Friday, November 28, 2008

El Centro.

I love el Centro (downtown). I really should say we love downtown. My husband, the kids and I love to go to the center of this small city everytime we can. This place is over 400 years old, and it still has many really old buildings.

Last night I had to go downtown for two reasons. First to buy lots of yarn. Every winter, my students take out their knitting boards (a wooden contraption, with nails on which they can knit scarfs without needles), and start making a zillion scarfs. They really love to do this. And since I go downtown a lot, they ask me to buy some yarn for them. And reason number two, I had to buy some stuff for a friend's baby shower.

A few years ago Downtown was not attractive and mostly empty during the evenings. Lots of people always have gone there during the day, but at night, there wasn't anything to do. In the last few years it has been getting a facelift, and local people have been investing in new shops, sidewalk cafés, and the goverment has built fountains, and fixed the walkways. Now there is lots to do. Fruit and vegetable stands are still open at night, same as butcher shops, bakeries,
fabric stores, school supplies, etc..
Last night I went there with my oldest son who wanted to skateboard with some friends while I did the shopping. These photos were taken at about 7:00 p.m. There are some of the Cathedral, which is very old, and was just re-inaugurated a month ago.






Pictures of the two shops I went to.
I bought some yarn at one. Everything is Christmasy already.




These are the frut and vegetable stands.



I love decorations with ponssiettas. And these rock planters are made
of "cantera". They are hand carved, and easy to find around here,
because the quarry is about a hour from where we live. This is
the entrance of an hotel.



This is the Fountain of Dolphins. Again, very old. And again, ponssiettas!



This is the entrance to the Cathedral The old, hand carved door
was kept, but the stained glass is new.




Two shots of the newly painted Cathedral.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy your weekend.

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