They say that Cuba's forests were once so dense and lush that one could walk from one end of the island to the other under a continuous canopy of shade. However, with the conquest came plunder. For example, Spain began to be built with the quality and resilience of our cedar.
Finding a trace of that wood was the main reason that led me to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. In tourism guides, it is promoted as the "eighth wonder of the world." I wouldn’t dare to assign it a number; there is too much world to see with my own eyes.
However, I can confirm its grandeur. Although visiting in winter is recommended when the cold air seems to cut through your breath, my chance came in summer. Despite the scorching heat outside, the mystery and beauty of the place envelop and calm you.
We hadn't yet reached the huge square that surrounds it. We were searching for the route when we stopped at the side of the sanctuary of the Virgin of Grace, on Floridablanca Street. The chapel dedicated to the patron saint of El Escorial already existed when King Philip II ordered the construction of the monastery in 1561.
There was a very old man sitting on the bench that offered a view of where Capilla Street meets Floridablanca. Seeing us curiously trying to photograph everything that impressed us, he said: "Those two mountains are called Las Machotas." He told us more: that they were preparing for the patron saint festivities of San Lorenzo starting on August 9th, and that the Virg.