travelswithalice

October 14, 2021

 

Jaén


Wednesday, October 13.

I slept through most of the drive to Jaén. It seemed to be taking too long to get there.

Our room at the Parador was quite austere, reminding me of the Betania and Manresa Retreat Houses of my school days. The view from the balcony didn’t seem like much either. After all, we’ve been driving around Andalusia for several days now, the Sierra Nevada a constant presence around us. 

I thought the place unremarkable and wondered what the point was of having a parador there at all. That is, until we went down to dinner. 
_____

As we walk under the cross-vaulted ceilings of the long narrow corridors, the ancient bones of this 13th century Arab fortress start to reveal themselves.


We enter what would be the hotel bar. But what a magnificent bar this is! High above mighty stone walls, the vaulted timber ceiling is adorned with intricate woodwork so thickly patterned it looks like a woven mat.


I can’t wait to finish my drink so I can go on and see the rest of this fabulous place. 

Through a great hall with enormous stone fireplaces at either end….


…and into the dining room.

This is not a dining room. It’s a banquet hall lit by a row of majestic lamps stretching from side to side nearly wall to wall. They’re hung from chains that look almost too fragile for the hefty pendants. Pointed stone arches hold up the heavy beamed timber ceiling.

I absolutely see the point of this parador now. 



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posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones  # October 14, 2021




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