Parque Calderon

After a full service breakfast that was served at the California Kitchen and was included with the hotel room rate, we walked to Parque Calderon, the city’s beautiful central square.

It was still fairly early and the narrow, cobbled streets and sidewalks hadn't filled with the hustle and bustle of people and cars. That is one of the things that surprised me the most about Cuenca's downtown....the amount of people and traffic in the city center.

Did I mention how perfect the weather was. A high of around 68-70 degrees with lows in the mid 50s. Don't get me wrong, even though it is in the Andes mountains, it is on the equator as well as high in elevation. In the direct sun, even at those temps, it was HOT! But, sitting under the canopy of a tree or other structure or when the clouds blocked the sun, it was near perfect. I could sit there all day observing and/or photographing the flora, fauna, and people.

The old Cathedral with the large blue domes of the new Cathedral showing behind.
The Old Cathedral of Cuenca was constructed in the same year that the town of Cuenca was founded: 1557.  Its location is on ancient Inca ruins.
The blue domes of the new Cathederal are constantly appearing on the horizon. Construction started in 1885 and lasted for almost a century.
The three giant domes are covered by sky-blue glazed tile from Czechoslovakia.

The old Cathedral