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Pilgrim Meals in Parador in Santiago

geraldkelly

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francés, Vía de la Plata / Camino Sanabrés, Camino del Baztán, Camino Aragonés, Chemin du Puy
Hi!

I have a question about the pilgrim meals in the Parador in Santiago.

I know that pre-Covid the first pilgrims to arrive at the Pilgrims Office in the morning to get a Compostela were offered a voucher for these meals.

Does anyone know how this happens now? Or has it been discontinued completely?

Thanks for your help!
Gerald
 
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I had the privilige of enjoying a pilgrim’s meal at the Parador twice. Both times by being one of the first ten pelgrims standing in line at the servants entrance (not sure if that’s what it’s called). I hadn’t received a voucher at the pilgrim’s office.

There was a staff member of the Parador that checked my Compostela (not being older than 3 days).

That was it.
 
I had the privilige of enjoying a pilgrim’s meal at the Parador twice. Both times by being one of the first ten pelgrims standing in line at the servants entrance (not sure if that’s what it’s called).
Perhaps useful to indicate the year when this happened. The procedure for free meals at the Parador in Santiago has repeatedly changed over time. I guess @geraldkelly is primarily interested in what the procedure is right now at the end of 2021.
 
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To clarify for C clearly -- I was the 11th pilgrim to get the pilgrim dinner once.

The guy at the car park gave me an 11th coupon after everyone had gone in (unknown to me), I thought there must have been fewer than 10, guy at the desk gave me a weird look which was my first clue, got my tray, went to the comedor, and had to sit on the window sill as the table was full. (well, there was enough room for my plate anyway)

Some of the pilgrims were a bit miffed too, perhaps they'd had to turn others away.
 
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I would just like to mention that the meal itself is generally (in my experience) nothing to write home about. Lunch was better than dinner. But the companionship and chat with the other nine (though brief) was more important. It was much better to dine in the restaurant with the voucher than in that small room near the kitchen.
 
As @geraldkelly noted, the pilgrims’ office took over handing out the parador meal vouchers years ago. He is wondering whether covid has affected that procedure.

I did some googling, and found one source from July that indicated that pilgrims no longer have to go to the Pilgrims Office for the voucher, but unfortunately the article doesn’t explain what the new procedure is!


Los 10 primeros que cada mañana entren a Santiago a pie o en bici, no tendrán más que buscar su Oficina del Peregrino para, amén de la Compostela por la que tanto han penado, ganarse una comida gratis en el Hostal de los Reyes Católicos. (Of course that is inaccurate, because the only place a pilgrim can get the compostela is the pilgrim’s office, and the compostela must be shown to qualify the person for the free meal!).


The pilgrims’s office page is also a bit ambiguous, but seems to suggest that current practice is to go directly to the parador.

En 1954 se convirtió en Parador de Turismo, a pesar de que, como tradición de hospitalidad, el hotel continúa ofreciendo comidas gratis a los primeros peregrinos de cada día que se presentan en el propio Hostal, siempre presentando la “Compostella”, o fotocopia de la misma.


Maybe others can find more definitive information, but this looks like the office no longer hands out those vouchers. I’m wondering if that means they also have given up handing out the vouchers for the free Pórtico de la Gloria visits, but that is a different topic!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I was once one of the first ten pilgrims. An eleventh showed up and I gave him my place as I had already enjoyed the experience. Glad you were able to get in.
Not me.

But that is beautiful, and in the spirit of the Camino as such !!

Though to be an extranumerary 11th among 10, and at the very moment of my arrival in Compostela from home in the year of my Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation, not knowing if I'd even eat anything at all that night as I was penniless, remains one of the most humbling pure pilgrim experiences I've ever had.
 
Hi!

I have a question about the pilgrim meals in the Parador in Santiago.

I know that pre-Covid the first pilgrims to arrive at the Pilgrims Office in the morning to get a Compostela were offered a voucher for these meals.

Does anyone know how this happens now? Or has it been discontinued completely?

Thanks for your help!
Gerald
I asked about this when I was there in November. The hotel said they stopped pilgrim meals because of the COVID. They give pilgrim discount,15% off. Would I recommend it? No, the room was not worth the price I paid. Especially, the first room they tried to give me had a "wall view". When I opened the window, I could almost touch the wall of the next building with my nose. I complained and got a better room, roof view this time.
 
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OK, thanks everybody. It looks like there are no pilgrim meals for the time being.
 
Good question @geraldkelly. I haven't heard of any pilgrim meals for the time being, either.

I do know that earlier this year the first few pilgrims in line at the Pilgrim's Office were given a ticket to the noon Pilgrim's Mass. We'll see if that continues this year.
I think you have to ask, because we were one of the first in the Pilgrim's office and did not get a ticket.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I would hope that those pilgrims who are really in need could receive the free meal, and the rest of us, who might arrive early enough to qualfy, would forego the meal to allow a really needy pilgrim to get it.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I would hope that those pilgrims who are really in need could receive the free meal, and the rest of us, who might arrive early enough to qualfy, would forego the meal to allow a really needy pilgrim to get it.
We've had this discussion a few times already - who should or should not receive one of the ten daily free meals offered by a luxury hotel in Santiago that was once a hospital cum albergue for pilgrims, and an orphanage for local orphans.

Especially those of us who laboured through the online course offered by the University of Santiago last year and who worked through the long text of the Founding Charter of the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, now the Parador of Santiago, and who answered questions about it in the test know that the generous offers of this place were intended for the benefit of every pilgrim who had reached Santiago and not just for the needy. So why artificially change a century-old tradition now, some of us may wonder. 😎🤔😶

Anyway, as we have learnt in this thread: Currently no free meals are on offer for anyone, only food against payment for paying guests. If I am not mistaken, their menu del peregrino in the lesser of their two restaurants is quite affordable, around €18-20?
 
