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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| River Limia runs through it: Aceredo villagers view waterlogged homes | River Limia runs through it: Aceredo villagers view waterlogged homes |
| (12 days later) | |
| They last saw their homes 20 years ago, as the waters of the river Limia swelled against the wall of a new dam and slowly filled the valley where Aceredo village had stood for centuries. | They last saw their homes 20 years ago, as the waters of the river Limia swelled against the wall of a new dam and slowly filled the valley where Aceredo village had stood for centuries. |
| But now the people who were ejected from their homes in 1992 have been able to view their old properties again – as the reservoir water recedes to reveal the mud-clogged outline of what was once a living, if tranquil, area. | But now the people who were ejected from their homes in 1992 have been able to view their old properties again – as the reservoir water recedes to reveal the mud-clogged outline of what was once a living, if tranquil, area. |
| "The water has never been this low before," said María del Carmen Yáñez, mayor of a dozen villages and hamlets along the banks of the Limia on the frontier with Portugal. "It is amazing to see how well-conserved some houses still are. One of the fountains has reappeared – and it still has water running from it." | "The water has never been this low before," said María del Carmen Yáñez, mayor of a dozen villages and hamlets along the banks of the Limia on the frontier with Portugal. "It is amazing to see how well-conserved some houses still are. One of the fountains has reappeared – and it still has water running from it." |
| Families evicted from this village in the north-western region of Galicia were among those who travelled to view the ruins over the weekend. | Families evicted from this village in the north-western region of Galicia were among those who travelled to view the ruins over the weekend. |
| "I can see this might be interesting for visitors from elsewhere, but for those of us whose roots are there it is hard to see it like this," neighbour Francisco Villalonga told the local La Región newspaper. "Seeing the houses where they were born and raised has made people very nostalgic for the past. That is a very Galician thing," explained Yáñez. | "I can see this might be interesting for visitors from elsewhere, but for those of us whose roots are there it is hard to see it like this," neighbour Francisco Villalonga told the local La Región newspaper. "Seeing the houses where they were born and raised has made people very nostalgic for the past. That is a very Galician thing," explained Yáñez. |
| Villagers fought eviction orders and occupied the town hall, but 250 people were eventually forced to move to a village above the Lindoso reservoir amid complaints that the valley's best farming land was being drowned. | Villagers fought eviction orders and occupied the town hall, but 250 people were eventually forced to move to a village above the Lindoso reservoir amid complaints that the valley's best farming land was being drowned. |
| The 18th-century baroque San Salvador church was dismantled stone by stone and transferred to another village. | The 18th-century baroque San Salvador church was dismantled stone by stone and transferred to another village. |
| While some admit the reservoir brought work and money, others have never got used to their new homes. "Most suffer from depression," claims Secundino Lorenzo, who runs a website devoted to the villages that have disappeared under reservoirs in the border province of Ourense over the past 50 years. "I can understand how they might never get over it, because it depresses me and I only know it because I used to go fishing there from time to time." | While some admit the reservoir brought work and money, others have never got used to their new homes. "Most suffer from depression," claims Secundino Lorenzo, who runs a website devoted to the villages that have disappeared under reservoirs in the border province of Ourense over the past 50 years. "I can understand how they might never get over it, because it depresses me and I only know it because I used to go fishing there from time to time." |
| Portugal's state-owned EDP electricity company, which runs the Lindoso reservoir hydroelectric plant, blamed low rainfall for the drop in the water level. | Portugal's state-owned EDP electricity company, which runs the Lindoso reservoir hydroelectric plant, blamed low rainfall for the drop in the water level. |
| • This article was amended on 13 December 2012. The original said that Aceredo is in north-western Galicia. This has been corrected. | • This article was amended on 13 December 2012. The original said that Aceredo is in north-western Galicia. This has been corrected. |
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