WEEK FIVE-cuenca

Jan. 26, 2020 Sun.- Last Sunday we arrived at Church about 9:20 and had plenty of seat to choose from. Today when we got there more than 2/3 of the church was filled. The closet we got to the front was two flat screen tv.s away. Pew wise…maybe more than 50… but not very close. Anyway, it all came to light once the service started. All of the pomp and circumstance of someone important. Turned out it was the Arch-bishop from Spain. And once again we were the only whites in the lot. Which by the way doesn’t bother either one of us.

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Next up a quick jaunt across the square to the Old Cathedral to hear the Cuenca Symphony.

The Cuenca Symphony Orchestra (OSC), under the direction of Maestro Michael Meissner, performs regularly at numerous sites, including the Old Cathedral, Teatro Pumapungo, and Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz (University of Cuenca). Much to the surprise — and delight — of most expats, there generally is no admission charge for these performances.

Acoustics at all venues are excellent, but my personal favorite is Teatro Pumapungo where, if you sit in the center balcony, you have a better opportunity to watch each musician individually. This was the first time I really could appreciate how each instrument in the orchestra interacts. The upper seats of Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz provide almost as good visibility as Pumapungo, but to have a good view of the orchestra in the Old Cathedral, you have to arrive very early and sit in the front rows.

• Encourage community access to symphonic musical art.
• Encourage the participation of authors and interpreters of Ecuadorian symphonic music and universal repertoire, through the dissemination of their performances.
• Develop educational activities aimed at different educational levels for the understanding and enjoyment of national and universal symphonic music.
• Coordinate actions with public and private organizations to execute programs that allow self-management.

The symphony is now under the direction of Micheal Meissner:

After obtaining his degree at the Higher School of Music in Munich he served as concertmaster at the Regensburg Philharmonic and director of the Ratisbonense chamberta in Bavaria. Michael Meissner lived in Mexico for about 25 years where he founded the international Music of the Sea festivals in Huatulco and Viva Vivaldi in Mexico City, has directed and produced 9 operas and has led 40 orchestras in Latin America and Europe.

In 2010 he obtained the European Prize for fine Arts of the European Union and became an honorary member of the Rafaele d’Alessandro Association in Switzerland. He is permanent guest director of the Sudecka Philharmonic in Poland. As a researcher he has restored and edited works by Vivaldi, Rolón, Ponce, Moncayo, Revueltas, Brahms, Dvorák, Schuman, Salvador Bustamante Celi and Corsino Durán.

Today’s selections were from Anton Bruckner-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner Andante for 4 tubas and Symphony no. 7. The symphony #7 had four movements and the first one was 20 minutes long!!! WOW! The whole symphony #7 was 56 mintues. The venue was very acoustical. The symphony will be playing Beethoven on Feb 1st at a different venue. We hope to go to that one also.

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Now going on 12:30 time to find some brunch. Did we hit the jack pot, again! Just across the street and down a block is a lovely little place called “Sunrise”. A cute, unassuming, joint with food that is out of this world. Bill had fresh squeezed O.J. while I sipped on a Mimosa. We shared the huge plate of eggs on the bottom topped with pull beef, cheese, onions and peppers, fresh guac, pica de gallo, multi grain bun and fried potatoes. All for $10.00. So sad we didn’t find this place sooner. Will have to try to hit it one more time before leaving.

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I went up on the roof to the solarium to catch some sun and read for a little bit. That didn’t last long enough as the wind picked up and it got cloudy looking like it was going to rain. It never did rain however it did stay cool and breezy and we didn’t get an evening walk in.

Jan. 27, 2020 Mon- Our friend Nelson from Guayaquil told us about a quaint village up to the North East from here called Gualaceo, pronounced “Why-a-say-o”. We hopped our local bus to the terminal and grabbed a bus going to that town. We went right thru the mountain pass. It took about an hour. On the way there must have been some sort of agriculture doings in a town we went tru as there were ag. pick up trucks parked along the road for a mile. we went right to the river to see what that was like. Very shallow and rocky and milky like they were still getting runoff. The village is not much. Much slower pace than Cuenca and less populated. We sort of made the rounds. The town square, the church, the market for lunch and Ice Cream shake to top it all off. We spent just a little more time walking around and figured we had pretty much seen all there was to see. SO, we boarded a bus Cuenca bound. Both of us we a little disappointed. We thought there would be more there. There were so nice murals on the walls however and a nice covered wooden bridge.

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A little rest and re hydrating after the trip and a quick walk to the grocery store for a few items. The evening was spent in.

Jan. 28, 2020 Tues-Not much today. Did a load of laundry. A quick morning and evening walk. Sat for a spell across from the Main square watching people and had a great fresh squeezed O.J.

Jan. 29, 2020 Wed- Today we both had dental appointments. Mine was for a cleaning, Bill’s was a consult on a couple of “fillings”. My $35.00 was waived as I told the gal I had seen their add in the Gringo online paper, Cuenca High life”. Bill’s consult was also free but will be going back next Wed. for a couple of filling fixes. $35.00 a piece. Stopped and got some more pastries, nap and reading in solarium . Afternoon walk across the river to the pharmacy to get the new toothpaste and mouth wash the dentist recommended. We headed “up town” to a joint called Moe’s. We were the only ones in there and most times I would walk out. But after looking at their menu, we decided to stay and have some fish. A nice plate of rice, lentils, salad, fries, and corvina fish. The salad was the first I have eaten since coming here. Always wary of lettuce abroad, I had abstained. I shouldn’t have. The salad and home made dressing was amazing! The staples here are rice and french fries. Bill had had his fill of one and I of the other. With all of the potatoes here you would think you would find mashed potatoes. Not!

