March 15, 2023
One of the things we quickly came to appreciate in Colombia in general was the street art. I think they have more murals than anywhere we have ever been. Little did we know when we were ooh-ing and ah-ing over the murals in Cartagena that they were just a fraction of what we would see later in the trip.
June 29-30, 2022
I. OUR HOTEL
We typically book hotels with high-ish ratings but avoid the five-star hotels that are generally beyond our budget. However, we splurged in Santiago de Compostela and booked a room for two nights in the five-star Parador Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos, one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world and supposedly one of the most luxurious hotels in Spain. The big draw for us was not the luxury, but its location on the Obradoiro Plaza and next to the Cathedral.
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King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (yes, the monarchs who financed Columbus's voyages) made their own pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 1486, and once there, recognized the need for a hospital and hostel for pilgrims. They funded the building project, which was completed in 1511. Pilgrims could recover in the rooms (three days in summer, five days in winter), and medical care was provided as needed, all at no cost to the pilgrims. It continued as a hostel/hospital for over 400 years.
In 1953, the hospital, which by now was serving members of the community as well, was moved to another location, and in 1954 the building opened as a hotel. It became part of the Paradores hotel network it in 1986.
The hotel still provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day to the first ten pilgrims who prove they have completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
The front façade is the original from the early 16th century. Think about that. This dates back to the within a decade or two after Columbus made his first voyage.
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