Cuenca - All day

I went to get a workout then we went to breakfast....unexpected breakfast. because I did not hink breakfast was included with the hotel stay.  The check in lady included breakfast for us.  The hotel cost us 7500 points per night, and included a fantastic breakfast with many choices. 

I had a triple espresso and Carmen had a cafe con leche. We caught the hotel shuttle to the cathedral in the city square, Cathedral de la Imaculada Concepcion, also known as la cathedral nueva by the locals.  

I was overwhelmed by the beauty and size of the cathedral.  we took some photos and video and I was overcome with emotion by the beauty of this building. 

Pope John Paul had visited here in 1990.  We walked outside the Cathedral towards stalls of ladies selling roses and flowers, where the Carmelite nuns  made rose water from the petals of the roses. Carmen bought a glass of water and tried to drink it all.  She said it had a slight smell of roses and tasted fresh.  The water is used as a health booster for those that drink it.  There was a room where visitors could also buy other medicinal items made by the nuns. 

Carmen walked into the area and saw that on the wall there was a dumbwaiter/turn table on the wall.  There was a man that came and put an item on the  turn table and spoke to the nun on the opposite side of the wall. He asked for a prayer for a person and the nun responded to him.  They also sold wine.  We did not buy any. 
 
We walked around and about 2:00 pm we walked into a restaurant where the doors were barely open.  The staff told us that it was their first day and they were having a soft opening.  That whatever we ordered was on the house.  We were honored to be first and had a wonderful lunch. Carmen had a lasagna and I had a panini sandwich with caramelized onions.  I could not believe that I ate them and loved them!  As we were ready to go they brought out dessert, tiramisu , which was also great.  
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The owners came over to get our thoughts on the food and service.  We gave them our high reviews.  We walked around some more and then got to the bus station.  Carmen talked a lady into using their bus cards so that we could get on the bus.  She paid the fare to the lady.  It was a good experience to sit on the bus and see the locals and also ride through some streets that we would not have entered otherwise.  

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