Jan. 30, 2020 Thurs- I have been spending more in the morning up stairs in the solarium. I know my time here is coming to an end and I am truly going to miss this wonderful space. This morning there was a nice view of the mountains so a clicked a pic. We had a destination for our morning walk. Bill is scouting apt. for possible return. So we took a tour of one across the river on a nice quiet side street. Just before going in we saw a gringo woman and chatted with her. She had just signed a lease there. Cynthia has been here in Cuenca for three years. A transplant from Texas she was full of all kinds of information. I was glad to have bumped into her. After wandering around that neighborhood, we headed back to our side of the river for lunch. We ate at El Meson. I had seen many reviews on this restaurant and we had gone the night before but they are not open in the evening. We had the lunch special. Cream of potato soup with chicken, cake, Potato and veggie salad, rice and a piece of chicken with a drink for $3.50. We are one and brought one home. Afternoon walk was back across the river to find a Wings Joint Bill had seen. We stopped in an antiques shop. Back home up in the solarium again Bill and I were chatting when soemthing hit the windows. Two hummingbirds were laying on the tile. Poor things. I picked them up and laid them in a bush. Eventually they both flew off. These hummers are about twice the size of the ones in MI.

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Jan. 31, 2020 Fri.– We had a wonderful experience this morning in an artisan bakery. Two men greeted us and invited us behind the counter when I asked if it was ok to take a picture of the oven. “Come, come, look,” he said. The man quickly opened the oven and said to peek inside. The oven is huge. The paddles used to pull things out of the oven were over eight feet long. I can’t say how high the oven was as it was dark inside, but I’m guessing about four feet. We were given fresh samples still warm. A delectable croissant made of sweet dough topped with a honey glaze, sour dough bread, and a cinnamon roll. We talked for a while and I told the owner I used to work in a pizza place for 12 years but could never roll two balls at the same time like he was. We bought some yummies and went on our way. I’ll bet if I stayed here I could help roll dough balls for them. The fire is stoked with only Eucalyptus wood.

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The next stop was the Soup Kitchen. Bill had seen the info for volunteers in a blog and we wanted to see the facility. Met the kitchen boss for Fridays, Lisa. She told us all about the process and how it all worked. Also met Kathy, who we would end up running into at the English mass and have dinner with. We had lunch on the river after looking for another apt Bill had seen online. Doing a little recon work possibly for next winter. We had met the owners of this restaurant a couple of weeks ago. A brother and sister team Ecuadoran but from Jersey. A nice little place on the banks of the river and two stories up with a view. Bill said the Milk shake was the best so far. We had a nice “philly steak sandwich”. Tender steak with loads of caramelized onions on a very soft bun. Pretty tasty.

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A little rest time on the roof and it was time to get ready for church. We had been in the entrance to this church before and peeked in but hadn’t gone in as one time there was a service for the school children attending classes there, and another time you had to pay for entrance.

The chronicles written about the foundation of Cuenca reveal that the first Catholic mass, on the occasion of its foundation, was celebrated in a chapel that existed in the place where the church of Todos Santos rises; currently a heritage complex administered by the community Madres Oblatas. An imposing tower crowned with the image of the Heart of Jesus distinguishes the church of Todos Santos, whose name recalls the place where on April 12, 1557, the citiy’s first Catholic mass was celebrated. 

This next link has a lot of interesting information about the church if you care to learn any more. I believe the whole structure is wood. Even the painted ceilings. https://ramblinginthecity.com Here is more info about the preservation. https://www.wmf.org/project/todos-santos-complex

The church also sponsors a school which has been in existence for 125 years. https://www.escuelasagradocorazon.com/

Feb.1,2020 Saturday-Bill has seen an article about another Farmers market being held upstream. So we hiked on up there. Upon arriving to the “square” we found it empty. I thought how can this be? Perhaps we go the info wrong. Bill assured me that it was correct. Before giving up Bill said, “lets take a walk around the block.” And low and behold, bingo. The market was being held on the front lawn and patio of a restaurant, Santorini’s. I guess the local rules and regulations for actually doing the farmers market in the square is a night mare. So the markets are held on private property. Most of the vendors were the same ones at the market last week with a few new ones. We chatted for quite a time with a couple of folks we met last week. I bought some “REAL” cbd cream for $15.00. Let’s hope it isn’t confiscated and I can get it back home. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Not sure what the laws are in Mx.

Of course we had to have a nibble at home and my time up on the roof. Dinner was the neatest thing. We had heard, then seen an add for this “dinner” at someone’s house. He man puts in on once a week on Saturdays. Reservation only. Each week he has a different preset entree. Today we had fried chicken, Which we have heard was the best night to come. The fixings were mashed potatoes, You know Bill was loving that, white gravy, cole slaw, fresh rolls with butter and marmalade, chocolate lava cake with fresh whipped cream. It is served family style and you can eat as much as you like. They also had a full bar. We were seated in the library with about 10 others at our table. There was one more table in the library with about eight at that table. Other tables included the main dining room, patio, and living area. About 50 in all. Mostly gringos of course.

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We ran into two ladies we had met at church on Friday. Made many new friends. All were lovely dinner partners. The fee for this nice evening started out at $11.75 a plate plus drinks and taxes. The taxes were $9.00!!! Bill had two drinks and I had a sprite. Total bill $44.50. Yup that’s right. I thought it was crazy, but the experience was worth if for a once in a life time event. More info and pics from our dinner at Joe’s at: https://joessecretgarden.blogspot.com/ .

Well, we are moving this coming week on Thurs. Heading over to Salinas at the west coast if you are following us on a map. We will be taking the bus back to Guayaquil and then another to the coast. Looking forward to some new scenery. Four weeks is a long time in one place after you have done all of the tourist stuff. Ready for a change. So, get out your swim suit and get ready for some awesome ocean pics. See you all next week.