スペインの宿泊城 A Castle in Spain

スペインには'Parador'（パラドール）という国営チェーンホテルがあります。古城、修道院なんかをホテルとして改造して宿泊できるようにしているんです。

今回なん８世紀に建てられたアラブの要塞に泊まらせてもらいました。人生で一度の贅沢～！！キリスト教国が国を奪還した際取り壊され、後に再建されたので、実際は１４世紀に建てられたお城なんですが、それでも古いですよね。とてもきれいに修復されていて、部屋はバスルーム付き。当時からそこにバスルームがそこにあったとは思えないので、どうやって設計したのか、とにかく素晴らしいと思いました。昔から古い建物を改築、補修して使う技術が発達していたんだろうと思います。日本の木造建築なら戦や火事の度に焼け落ちるでしょうが、石造りなら壊すのも大変だし、朽ちることもないので再利用され、結果的に多くの古い建物が保存されてきたのでしょう。

フランスにもルレ・エ・シャトーやシャトー＆ホテルという古い建物を利用したホテルが展開していますし、イギリスでもナショナル・トラストやランドマークトラストなどが歴史ある興味深い建物を宿泊できるようにしています。お城に泊まるなんて日本なら空想の世界ですよね。日本だったら・・・そうですね、抹茶と和菓子が楽しめるお寺は結構ありますが、せっかくならスペインにあやかって「寺堂」とかいう寺ホテルを展開したらどうでしょうか。まあ国営はお勧めできませんが。

In Spain, there are government managed hotels called 'Paradors'. They were originally old castles or religious houses and have been modified to provide accommodation.

I was treated to a stay in an Arab fortress which was built in the eighth century. What a luxurious once in a lifetime experience! Actually, the castle was destroyed once after Christians reconquered that area and rebuilt in the fourteenth century. Even so, it was very old. The rooms were beautifully restored and had bathrooms. I don't think there was a bathroom there in the past, so I was amazed how they designed and refurbished the rooms in such an elegant style.
I guess they have had well-developed architectural techniques for the restoration, rebuilding and reuse of such old places, for a long time. Whilst in Japan, wooden buildings would be easily burnt down, Spanish stone buildings would be hard to destroy and wouldn't rot. As a result, many of those old Spanish stone structures have been reused and preserved.

In France, they also reuse old buildings as hotels. Chains include 'Chateaux & Hotel or "Relais et Chateau'. In the UK, both the National Trust and Landmark Trust offer old and interesting historical accommodation.
In Japan, one is unlikely to be able to stay in a castle. There are some temples with rooms where one can have green tea and sweets but not accommodation. So it might be good to found temple hotels called 'Terado' ('Tera' and 'Do' mean 'temple' in Japanese.) using 'Paradors' as an example to follow. However, I cannot recommend that the Japanese government runs the hotels.

翌日、城を空け渡してフランス国境へ向かいました。山道を進む途中、川があったのでとりあえず泳ぎました。疲れたので国境越えは諦め、山の小さな村に宿泊しました。なんとその日はワールドカップ準決勝、スペインＶＳドイツの日。小さなパブの大きなテレビででスペイン人に交じって観戦しました。（勝ってよかった。）

翌朝テレビの前に人だかりが。感動のサッカー試合を再放送しているのかと思ったら、牛追い祭り（サン・フェルミン祭）の光景が。テレビで見たことがあるという方も多いと思いますが、パンプローナの町の狭い路地で牛の前を人間が走り、毎年怪我人が続出するあの有名な狂気のお祭りです。なんとお祭り期間１週間、毎朝８時に牛追いするんだそうです。

サッカーやお祭り、興奮の真っただ中のスペイン。あつい＆見どころいっぱいの国でした。

The next morning, we "gave up" our fortress and made our way towards the french border. On the way in the mountains, we found pool in a river and jumped in for a dip. We felt tired so we stayed overnight in a small village in the mountains. Guess what? It was the day of the semi-final of the World Cup soccer, Spain vs. Germany. We watched the game on the big TV in a small pub with Spanish people. I was glad and relieved Spain won.

The next morning, there were people gathering in front of the TV. I thought they were watching a re-run of the exciting soccer game, but in fact, it was a report from the Fiesta of San Fermin; the Running of the Bulls Festival. You may have seen it on TV. It is a famous, crazy festival in which people run in front of bulls in the narrow streets of Pamplona. Many of them get injured every year. I didn't know the running of bulls is held every morning at eight for a week during the festival.

In the heat, with the football and fiestas, the Spanish people were frenetic and excited. Spain was a hot country, full of interest.