Who Wants to Sleep in a Castle? Paradores and Pousadas of Spain and Portugal

Tea and Travel, Tues March 18

Paradores and Pousadas of Spain and Portugal,

with David T. Gies

Spain and Portugal have created stunning systems of hotels located in re-claimed historic buildings. This illustrated presentation moves through the history of the paradores and pousadas, highlighting their uniqueness and special features. Participants will view a number of these sites and learn why they are so popular with travelers. The presenter (who has been to both countries dozens of times) has been to a number of them (how many? stay tuned!) and will be happy to answer questions or engage in broader issues of travel in Spain and Portugal.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a world traveler who also happens to be a Commonwealth Professor of Spanish at the University of Virginia.

About David Gies:

David T. Gies is Commonwealth Professor of Spanish (Emeritus) and former Chairman of the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese at the University of Virginia. Professor Gies has published seventeen books and critical editions of Spanish literature, including The Cambridge Companion to Modern Spanish Culture (1999), The Cambridge History of Spanish Literature (2004), and the Cambridge History of Theatre in Spain (2012). He has authored more than one hundred twenty-five essays and one hundred fifty scholarly book reviews, and has lectured at universities in the US, Canada, England, Italy, Germany, France, Egypt, Argentina, and Spain. He edits DIECIOCHO, a journal dedicated to the study of the Spanish Enlightenment and has been awarded numerous research grants from agencies such as the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Philosophical Society, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture. In October 2007, he was granted a knighthood by the King of Spain. In 2016, he won the prestigious Anderson Prize from the North American Academy of the Spanish Language and was elected Corresponding Member of the Spanish Royal Academy in Spain. Since retiring in 2017 he has dedicated much of his time giving lectures on Spanish and Latin American history, literature, food, and culture, on trips organized by the University of Virginia, Smithsonian Journeys, The World, and Sea Dream Yacht Club Vacations.