He’s another one of those venerable old-timers from the Villuercas Ibores Jara Geopark which help you understand, without needing much explanation, what the word ‘resilience’ means. This specimen of Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) It’s been about 400 years planted right where it is, so it was already there putting down roots just as Shakespeare, Cervantes and Galileo Galilei were coming of age.

What is remarkable about this specimen is not just its size – which is impressive in itself – but how it has managed to survive in an environment where human activity has been a constant presence. Its branches twist and turn in search of light in a way that speaks to us of pure resilience.

If you take a closer look, notice its fissured bark; it is a tiny ecosystem that harbours a wealth of biodiversity that goes unnoticed by the hurried observer.