In the morning we visited the Basilica de la Virgen de Guadalupe, in Santa Fe. While the institution dates from the 1600s, the building itself was constructed in several phases, ending in 1904. Because it was built on land reclaimed from the lagoon, the Basilica is sinking into the sand. They need many millions of pesos in order to repair the foundation -- it is sad to see huge cracks in the roof, the crumbling plaster, the evidence of water damage to the altar. However, it is still beautiful,
even with the major repairs that are needed. (I did make a contribution in the name of the group.)After viewing the Basilica, we walked through a lovely residential neighborhood near the beach, and stopped briefly at the Universidad Católica de Santa Fe -- which Profesora Kalbermatten attended. It was so hot that we were all happy to return to the hotel for an air-conditioned siesta.
In the afternoon we went to an artists' fair called the Feria del Sol. (Jewelry, handicrafts, etc.) After having some ice cream, we tried to attend a concert of Argentinean cumbia, but for some reason the concert was not being held. (Hopefully, they will have it next week -- these are the hiccups of travel in Latin America.)
No comments:
Post a Comment