2021 The BegInning

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

This was the scene from our terrace as the calendar turned to 2021. There were no official fireworks but hundreds and hundreds were launched by private citizens all over the city.

This continued for half an hour….it was magical.

Christmas is a really big deal down here but because of the restrictions, the day long parade was cancelled and no large gatherings were allowed. However, there were three giant Christmas trees erected in different parts of the city and lots of lights to celebrate the holiday.

This is the giant tree in El Centro. We can see it from our terrace along with the iconic blue domes of the New Cathedral.

At the foot of the tree

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Constantly changing color all night

So many beautiful displays all over the city.

There are scenes like this all along the Tomebamba river.

The tops of the blue domes of the New Cathedral from the square.

These are effigys for sale. It is the custom here to burn them at midnight on New Years Eve. You choose one to represent all the bad things you want to be rid of from the previous year. I would have liked to see a corona virus 🦠. Or maybe a certain unbalanced person put in a powerful position?

But we are leaving that all behind us now and concentrating on the good things that will surely come our way in this new year. Bruce and I are thankful for our newfound friends here in Cuenca and our recent move to a new apartment. And of course for our continued good health.

This is Tom cooking up a batch of local shrimp for a small gathering of friends on his terrace to celebrate his return to Cuenca from the states. (Sorry about the black mark….screen grab)

Bruce and Louis on Tom’s terrace

Jennie, Regina and Sharon…..same gathering

And this is Lisa (Jaffe) my newfound artist friend in her previous studio.

I promised a couple of shots of our new apartment now that we have most of our furnishings. We have been here on the corner of Las Palomas and Del Chirote for a month now and we like it very much. It is soooo much quieter and we have an awesome view and a TERRACE! 😊😊😊

Our entrance door

view from our entrance door to the building entrance

View of the upper half of our building from a street below.

Part of our terrace

View from the dining area towards the fireplace seating area

We like our new furniture. The leather couch is super comfy. The rocker is made from local wood and the recliner is for naps! Bruce said I should hang up some of my paintings wherever there were nails…so I did. We bought a tele that is next to the fireplace so we can watch an hour of Netflix most nights.

View toward the dining area and terrace. Our little tree is fake, of course. That’s all they have down here. But the lights at night are fun. Minimal decoration this year, but next year we’ll put more effort into it!

I like the wall treatment! The kitchen is through the door to the left.

We had to buy new appliances and are very happy with our gas six burner stove and roomy refrigerator.

The breakfast nook adjoining the kitchen.

The plants in this little sunroom were left for us because they were too heavy to move. I’ve only added an orchid so far!

Early morning with a strip of light over the city. Weather patterns move through the city VERY quickly so we get a variety of weather throughout the day.

The clouds are amazing.

A huge thunder/lightning storm from our terrace.

Continuing the tour…. Bruce’s office with his collection of cacti in the south facing window. His easy chair is out of the frame🙂

My ….ahem…..studio with tons of storage out of the frame.

View of a bedroom

View from my bed. So far the only photo of Cuenca at night. We’ll do better next time. The bathroom also has the same view.

Bruce has started a new hobby! He has a collection of succulents and bonsai that he purchased at local nurseries and brought home on his bike. The succulents all needed potting up which he did on the terrace with a special mix he concocted himself from nursery soil and scrounged gravel from building sites. The owner of the bonsai nursery has invited us to her farm where they grow the plants. We leave for the coast for two weeks on the fifteenth, but maybe when we return.

From his office window. They all have personalities.

The rest of the ever increasing gang.

Forgot these three on the terrace

His bonsais…….only three so far🙂

my personal favorite

And to finish…..Bruce’s practice shot for double exposure. The fun never stops! I am reading my Christmas present from Bruce……my friend and mentor’s latest book, Windcliff, the story of Dan Hinkley’s famous garden. Sooooo good!

So that’s it for now. We will post again after our trip to Olon which has one of the prettiest beaches anywhere and plenty of sunshine and warm water. For my friends in the grip of winter, worry not. Spring can not be far away and we have so very much to look forward to.
Love to you all!