BEAUTY SURROUNDS, BEAUTY ABOUNDS.....

It's impossible to ignore the beauty of life in Cuenca...it's all around!!!  It's a big city,  modern in so many ways,  but it has a charming romance that is lovely....in a valley surrounded by gorgeous mountains with old colonial buildings and some funny customs......example...we walked out of our house on Sunday to catch a taxi to go to the Cathedral for Mass,   and there on the street,  a small herd of goats!

Not sure where they were going, but it's just one of the little surprises you see....

Our Sunday tradition is Mass, lunch,  and then the Mercado de Flores...but the Mercado is in front of a very old Church dating I think from the early 1600's.....I had never been inside since we always go to the Cathedral and this Church is right beside the Cathedral, across the street.....one Saturday I decided to go inside.....what a fabulous discovery!!

 The main center altar is very beautiful,  but so are the side altars with lovely realistic statues of the saints....
The choir loft is on the side of the church because the back center upstairs is the place for the cloistered nuns to attend Mass....

 Below the painting is the screened Mass viewing for the nuns who never leave the convent,  spending all their days praying...they are never seen.....

All I could really do was marvel at the beauty all dedicated to the glory of God!!
                                                              
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Outside in front of the Church is the Mercado de Flores....The gorgeous Calla Lillies always remind me of my sister Linda -  they're her favorite flower.....Roses abound .... they're a huge export for Ecuador -- normally buy 2 dozen  (25) for $5 and a lovely rose bush for $2......I'm in heaven!

I usually find some gorgeous cut flowers to bring home...

Sundays are lovely in Cuenca....

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Poor Teresa is always cold so I gave her my mother's mink stole....

Rick fixes lunch for her and the mute lady (sitting beside Teresa) so at least they have one good meal....he puts in all kinds of goodies which will last for more than just one day -- packages of coffee,  dried soup mixes, cookies, pastas, etc.

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And then there are lunches with good friends....

John and Joyula are close to getting their citizenship....

 We always enjoy Tacanijo ....here with Mosquita & Paulo enjoying margaritas and great Mexican food.  Their new place,  Tacanijo #2 at President Cordero 1-77 is only  about 1 block from Mosquita's so it's very easy to meet her there...

 Mosquitas birthday was this week so we're going to celebrate on Thursday....She wants to meet us at Fabiano's....

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The other night Bertha went out with girlfriends so Titi came over to do her homework....
She's such a sweet girl.....

Yolanda, our employee,  just called to say Juan Gabriel's school has something going on so she won't be coming to work today,  BUT she has the utility bills which she will pay and then Ricardo can reimburse her tomorrow!   She is so responsible and takes very good care of us!!   God really blessed us when he sent her to us.....

It's time to change for dinner -- Rick wants to take me out so we will try a new restaurant.....I'll report next time on how and where it is.....


                                                              HASTA PRONTO!!!

SOME DAYS IT'S QUITE FUNNY, SOME DAYS IT'S QUITE NORMAL....

Most of the time the days pass and it seems almost like the U.S. here,  but better...less hectic and more calm... 

but then we went to dinner....Fabiano's is one of our very favorite places....GREAT PIZZA at a GREAT PRICE....Gringos love it, and so do the Cuencanos....

We were served our meal and I looked up......
         
the cutest little poodle was seated at a table,  and he was eating pizza!

 Of course this would NEVER be allowed in the states,  but this little dog had better manners than a lot of adults!!

The couple is from Canada and absolutely LOVE living here.......

When they ask the dog if he'd like to go to FABIANO'S he gets SOOO excited.....

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Went for groceries at the new SuperMaxi -- it's just as nice as in the states...

Brand new construction in a new little shopping center....

Just about everything we could want,  but we still buy most of our fruits and vegetables at the MERCADO....cheaper and better.....

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Mass Sunday at the beautiful Cathedral -- they call it the "NEW CATHEDRAL".... it only dates from the late 1800's versus the OLD Cathedral across the street  c. 1550......

This side altar may be new..... I had never noticed it before....so lovely....in the back of the Church....

After Mass we ate at Don Colon's where we ran into our neighbors...Ruben & Susana Cabrera & family....

We all loved the cream of carrot soup......

After we finished eating Geovani & Bertha & family came in......they offered to take us home after they ate....

Went to the MERCADO DE FLORES  ( as usual) and got some lovely flowering plants......

As we were leaving Teresa, the poor lady from the Church, came limping down the street.....I had $2 left and was trying to decide if I should give her the  money or buy her a bouquet....I opted for the flowers...

She was so surprised and happy when I gave them to her   "For me?"

A gorgeous bunch of open pink roses with a pink ruberosa lily in the center....I think it had been a very long time since someone had given her flowers...

