San Juan ViejoJul 30, 2011
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The Buildings of Old San Juan
Old San Juan in the Rain
El Morro Fortress - A World Heritage Site
Welcome Back -
The last segment of the trip was a brief stopover in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I'd visited the island twice in the past but this was my first stay in Old San Juan.
I was fortunate to find lodging at Posada de San Francisco, in the heart of the old city, just across from Plaza Colon. Old San Juan is a great place to walk, observe people, enjoy the architecture, drop into old cafes for a Mallorca and Cafe. Mallorcas are delicious sweet-bread pastries dusted with sugar. The coffee is brewed in an urn said to be over 100 years old. Even when a tropical downpour came I wasn't bothered. Let it pour!
El Morro Fortress was an easy walk along the Atlantic Coast. San Juan was critical since it was the first island ships would reach coming from Europe that had a significant store of fresh water. It also guarded the sea lanes for the treasure ships returing to Europe from South America. So, the forts were crucial and massive. El Morro and the old city were the only World Heritage Sites of this trip.
The rest of the visit included some of the earliest churches in the Americas, the tomb of Ponce De Leon, seeker after the Fountain of Youth (A Geezer must-visit!), and the Pablo Casals Museum.
Probably not my most memorable trip, but still enjoyable. I'll probably return to Europe next. We'll see. But I'm enormously grateful for the people I met on this trip - from the Caymans to San Juan.
Wherever you are, enjoy!
The Geezer
