The last time I was inside Casa Romantica was nearly fifty years ago. My recollection from those “Friday night prayer meetings” are of a large, old home. I knew that it had been built about forty years previously as the residence of San Clemente’s founder, Ole Hanson, but I’m sure that the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture was lost on me. I’m sure that I’d seen plenty of buildings in that and similar styles as I grew up, but lacked any frame of reference. Besides, staying awake in those prayer meetings was enough of a challenge for my adolescent brain. Who knew that I might have entertained myself by identifying some of the elements of that synthetic style – painted tiles, wrought iron accents, white stucco walls, graceful arches….
Last Sunday, Barb suggested that we walk the local farmers market on Avenida Del Mar. Great Idea! We spent time chatting with some candidates for the city council, tasting fresh fruit (no, the strawberries aren’t as flavorful as they were in June), and resisting the tamales from the vendor who offered more options in the vegan and vegetarian categories than in the meat-filled one. Strolling among the throng of our fellow citizens is a nice change of pace for us. Naturally, we thought of the many times we’ve done it in far away lands.
When we were ready to leave I decided to take the long way home and drive through the pier bowl area. As we coasted down the hill I asked Barb if she’d like to see if Casa Romantic was open. Sure!
As we approached, we noted several cars in the parking area. Turning in, we saw the door was open. Yippee!
Without going into the dates and details (that’s why god created Google, right?), I’ll point out that Casa Romantica is now an historical landmark and cultural center. It had undergone extensive repairs and renovations and is simply beautiful!
If you’re in the area, I guarantee you won’t regret spending an hour or so exploring the buildings and grounds. The $5 donation is a bargain and if you’ve spent any time in Spain, you might find yourself mumbling “oh, this reminds me of…”
San Clemente, the Spanish Village by the sea. Indeed.
B & B 