History of the Parador - Hostal Reis Catolicos

[handzondeck2]

Hi all

I am researching pilgrim traditions for a small project that I am working on and was wondering about the history / tradition behind the free meals served to pilgrims at the Parador - Hostal Reis Catolicos?

If anyone has any little snippets of information that they would like to share that would be greatly appreciated.

Gracias

Sharon

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Sharon,

My understanding is, and may not be correct, is that when the Catholic
Church sold the Albergue Reys Catolica to the Spanish Government for a fraction of its value that part of the bargain was that the hotel would serve 3 meals a day to ten pilgrims. It would be the first ten pilgrims in the queue.

The Parador has abided by the letter of the contract, but in my opinion they have not abided by the spirit of the contract.

I went one morning early to the front door, and was told to go down the street to the garage door.
There we waited until a man came out. He counted how many we were and wrote the number on a slip of paper which we then presented at the front door. We were led not towards the dining room but downstairs towards the kitchens and told to wait in a small dining room. At some stage somebody told us to come up to the kitchen and collect a tray which held coffee and I think Hot chocolate and a large plate of croissants. We ourselves carried them down the steep stairs to our little room.

The coffee and hot chocolate were good but every single one of the croissants were burnt and not fit to be served nor eaten. If they had been served to me in any little bar anywhere from the Pyreenes to Santiago I would have asked to be given ones not burned.

The staff treated us as if they wished we were not there. As the Parador Hotels are owned by the Spanish government I often thought of writing to the Spanish Ambassador here in Ireland and telling him how they have faulted on their promise.

In fact I often regretted that I had not taken the full tray and insisted on seeing the chief chef that morning and presented him with the burnt offering which we had been given

The Paradors make huge money out of the pilgrims on the Camino and the very least that they could have done is assign a prominent table to them in the dining room.

Of course we were being treated as so often passing trade is treated, because I can tell you never again would I put myself in a situation to be humiliated as we were that day.

I thanked God that day that I usually feed the poor who come to my door at my own table and share a cup of tea or bowl of soup with them as I would any guest.

When I compare the treatment in Hotel Reys Catholica with the beautiful way we were greeted all along the Camino, esp places like Emaus, Granon ,Tosantos and so many many more. The true spirit of the Camino is alive and well, but not necessarily found in the places where it once was to be found hundreds of years ago.

 

[handzondeck2]

Thanks for sharing your experience Lydia

 

[JohnnieWalker]

"In the 16th century the Catholic Monarchs constituted the Foundation of the Royal Hospital and ordered the construction of a hospital for pilgrims in Santiago. This was housed in the building now occupied by the Hotel Hostal de los Reyes Católicos . On presentation of their Compostela pilgrims were allowed to stay in the hospital for three days. The hospital looked after pilgrims’ health needs and it became the most important hospital in Galicia. Later in its history it became the centre of the faculty of Medicine of the University of Santiago de Compostela. In 1954 it was converted to a state run Parador hotel. However the hotel continues the tradition of pilgrim hospitality by providing free meals for three days to 10 pilgrims on production of the Compostela."

From: http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/pilgri ... ompostela/

Pilgrims queue up atthe garage door everyday so go early as they only take the first 10.

Breakfast - 9am

Lunch - 12 noon

Dinner - 7pm

Que aproveche!

 

[robertt]

This is a suggestion not a criticism. I have no way of knowing about other people's circumstances in cases like this. Moreover, I do appreciate Lydia's detailed description of what she encountered at the Parador, since they do have a contract to fulfil. It's all good to know.

However, would it not be a good idea, in general, to leave the free meals and services to the poor? I know many pretend and cajole, but I did encounter some genuinely destitute people on my Camino. Two, in particular, were quite bona fide paupers, for whatever reason, and were not trying to sponge. They were just pilgrims. (I assure you, I'm terrific at saying no to spongers.) I walked with both these men for some time. One was a Mexican friar, about to make final vows, walking the whole way from Le Puy with no money whatsoever! We worked things out.

This applies to cheap and donativo albergues at the peak season, as well as to free meals. Why not leave all the free stuff to those that need it, even if many feign or make a profession of poverty? Obviously, albergues want extra business at times - especially in the off season, when I walk - so there's no point in making a hard rule about it. One can even leave a donativo in order to eat and socialise at an albergue, but leave the bed vacant and go to a twenty euro hostal to sleep. We're not talking huge amounts here.

Obviously, if you're really low on funds, you should avail yourself of all the cheap and free stuff. That's what it's for!

Rob

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Rob

As far as I know there is no "contract" - with 200,000 pilgrims arriving each year it would be pretty meaningless! But I'll look into this further. Rather our understanding is that the three meals a day for 10 pilgrims is purely a symbol of the noble past of the building in caring for pilgrims.

Very occasionally pilgrims such as the friar you described explain their circumstances to the Pilgrims' Office and we try to ensure as far as is humanly possible that they are given food and shelter.

John

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Robert,

I appreciate your comments.
I went that morning to the parador to experience this part of the Camino as it were. I fully intended to give up my place in the queue if there were people needing the free breakfast. as it happened there were only four of us in the queue so I availed of the free breakfast.

I often stay in Donativo Albergues as these are among the nicest places to stay but I always give a very generous donation, what would cover my cost in a private place plus my evening meal .

How would these albergues survive if only those who could not pay anything stayed there?. They need the donations of those of us who can afford to pay.

However I have at times been distressed to see people who have travelled by air long distances and are obviously dressed in expensive clothing give tiny donations which were not even " foldable"

I know I should not judge others and would say to myself', "I don't know the whole story. Maybe someone gave them the gift of the air fare etc. etc"

I still think that Hotel Hostal Reis Catholica should treat the pilgrims with respect and to serve burnt food is not respect.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I have often thought that the management has been extremely foolish and short-sighted in how it handles pilgrims. Rather than relegate them to what one can only call second-class treatment (well, more accurately third-class), I would have thought that they should embrace the opportunity to showcase the pilgrims and the Parador's role in the pilgrimage. I think that their regular clientèle, merrily shelling out a few hundred euro for their rooms, would be entranced by this.

Imagine, if you will, the maitre d' leading the ten grubby pilgrims into the main dining room to a special table where they will be supplied with the menu de dia, in full view of the paying guests. If you do not think for a minute that, on their return to NY or London or Moscow, they will not be telling all of their friends about this, or that travel writers will not be describing this in full detail.... the publicity from a 240E (10 times the menu de dia) expenditure would be incredible.

And knowing Spaniards just a bit, I think that the Spanish clientèle and the staff would feel a certain pride in their restaurant and workplace taking its place in this ancient phenomenon, which has done so much to make Santiago a great city and the Parador a principal hotel in Europe. Does it take a retired bureaucrat to get hoteliers to understand their business?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I think this is a really neat idea but alas I fear that since service is already lamentable in the parador in Santiago and the quality of food/service in the dining room even worse this is an idea which will not get traction. Pity.