14 September 2026 Santiago de Compostela: Some Exploring and a Fancy Lunch at Paradores

 

We decided to spurge on a fancy lunch and Paradores was just the place to visit.  There is a category of hotels in Spain  that are state owned and located in unique locations such as palaces, castles, monasteries or scenic places.  It is a brilliant concept that allows historic buildings to not only be preserved but also to contribute to their own preservation.  The restaurant that we chose was located in one such establishment, the Hostal Real Santiago de Compostela, built in 1499 as a hospital dedicated to serving the many pilgrims coming into town.  It is located right next to the cathedral and it fonts to the square where all the pilgrims congregate.  The restaurant is in an old wine cellar and the stone arches make for a very cool atmosphere.  Really, the air was cooled by the stones in the arches.

The ironwork by the cathedral entrance

Behind the cathedral 

Lots of file old buildings and many many shops

Celtic symbols

Pulpo!

Only the most stylish mannequins get to be in these shops

More pulpo

These cups are ingenious,  use the attached carbineer to attach them to your backpack

The bagpipe passage

In the lobby of the hotel

I can fly!

We sat here for a bit, cooled off and got spiffy before heading downstairs for lunch

A hook could have hung this up easier than all of those nails

An entire wall of tilework

Yes, more wine please

A frosted glass logo

Pewter or solver?

So much bread!

Top knot bun

Tiny scallops

I got a pork shoulder stew with puffed bread

Leslie got hake

Ready for my close up

A great lunch

Back outside we see folks showing off the stamps they got on their camino

We were stuffed after lunch so I walked to the bodega for our dinner

A bit scary, ,we will not be visiting this cafe

The robin greets me on my return.  I am carrying jamon and cheese for our dinner

   It has been 4 years and 101 days since we began our Migration

14 September 2026 Santiago de Compostela: The Museum of the Cathedral Santiago

Our tour tickets allowed us re-enter for seven days after the initial tour, so we grabbed the tickets and headed into the cathedral museum.  At first it seemed to be  just a medium sized room but when we got to the back of that room we saw that there was more to it.  Then we took an elevator up to the third floor and there was so much more!  What a delightful few hours.

My newest acquisition!

It seemed like a rather small museum at first

Lots of figurines, this is a pilgrim

Lots  of  jewelry 

No end of crucifixes

This one was very detailed and superbly done

Now Leslie is rethinking about getting a fold up fan

This little pig got into the silver

Why royals go for the genetic freak of a two headed bird?

Nest to the fireplace is a little passageway, is this for the cats to be able to get to the rats?

"Check Mate" appropriate to say in a chess match and at the end of your meal while in Australia

This is so very detailed

 Gold, silver and thousands  of manhours

After we saw all the shiny bits they had these rescued carved stone angles

They date to 1200 but have been in recent times in a discarded stone pile

The cathedral went through many "updates" and sections had to be removed to accommodate the new construction.  

We took the elevator up to the 3rd floor and found a space four times bigger than what initially we thought to be the museum

Great lighting

So many stone carvings

There was a video playing in the museum and I took pictures of the close up pictures I wan not allowed to take pictures of

Meercats

The giant incense censor hangs from this spot 

Lots of monsters

More monsters 

This alter was off limits for pictures

A set of angles hold up the top of the alter

Here is what they were holding up

There are two organs and the pipes are oriented horizontally instead of vertically

Blasting sound out from both sides

A head with wings

Stone musicians playing a two person instrument

We three steeds of granite we are...

Bringing the bread

Nice hats!

Another musician

What could be worse than having a monster grab your legs with its tentacles and bite your tongue out

How about a beast biting your tender bits!

   It has been 4 years and 101 days since we began our Migration