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Here we are - Parador of Santiago, Enxebre restaurant. And I think you even get a discount when you present your credential (yes, credential, not Compostela). -15%, is it? €17 only?

View attachment 115916
The menú either is intended to make the pilgrim feel that he or she is still on the camino eating lentejas in communal dinners, or to show that even the humble lenteja can make it onto the parador’s menú, at least if it is spiced up with chipirones.
 
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I had the privilige of enjoying a pilgrim’s meal at the Parador twice. Both times by being one of the first ten pelgrims standing in line at the servants entrance (not sure if that’s what it’s called). I hadn’t received a voucher at the pilgrim’s office.

There was a staff member of the Parador that checked my Compostela (not being older than 3 days).

That was it.
It was a long time ago - 2010 and we waited by what looked like a garage door, at the top of Costa do Cristo leading from Praza do Obradoiro. There were 5 of us. A door opened at midday and we were invited into an 'office' and our passports and Compostelas were checked. We then were led through an underground garage, up some stairs and were shown a small room with a table overlooking a small courtyard. It was explained that we were to eat there and then we were led to the kitchens where at an open hatch our trays were filled with three courses and a large wine. It was explained that if we wanted a wine refill that we were just to come back. So it was that a Frenchman, a Spaniard, a German, a Korean and me; a Scot, enjoyed a lovely meal and chat with much laughter. The Korean had already had had his breakfast there that morning and was coming back later for his dinner. A great time. I was back in October 2019 but it is no longer organised the same way I am led to believe. I did have a Pilgrim's meal in a restaurant called Enxerbe which was, if I remember, near where the garage once was. Is that how things are organised now? It wasn't the same experience I am afraid. (Photo: The Spaniard had still to arrive ..)
 

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A great time. I was back in October 2019 but it is no longer organised the same way I am led to believe.
Pretty much what I remember from summer 1990 in terms of organization. But in my case I was the only pilgrim eating in what looked like a dark and grim dungeon. Not that unusual then with very small numbers arriving even in summer. The food was plentiful but not very inspiring - fairly obviously the hotel staff meal of the day. Served almost without comment and with no very warm welcome. Although at that time I was entitled to 3 free meals per day for 3 days it was such a soulless experience that I didn't return. Too many more attractive options in town!
 
Pretty much what I remember from summer 1990 in terms of organization. But in my case I was the only pilgrim eating in what looked like a dark and grim dungeon. Not that unusual then with very small numbers arriving even in summer. The food was plentiful but not very inspiring - fairly obviously the hotel staff meal of the day. Served almost without comment and with no very warm welcome. Although at that time I was entitled to 3 free meals per day for 3 days it was such a soulless experience that I didn't return. Too many more attractive options in town!
I must have been lucky then. Both the staff and the company were very nice; the latter exceptionally so. We had a great time, despite the language problem. The German and French guy were good English speakers, the Korean and Spaniard not at all, myself - when I try 🤣🤣🤣.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Or has it been discontinued completely?
From the website of the Pilgrims Office (translated from Spanish):

Starting on Monday, 4 April 2022, the tradition of offering a free meal every day to 10 pilgrims at the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos will be taken up again. This continues an old custom, linked to the origin of the building, erected in the sixteenth century as a pilgrims' hospital, by order of the royal rulers Isabella and Ferdinand. The Cathedral of Santiago is grateful for the initiative of the hotel, which belongs to the Paradores de Turismo group, and especially to its director, Mr Santiago Carrera. The tickets to enjoy the gift will be distributed at the Pilgrim's Office.​
 
From the website of the Pilgrims Office (translated from Spanish):

Starting on Monday, 4 April 2022, the tradition of offering a free meal every day to 10 pilgrims at the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos will be taken up again. This continues an old custom, linked to the origin of the building, erected in the sixteenth century as a pilgrims' hospital, by order of the royal rulers Isabella and Ferdinand. The Cathedral of Santiago is grateful for the initiative of the hotel, which belongs to the Paradores de Turismo group, and especially to its director, Mr Santiago Carrera. The tickets to enjoy the gift will be distributed at the Pilgrim's Office.​

Brilliant, thank you @Kathar1na !

Could you post a link to the original please? Thanks again!
 
a link to the original
Here you are:

You can also see this information on the main page http://oficinadelperegrino.com when you scroll down.
 
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Here you are:

You can also see this information on the main page http://oficinadelperegrino.com when you scroll down.
Hello everyone, i arrived at Santiago yesterday, went to the pilgrims’ mass straightaway and got my credentials afterwards. Then read about the lunch and went this morning to the office to be one of the ten. I was first in line but I honestly told them that I got my credentials yesterday they did not give me a voucher. So it is worth bearing this in mind. Otherwise now indeed they are handing out a paper voucher to the first ten of the morning as you enter the office.
 
Hello everyone, i arrived at Santiago yesterday, went to the pilgrims’ mass straightaway and got my credentials afterwards. Then read about the lunch and went this morning to the office to be one of the ten. I was first in line but I honestly told them that I got my credentials yesterday they did not give me a voucher. So it is worth bearing this in mind. Otherwise now indeed they are handing out a paper voucher to the first ten of the morning as you enter the office.
I think what you are saying is that you cannot queue in the morning for a voucher for a meal at the Parador when you got your Compostela or other certificate the day before?

Yeah, this voucher business … people who know about it can make an effort to get such a voucher. And giving it to the first ten pilgrims in the morning makes it easy from an organisational point of view. Ideally it ought to be more random and more of a surprise perhaps …

You can of course always try to drum up 9 other pilgrims and reserve a table at the Parador restaurant for an identical meal … it’s not very expensive, around €20 I believe.
 

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