Here's a visual of the outside of the hotel
Here I am blogging to you from the lobby. I know.. So dedicated.
Now i'm outside, if you please.
Here is Kevin in our room exchanging tres importante emails with Teddy ( the dog)
Anyway the Parador was worth every penny of the 100 euros for the night including breakfast. I caressed the very civilized paco lotions and potions for quite some time, murmuring "my pretty..."
Here are the live chickens, you can barely see them up there. Veritable Celebrities.
Some of the artists in town are keen to capture the chooks. With varying results.
Lore has it that centuries ago a German family was walking the camino. An innkeepers' daughter professed her love for the son. The son told her he did not feel the same way. Furious, she slipped a silver cup into his backpack. He was arrested for stealing and hanged. Next day his parents found him miraculously still alive and asked the mayor to cut him down. The mayor, who was eating roast chicken at the time, said: "Your son is as alive as this roast chicken. " Right before their eyes his meal turned into a live singing chicken!
Back to keeping it real..Next night we stayed in an Albergue dorm room with 18 others. Six euros each for a bed and ten euros for a three course chicken dinner with wine. Clean place and run by very nice people but...its a dorm.
While showering I prayed the man next to me was not doing a George Constanza (Seinfeld). Three men snored all night. Schnarers, the German pilgrims called them. The snorers slept in and all the rest of us headed off at sparrow's fart ( sorry to be technical, that's 6am). As we strode into the rising sun I mused: "gosh, that had to be the worst sleep i've ever had."
No matter. We'll always have Parador.
Good heavens Jody, what a game gal you are.....I'm not sure I'd be comfortable in a dorm...and as I am told I snore like a pig I doubt I'll ever inflict myself on others! Your pics are really interesting and I feel very proud of you...funny old thing being a blog buddy isn't it? x
ReplyDeleteThat is an amazingly blue sky for 9pm. Your adventures and travels always amaze me :-)
ReplyDeleteLove all the trials and tribulations and the lore this trek has. That dorm setting is what I had to endure in the Army only a few short years ago...you held up about as well as I did.
ReplyDeleteLoving this vicarious pilgrimage as I hope to do it in a few short years and will certainly reference your notes,
I have mentioned this trip to Hunter. His "discovery" would be that he is a whiney little shit. I do hope you are doing well...love these posts.
ReplyDeleteYou look so chipper for being in the midst of such a grueling pilgrimage. I've always been fascinated by this but never would have dreamt of attempting it. (Darn Catholic upbringing!)
ReplyDeleteLove that chicken story. Did the painting come home with you? It would be worth lugging that the rest of the trail as it's a very special piece. Would be a wonderful memento of your journey…
ReplyDeleteI could not do a dorm room. That hotel you stayed at looked very nice indeed, it would be hard to go back after that to the mass sleeping arrangements. xx
Your journey is truly amazing. Keep going and keep posting. I am enjoying it through your eyes and without the sore feet!
ReplyDeleteHello Jody,
ReplyDeleteWe are not quite sure whether it is best to have had Parador or not. The contrast with the dormitory life is really rather extreme. Still, better as they say to have 'loved' ( or, perhaps slept) than never to haver loved/slept at all.
This is a thrilling adventure for us, your onlookers. We can imagine that the dinner party invitations on your return will come pouring in when everyone wants to hear every detail!
Don't you have ear plugs? Essential on any holiday!! The Parador looks lovely. It must have been wonderful to wallow in a bit of luxury for a night.
ReplyDeleteYou are adventurous! I might and I do mean might, be able to do the walking, but sleeping in a room with other people would be impossible.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jody, so very much, for sharing this story with us. I am following you with fascination. I find myself thinking of you at different times during the day: "I wonder what she is doing now.." "Does she walk in the rain?" "Do her feet hurt" Just little things that pop into my head..
ReplyDeleteThe Parador looks wonderful.
BEAUTIFUL.........even if you are cheating blogging and sleeping in a PRINCESS BED!Love the story of the chickens!I now feel I want to do this!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a good Liverpool Irish catholic I've promised myself I'll make this trip myself one day....you make it look so good both for the eye and hopefully the soul.
ReplyDeleteOh you are a brave one. That's quite the painting. Singing chickens indeed.
ReplyDeleteLove the chicken story and the hotel with the view. That was an amazingly blue sky for that time of night. We don't even have blue skies during the day! Grey and rain! Where has summer in the UK gone?
ReplyDeleteThe Parador in Leon is stunning! Check it out. Enjoying every single minute of you journey as an opportunity to remember mine. I have a very distinct memory of Santo Domingo and then Belorado.
ReplyDelete