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Today was running errands, mostly bill paying etc.   First stop the SRI office to turn in several months of sales tax receipts....means over $230 in rebates.....if you qualify  (old people, handicapped, etc) you submit your receipts and the government deposits in your bank the 12% you have paid in taxes.....sure is nice!!!

Then to Claro, the phone company....they were overcharging us for stuff we didn't order,  but since we didn't cancel when they said it was available, they put it on our service and charged us...From now on we'll pay attention and tell them no right away....our normal $39 mo. bill had gone to over $50!!!

Had lunch at the Chinese restaurant across the street...

Not bad, but not spicy enough for us!

Then Rick went to the Bank and I went to get my nails done.....

It fascinates me how they can paint any nail art you want -- there are hundreds of designs to chose from, or you can bring in your own picture or download from the internet!!!    This cost me $2.50!!!

Came home -- Rick's ankles were really hurting so we sent Yolanda to pay the rest of the utilities....and I decided to make a "Dump Cake".....it's now ready to take from the oven, so,

"So long folks!"

WORLD TRAVELERS CHOSE CUENCA....

The more people we meet who have settled in Cuenca,  and who LOVE IT,  the more we find that these are usually people who have traveled the world.....and they chose Cuenca to live.....they go searching for a place to retire, or for adventure,  and just to live and enjoy,  and they, like we, settle in this lovely spot...

Today we went to the EUCALYPTUS CAFE  

after Mass for their "All You Can Eat" Sunday Brunch.....pancakes, waffles, eggs, sausage and bisquit with sausage gravy, and for a drink I chose a Bloody Mary,  and coffee......

We had been there a couple of times but now the management/owners are new....

OWNER, MICHAEL after traveling the world chose Cuenca....

               Chef Bohdi, from California, chose Cuenca....  he makes  awesome sour dough pancakes and waffles!!

Haley loves Cuenca.....

In El Centro ....  Gran Colombia 9-41 between Padre Aguirre y Benigno Malo....

              In one of the old historic colonial buildings.........

The food was quite delicious -- we'll go again and try the lunch/dinner menu....

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We had a lot of birthday celebrations in August.....Juan Gabriel on Aug. 30...

 Juan Gabriel got to chose where he wanted to go for his Birthday Celebration... he chose TACANIJO so we went to their new location Presidente Cordova 1-77.....he loves Mexican food....Paulo put on a LUCHA LIBRE mask  (Mexican wrestling) to clown around and brought Juan Gabriel a wonderful piece of carrot cake with a candle....

We had a great meal, and this was after a trip to the mercado San Francisco where he picked out some very nice "sport shoes" -- tennis shoes to me --- and he was happy...

On Sunday I had a cook out/wiener roast --- some dear friends who were excited to get a good hot dog....they just don't make them here the way we do in the states....we had relish, sauerkraut (from Norbert - I had been saving the can for a special occasion) etc.,  chips,  and beer...Cori made a wonderful cole slaw  ... and ... Norbert & Cori and Patricia & Lyle also brought some very nice wine....

 Cori baked a delicious bread for me.....Glenene and Mel gave me the pretty lavender vase & the bottle candle holder which Glenene painted,  Patricia gave me one of her special rocks which she hand paints,  Norbert gave me the lovely amber tree from Poland, and Valentina and Rene brought the wonderful butterfly...

I felt so special....and then the next day,  Monday the 31st,  Bertha and Susana brought over these beautiful arrangements...

When Ruben got home he invited us to go to dinner on Wednesday evening to celebrate, so Susana and Ruben took us to LA PERGOLA for a wonderful dinner....

                                        Ruben and Susana -- dear friends and neighbors.....

                                                    My delicious fried shrimp dinner....

                                           My TOCAYA,  the beautiful Susana Cabrera

La Pergola is a beautiful old world type restaurant ... it's full of rustic charm, antiques and chandeliers which make it seem expensive,  but it's very reasonable...the food and service are great!

Susana's birthday was the 22nd but since they had a lot of family here from out of town, we haven't celebrated her birthday yet,  and Jean L's birthday was the 27th and she got sick,  so we will still be celebrating for a while yet -- goody, goody......

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Rick took me for Sushi on my birthday, Monday the 31st, and we went to NOE .. it's THE SUSHI place in Cuenca, and it's WONDERFUL!!!

Their martini's aren't as good as my son in law Scott makes,  but better than nothing!

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Made some pickled jalapenos with Tequila....

An experiment so we'll see how they turn out....

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It seems that every where I look in Cuenca there is something interesting or something to delight the eye ..... and sometimes I remember to take a picture......today the lovely yellow flowers on the balcony of a historic old hotel overlooking Parque Calderon.....

And next door a restoration in progress......

                         I've been inside this building and it's fabulously fascinating!!   

 Sometimes Cuenca reminds one of Paris,  or Rome or Mexico City -- but that's the beauty of this lovely city....

                                        ....it's always CUENCA!!!