29.11.2008 - Visit to the center of Lima

While we were arranging the papers for our marriage, me and my now spouse, were wondering around the centre of Lima and doing some tourism. After I received my papers legalized from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lima, we visited some interesting places and buildings. I am not a church person, but churches here are architecturally very interesting, both from inside and outside.

inside of the Church of Senor de los milagros, La Nazarena

This is how the Church of Senor de los Milagros, known as la Nazarena, looks like:

It looks really great. And below is the image of the Senor de los milagros that is celebrated in the month of October.

Senor de los milagros

The month October is dedicated to the Senor de los milagros, and usually women wear a drees in dark purple colour for the entire month as a sign of devotion. People here are for the most catholics, but they are part of different churches. I saw so many churches that I cannot even count them. It is a usual practice to have in the house a corner where to put Mother Mary or the image of Jesus and to light a candle. This custom means that you show your devotion and respect to the saints and besides you ask for protection. It is also custom to light the candle near the image of someone that has passed away as I sign that you remember them and pray for them. My husband does so every night. At the beginning it looked strange to me, but I get used to it and now is something perfectly normal.
In the theme of Churches and their stories, below is the Church of Father Urraca, who is said that faught against the devil and passed threw the wall and won of course.

Church of Father Urraca

Apart from interesting churches with their particular stories, the city center is interesting also for his balconies that embellish old buildings.



I like the colours of the houses as well, they really give a different touch to the city life. The city centre is also picturesque, I like the yellow colour of the buildings near the main square, Plaza de Armas.

Near the Govern Palace there is a Train station, but it is not used. It remembers the main train station in my country in Ljubljana.

The train station in Lima

Near the train station there is the Giron Ancash, a street where you can find interesting shops with artesanal products of the country. We took a photo to make them a little publicity.



The shops look really interesting and colourful and the products are of high quality, one can find nice gifts to give back home to friends and family. I don't like the usual souvenirs, better something than one can use.
Another interesting part to visit in the city centre is the antique wall built as a defensive structure and the first housing of the city, that are visited by schools mainly, because they are part of the history of the city and of the country.



From this part where the wall stands it is possible to see the favelas near the city. They look nice because the municipality had them painted and connected the electricity, because before that they didn't have electricity.

San Cristobal seen in the background

The city is full of contrasts, from nice parts of the city to poor parts of the city, like this one.
We ended our one day trip visiting this little nice corner of the city, which captured my attention for the colours and for the history of this part of the city.

Hospicio para Mujeres Vergonzantes - Hospice for Shamefaced Women,
A ladies' hostel that the civil wars and the war with Chile impoverished.
The statue in front of the building is of the father Binthillac, the founder
of the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Perú.

Church Recoleta at the French square (Plaza Francia)
In the square it is situated also the the commemorative badge
to the French admiral Bergasse du Petit Thouars,
for his participation in the defense of Lima during
the Chilean occupation in 1880.