Monument Esclusas del Canal de Castilla in Frómista

You're standing by the Canal de Castilla, at Frómista. Take a look at the water. It looks like a quiet ditch between the fields, but this was once a big dream. The canal was meant to carry grain from the Tierra de Campos, the flat breadbasket all around you, to the port of Santander. From there it could go anywhere. In the other direction, goods from Spain's colonies would flow into Castile.