Stephen Johnston - "Spain: Rocks, Romans and Rioja"

Spain is a land full of stories and story-telling, going back to Don Quixote and his horse Rocinante
– S. Johnston

and continuing through Picasso’s Guernica

Spain’s rich history pre-dates even the time of copulating Tyrannasurus Rex
– S. Johnston

It started with wandering tectonic plates…

The supercontinent Pangaea formed about 350 million years ago

That collision, and subsquent separation of continents, had far-reaching consequences

It built huge mountain ranges underlain with mineral deposits
– S. Johnston

and created fertile soils that were ideal for growing grapes
– S. Johnston

Which attracted warriers and colonists, most notably the Romans
– S. Johnston

and led to traditional garb with elements of both Orthodox Christian and Muslim influence
– S. Johnston

and led to centuries of mining, for gold, and mercury, and copper
– S. Johnston

Even today, many of the smallest things can be traced back to ancient connections to Africa and other continents
– S. Johnston

Everywhere you look, you’d be safe to assume…there’s a story behind that…
– S. Johnston

Indeed, Spain’s rich history of colonization

and wine-making
– S. Johnston

are all tied to the rocks!
– S. Johnston

food for thought…
– S. Johnston

Stephen Johnston – “Spain: Rocks, Romans and Rioja”
by Andrew Bryant, 21 May 2015.

Dr. Stephen Johnston, professor of geology at the University of Victoria, took us on a lively and all-encompassing journey to Spain.

Based on his extensive knowledge of Pangea, that supercontinent formed by wandering tectonic plates some 350 million years ago, Stephen gave a wonderful example of how everything is always connected to everything else.

Want to find gold in Spain? Look for apple and chestnut trees, as these were often planted by the Romans while they were looking for gold.

Want to know why Las Médulas became a World Heritage Site? Thank Pliny the Elder, who fortuitously published his notes shortly before his death in the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.

Why is there a Sequoia tree growing at the University of Salamanca? Because Christopher Columbus brought seeds back from America, at the same time that loads of Spanish mercury were being shipped to the New World to be using in gold mining operations there…

In short, this was not your typical travelogue!