Feb. 16 - Old San Juan, PR

“It is not the destination where you end up, but the mishaps and memories you create along the way.” ~Penelope Riley 

Old San Juan has a lot to see and do, and we covered a lot of it on our first trip in 2020. This time we're wandering, at a slower pace, taking in some of the sites we didn't see then.

This was our favorite place for breakfast on our first trip. It's a little kiosk in Plaza de Armas just a block from the apartment.

Looking up our street early in the morning before the traffic and tourists arrived.

After breakfast we walked along the harbor. Taking in the views from the park that runs along the water. This is where the cruise ships dock. Luckily today there was only one ship in port. We saw this pretty seahorse statue, but there was no info on it.  

Casa Blanca was the first governor's residence in Puerto Rico. It was built in 1521 and served as the first fortification of the San Juan islet. It was the residence for Juan Ponce de León and his family, although de Leon died in an expedition to Florida without ever getting to occupy the structure. It was used as the residence of his descendants, until the mid-18th century. This is the gate into the property.

This pretty home was built later and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

This was the original home. Parts of it have been restored and are open for viewing. It's hard to believe the buildings in Old San Juan are so old. Even harder to imagine all the people who have spent time walking these same streets.

A few pictures of the inside of the original home.

Each room in the home had views like this of the San Juan inlet and harbor.

Part of the grounds close to the newer home.

Looking up at Casa Blanca from the city wall.

This is the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. We were able to walk through the building. It's full of government offices. The views from the upper patio were amazing.

From the top of the building looking towards Castillo San Felipe del Morro and it's lighthouse. We visited this site in 2020.

Later in the afternoon I did a little shopping on Calle de la Fortaleza (Fortress Street).

We've been enjoying the fresh seafood and Puerto Rican specialties all week, but tonight we found a wonderful little Italian place for dinner. Bacaro has about ten tables, very intimate, and the food was amazingly good. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara and Stan had the special fish of the day.