This big hotel is in a quiet residential area. European styled and newly restored, the Mencey is fancy yet friendly. Always seeking spots off the beaten path, I found a bakery and tiny cafe with a courtyard in the old part of the city. In a park, I came across the 50-foot face of a clock made with flowers. Cathedrals are everywhere, with crosses like antennas tuned to heaven.
Butterflies waltz down the sunny streets, and chirping birds zoom and flit about.
Worth remembering was a grilled beef and lamb dinner we had at the El Monasterio Restaurant. Also, while touring one morning, I was attracted to the architecture of the Hotel Jardin Tropical, a white stucco Spanish-style place with private patios. We stopped for breakfast, which is a real production for vacationing Europeans. Some 150 buffet items were offered, and I overheard only German spoken between mouthfuls as guests enjoyed this huge morning meal before their traditional brisk walks. I missed the June Corpus Christi Festival that locals brag about.