Galicia is closer to Portugal than to Spain, culturally, architecturally, and linguistically. In fact, history and language buffs will find this northwesternmost piece of the Iberian Peninsula an interesting study. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article, for starters. Galicia
We had lunch at the famous hotel, the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos (Hostal dos Reis Católicos in Galician and Portuguese) which is one of several luxury paradores operated by the Spanish government. Busloads of tourists, mostly from the same optional shore excursion, filled the large dining hall of what had originally been built as a hospital for pilgrims to Santiago.
Some of us were jammed into a tiny elevator to get up to the third-floor restaurant, and the car refused to move once the door had clanged shut. Only later, when an agitated janitor came to free us, after several phoned-in SOS's, did we discover that we were ten in an elevator car meant for five, this according to a posted sign. No wonder our rescuer was annoyed!
Hung on the walls of the cloister surrounding the central courtyard were pretty decent copies (not prints) of oil paintings of El Greco saints. At first glance they might even have been mistaken for works by the master, and I had to do a double take.
No comments:
Post a Comment