australian - similar iron-rich soils, the buildings reminded me of Big Bell and it was the first open pit Id seen in a while. Like most I'd worked around it was filled with water (and due to the sulphides in the ore it was a "little" acidic - pH 1). There are storks everywhere - I liked this one on the old chimney. Otherwise theyre on power poles.

The ChurchThe town of Mertola nearby. Down in the river theres a ruined Roman pier

It was the weekend for trips to old, abandoned mines - on Saturday we went to Canal Caveira an old copper mine SE of Lisbon. Of course this was also a good excuse to for a day trip and a a decent lunch out of town so three out of four fieldies came. Also the carpenter. Two hours there, two hours for a very nice lunch and maybe half an hour kicking rocks. Just the way I like it. On the way back we stopped at the dam near Torrao to admire the view and have the most expensive coffee in Portugal thus far. Its was a very Trainspotting moment - the five of us leaning on a wall having a smoke (well 4 out of 5) looking at a half empty dam and admiring mans's ability to contain water under grey skies about to pour on us at any moment.