Córdoba = Churches

Late edit: (and by "late" I mean 3 freaking weeks late!) Very sorry it's been so long since the last update, but we spent 2.5 weeks in San Carlos de Bariloche where the blogger app would not upload my posts, nor could I connect the cameras to the hostel computers. It was very frustrating and sad but I'm hoping to post once a day now to catch up! Vamos!




Well, not exclusively, but that seems to be all I took photos of the day we were there!

It was a beautiful, quiet Sunday when we drove into town, and after spending the night behind a gas station and beside a henhouse (damn you birds!!) we gratefully unpacked at our hostel, Che Salguero and Jake crashed for a nap while Jay and I returned the car. After a shower and some lazing around, we headed out at about 5:30 to check out the Cathedral and handicraft market, hoping the heat of the day had faded.

It hadn't.

But we escaped into the deserted interior of the Sagrado Corozon de Jesus de Los Capuchinos (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Capuchin Monks). It being a Sunday, and having toured many cathedrals in Europe, I was very surprised to find only two other people roaming the austerely dilapidated interior; no priests, brothers or tour guides anywhere. It could be just that we were visiting in the off season, but I think we happened in at a lull period of the day.










The light filtering in through the stained glass cast a gorgeous array of colors onto the pillars, and each section of ceiling was painted a sky blue and showed a different view of the constellations, panels for each month of the rotation.




Beautiful frescos adorned every wall and panel, though many were chipped and peeling, lending a sad, neglected air to the empty church. No sections were roped off and there was no one to tell us where to go or not to trespass, so we roamed the main hall to the alter, remaining back on our own thanks to a lifetime of Catholic training.







A grand staircase wrapped around and above the back of the alter and sacristy, so we climbed to what appeared to be a smaller chapel overlooking the main hall.




Built in the neo-gothic style from 1926-34, it was a Capuchin church built in a Jesuit founded city and abounding with statues and frescos and inscriptions to St. Francis, so, while I was a bit confused, I found it very welcoming. As did other creatures of God:




There can be nothing more apt than the fact that he was napping if front of a statue of St. Francis of Assisi.




We continued to wander around Córdoba, checking out the artisan market which was full of hand crafted items from crocheted vests to carved maté gourds, antiques to trendy t-shirts. Jay danced with a mime, we listened to a hippie band (digeridoo and crystal bowls!) and enjoyed the shade by the canal.













Jay bought a knife; safety first! We thought it more prudent and handier than a gun.

We made our way to the main square of the city where the main cathedral, a gorgeous creamy colonial confection rests beside the old city hall, both with a "reflection" of tile reaching into the square. My camera batteries had not survived the day, and the light was fading, so I only got a few iPod pictures and we just enjoyed the plaza for a bit before our rumbling tummies forced us back to the hostel for a delicioso dinner.

Buenos Noches, Córdoba!

Ps. Were I really good with my camera and had it rained, maybe I could have taken some pictures like this:






But I'm not and it didn't. These are pics from the Plaza San Martín by Roberto Bowyer. Cheers!