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Free meal at the Parador

sulu

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
a few since 2010
I took up this offer twice last week and had 2 amazing evenings. The food is nothing to get excited about and you have to be prepared to get there early and wait but the wait was well worth it. I met some really interesting and amusing people, several had done different caminos. You are only elligible fro 3 days but for anyone who finds themselves alone for any reason it is an absolute must and as sokeone pointed out, how else do you get a private dining room for 10 people?
:D
Sue
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Thanks for the reminder! Have to file this tidbit away for future use. I'd heard about it but didn't know anyone who'd tried it!! Gracias, Karin
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
The wait varies, the first time I was there about 6.20 and was 9 in the queue, (you have to wait either inside or outside the garage!) we were outside and were called in at 6.45. We ended up as 6 because of people having backpacks or not having the Compostela with them. The second time I arrived about 6.10 and I was already number 10 and everyone had the right bits of paper etc.
The food was nothing special; salad, a choice of main courses, (chicken stew or tostadas with ham and tomato the first time) and fruit; wine and water.

The evenings were special for the company, I don't know if I was especially lucky but both times there were really interesting people. :D
Sue
 
Yup, gotta get up early, no pack on your back but a valid recent Compostela (within the last day or two) - breakfast only no dinner and its in the kitchen - don't wait by the main door, go down to the kitchen entrance. First 10 pilgrams that meet the criteria get in.
 
It's worth it to keep the history alive, but don't expect a fancy breakfast.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
"keeping history alive?" C´mon. If you can afford to pay for your meals, why take advantage of a generous gesture that was created to help people who have nothing to eat?

Maybe once, just for the experience. But going back THREE TIMES? Overkill, man. :roll:

Some might find this an enjoyable touristic experience: "wow! Something for nothing, in a swish place! And look at all these cool people I could never meet otherwise!"

But in other places it´s called "slumming." Why not sleep at the homeless shelter while you´re at it? You can meet all kinds of fascinating characters there, it costs nothing, and they´ll let you come back over and over, too! Create your own tradition!
 
hel&scott said:
Yup, gotta get up early, no pack on your back but a valid recent Compostela (within the last day or two) - breakfast only no dinner and its in the kitchen - don't wait by the main door, go down to the kitchen entrance. First 10 pilgrims that meet the criteria get in.
It's worth it to keep the history alive, but don't expect a fancy breakfast.

Interesting. I thought it was three meals per day for three days? Hel&Scott it can't be only dinner as people refer to going there for dinner? In the Pilgrims' Office we advise people to take photocopies of their compostela - is this necessary? It might be easier if I go and ask the hotel this week.
 
Some might find this an enjoyable touristic experience: "wow! Something for nothing, in a swish place! And look at all these cool people I could never meet otherwise!"

Sorry Rebekah, Nothing very swish about it. but as a pensioner I reckon I fit into the category of poor and sometimes needy!

Interesting. I thought it was three meals per day for three days? Hel&Scott it can't be only dinner as people refer to going there for dinner? In the Pilgrims' Office we advise people to take photocopies of their compostela - is this necessary? It might be easier if I go and ask the hotel this week.

It is 3 meals for 3 days and the photocopy will suffice. I doubt that many people attempt all 3 meals, though there may be some needy enough, I don't think I met many of them on the Camino, though the people who were queueing up to use my pan in Galicia would probably have been amongst the number.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I did it in August after my Camino Portugués. My compañera wanted to do it - so we went purely on a lark! If we got in we got in, if not, oh well. It was comida - the middle of the day - and there were only 6 of us. You do need your compostela, but as we were only six, they accepted our credencial as that was all she and I brought with us. Had there been a full complement of 10 people we would have been turned away. The food was ok, a sort of mixed vegetable bowl to share, soup and a main course which I really can't remember - honestly, it wasn't memorable. The lark was having to get "checked in " at the parking garage door, then you go up to the main entrnace and they lead you through two beautiful courtyards to the kitchen. Up the stairs, grab a tray, get your meal and then back down the stairs to a tiny dining room with a rather well used table cloth. However, we got all the wine we wanted - that was fun - and we all had a good laugh. Clearly none of us "needed" the meal.

