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
