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San Juan Viejo

April 19

We woke up to a torrential down pour.

Breakfast was in a local, but very known touristy bakery. It had a feel of a European cafe: tables crammed together, busy atmosphere, music in the background accompanied by a live trumpet player filling the air with soft happy latin music. The place was called Mallorca and the specialty was mallorcas. Sweetish pastry that looked like pancakes, filled with ham, cheeses and eggs, and, covered with confectioners sugar. Delicious.

Back in the hotel we picked up Gloria and started our exploring of the Old San Juan. We took a tram, and rode around a city that is preserved within a 500 year old fort, El Morro. Impossible to capture on camera, but here are a few attempts:

First view of El Morro and throngs of kite flyers

John & Gloria in the central square

A look down on the forts many strategic levels

Enjoying the view, and the warm breeze!

Spectacular!

Look at those trade wind clouds

Too many views

San Juan is also a big port -- ship using the inlet the fort was built to protect

Lots of exercise required for this leg

What can I say?

The houses, most of them in pretty good shape are painted in colorful tones.

There is a constant breeze throughout the city, the blue cobblestones (brought as ballast by the Spanish fleet) pave the streets, giving it a unique feel and coloring. We walked for about 4 hours absorbing the history and energy.

Lovely old neighborhoods

Ill take that one!

Latin music is a constant presence, in plazas, restaurants, bars and shops. People look happy and the place is clean. Hundreds of cats roaming the streets. Ok, we are ready to move here!

The parties start early in San Juan...

And end late!

Dinner in a Spanish tapas restaurant followed by Flamenco dancing. San Juan is muy hermosa!



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