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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Getting into the School Day Routine

Aloha Everyone,

J.J. and I are beginning to have a routine for our life in Cuenca. We rise before the first church bells are heard at 6:30 am. A shower is followed by a breakfast of coffee, fruits and bread with almond butter or jam. By 8:00 am, we are out of the door.

We take a beautiful walk through Parque Calderon, then negotiating narrow streets avoiding bumping into pedestrians, vendors and cars. We arrive at the school within 20 minutes.

Our class with Juana is going very well.  I've already taken 33 pages of notes starting with, "Somos jubilados." Translation, "We are retired". Here is one of the rooms which is used for our snack time.


Today's snack was banana, croissant, sweet rolls or sandwich plus coffee, tea or chocolate.



The view from our 3rd floor class room is that of charming El Centro. It actually reminds me of the 1985 classic movie, "A Room With A View" filmed in Florence, Italy.




Cuenca has two seasons - wet and dry. April is at the tail of the wet season and supposed to be warmer. However since our arrival 6 days ago, J.J. and I have experienced sunny, rainy, cold and warm days. At one moment you are admiring beautiful cumulus clouds against clear, blue sky which turns gray and dark and sudden downpour with thunder and lightening.




Today, we ate lunch at Cafe Austria.




Many restaurants in Cuenca offer Menu del Dia (Menu of the day), which is prefixed menu inclusive of soup, salad, main course, rice or pan and dessert.

Cafe Austria's Menu del Dia was:

Sopas de Legumbres (vegetables soup)


Canarones al Ajillo (Garlic shrimp) and Arroz (rice)


Ensalada (salad)


Postre (dessert)


Our lunch including tax, service and extra tip was $15.

While we waited for the storm to pass, J.J. and I treated ourselves to Churros con chocolate (Spanish style donuts with thick hot chocolate drink) at Willy's Churreria.




Juana mentioned to J.J. where to find excellent hornado, "oven roasted pig."  Tonight he feasted on hornado while I enjoyed my dinner of watermelon, freshly baked pan and camomile tea. 



Aloha -- Cathi