We had a unique experience in the evening though. We encountered three young Spanish guys with whom we had walked much of the Portugués. They were in their twenties and one was a special ed teacher - they were all on a pretty tight budget. They had met on the Camino in 2009 and decided to do the Camino Portugués together for the Holy Year. We told them about the dinner and took them to the Parador to show them where to go. As we turned the corner to enter the parking garage, an Australian (sorry, no offense to my aussie friends!) woman began shouting at us.... "No, NO, NO, we are already counted! We have been waiting here for 30 minutes and he has already counted us - There is NO room for you!" It was very shocking, really. Especially since Chantal and I had no intention of eating there again - we just wanted the boys (who could actually have really used it!) to benefit from the opportunity.


Anyway, I got some really nice photos of the interior courtyards and chapel of the Parador - but if I never got the chance to eat there again, it would be no great loss. It's fun if it works out, but dont' put too much stock in it.
 
sorry if I´m coming off like that nasty freeloading woman at the door. I don´t want to pretend like I´m the gatekeeper for the Parador! I´m just sayin: if you are up against it, that´s why the thing is there. But if you´re just taking advantage?

I´ve said enough.
 
Rebekah Scott said:
sorry if I´m coming off like that nasty freeloading woman at the door.

No worries Rebekah, we went just for breakfast as it was pouring and no-one was about and it is worth keeping traditions alive ... especially given what the parador normally charges! And we had walked 1200km to get there, we figured we had earned it!

Info we had it was just one meal for up to 10 per day... interested in clarification on that Johnny, but I do think 3 meals for 3 people is a bit selective...

Still next time my daughter is shouting me a stay at the parador so we won't be freeloading but enjoying a lie in, may even do breakfast in bed.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
The Parador buffet breakfast is 20 Euro, and worth every cent; caviar!!! Leave the garage meals for the line-standers. I walked by to examine the "tradition," and found a permanent line of the same people at every meal, sort of the bed race but for meals. Ten basic meals three times a day. Not a bad deal for prime real estate on Obradoiro square. If there was any real Santiago spirit in the mega-chain of hotels, they would at least open the cloisters for pilgrim visits. Their "guests only" sign is a spiritual turnoff. Hotel Hostal dos Reis Catolicos is a profit-maximizing business. Enjoy it for what it is today, and buy the breakfast buffet!
 
falcon269 said:
Leave the garage meals for the line-standers. I walked by to examine the "tradition," and found a permanent line of the same people at every meal,

Those who advise caution and judgement about using this ancient facility for the really needy (as was originally intended) have a good, valid point. I'm not at all sure however, that the "garage meal" sentiments quoted above are really justified. The inspection of the line at "every meal" likewise; there may have been other things to see in SDC?
 
I've always thought that the parador, rather than hiding the pilgrims in the basement, should put them at their own table in the middle of the restaurant, as a sort of tourist attraction. After all, keeping the obligation to provide some pilgrim sustenance was one of the conditions by which the management has the building, or so I was told.

Still, we would have to get used to being photographed by tourists, but there are always tradeoffs in life.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I've been there and enjoyed the experience.The serving staff were polite. Also, as we dined in the pilgrim room we could see workers coming down stairs for their meal. They all saluted us with smiles, waves and saludos. I would say to all to go once if it suits.
One morning in Santiago I met a spanish pilgrim / street entertainer on his way to homeless shelter. I was honnoured when he joined me in the Parador.
I think the food served is the menu available to the workers in the hotel.
 
In the interests of accurate reporting we checked out the meal situation when in Santiago and can confirm the others are right, 10 pilgrims get the rights to 3 days of meals.

We splashed out and stayed so had the full breakfast buffet which kept us going on our next days walking. As it was raining we also took the opportunity to check out the place and while it certainly makes a lot of its pilgrim past it's guest only policy certainly restricts most pilgrims from actually seeing it for themselves... not sure I like the idea of having pilgrims themselves put on display but we sure got a lot of looks trundling through the place complete with packs and a good layer of road mud.
 

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