Yesterday, after a bout of stomach "activity" I wanted to take things easy, and so we walked to the open mercado in search of the perfect hand knitted sweater, shopping does tend to cure stomach discomfort... After viewing heavy parkas with alpacas traipsing across the midriffs, we browsed the indoor shops; nothing there. I did recall from a previous day seeing in a store window somewhere outside the open mercado a very nice deep red cardigan sweater with matching scarf. Where was that shop? Along the way back to our apartment was that sweater in a window, what luck! I offered twenty dollars lower than the original high price. I was wanting to include the scarf at my price, but they did not bend. I settled for only the sweater at four dollars below their price. If my husband had not been there, I would have added the precious scarf in a blink...you know how that goes ladies. The sales manager at the Artesenias del Sur said all of her sweaters are hand knitted in Otavallo, a small craft community just north of Quito, which would be another great visit if one were in the market for more arts and craft purchases.
Since last night's walk to the concert was chilly and damp, I wore the new sweater. It was perfect, both the concert and the sweater. Our next big adventure is the Zip Line, a bit more exciting and maybe scary, but I'm game...maybe.
Note: Our favorite Dr. Oz speaks Spanish here in Ecuador!
Allan wrote...
This town really hops on a Friday night. We went to dinner and then out to hear the Cuenca Symphony Orchestra last night. Walking along the street at 7PM we heard loud fireworks that sounded like cannons going off; young people with sound systems in their cars that would assure deafness to anyone within 100-feet; huge crowds of kids on the sidewalks congregating around hostels, bars and restaurants; loud music coming from every little 10-seat "bar and lounge" on Calle Larga. It was just a Friday night as far as we can tell, and the noise went on long into the small hours of the morning. During the week it's a bit tamer, but most nights we can hear loud-to-very-loud music playing. Most of it comes from the main drag outside our apartment, Calle Larga, and from the road across the river, Av. 3 de Noviembre.
Then, every single morning starting around 4AM or so, there is a rooster that begins greeting the promise of sunlight. The first night here he woke me up and I noticed that about every four breaths I took, he crowed. Continuously. From 4AM to about 6:30 or so. And then there are a couple of dogs that like to get into the early morning routine with their rounds of barking. Glad to say I now sleep through all of that without any problem. But the sun going down around 6PM and coming up at 6AM has had an effect on my sleep habits. I find myself ready to sleep much earlier, and ready to arise much earlier. Most nights give me a good 6-8 hours of sleep, sometimes more.
Today I decided to have a breakfast of champions, using all the great fruits I have collected from SuperMaxi and from street vendors. Below are some pictures, starting off with several cut in half, just before going into the bowl.
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| From top: Chirimoya, Pepino, Pitahaya, Naranjilla, Tree Tomate, Banana |
The pepino tastes a bit like some kind of mix between honeydew and papaya with a fairly firm fruit. It is a kind of tree melon and was very sweet. They are actually part of the same family that includes eggplant, potatoes and tomato! The Spanish first called it pepino dulce, which means "sweet cucumber" -- again, a good try at coming up with a name, but no cigar!
The naranjilla means "little orange." The scientific name translates to "nightshade of Quito" and it is a member of the nightshade family. They are full of tangy, green juice with a citrussy taste that reminds me just a bit of the somewhat sour taste of dark purple scuppernong grapes. The bright orange shells are not eaten, just the pulp inside.
The tree tomate, we are told, was incorrectly named by the Spaniards centuries ago. They are actually a member of the potato family, despite growing on trees up to 15 feet high. The fruits are a little larger than a hen´s egg, starting off green and ripening to a deep red or yellow. They are usually peeled and used to make a tasty fruit juice.
So, that was breakfast today!
The symphony last night was great. The guest violinist and the guest pianist are both from Italy. Here's a short sample video.
That fruit looks delicious! I crave fruit recently and that photo is making my mouth water. The concerts sound like a lot of fun! Glad you both are having a great time so far!
ReplyDeletexoxo, Jen