Antigua

Our guide this morning was Domingo which means Sunday in Spanish. We took a four hour walk around the beautiful city of Antigua.
Originally Antigua was the capital of Guatamala. In 1773 a devastating earthquake destroyed the Capital, so in 1776 the city was moved to Guatamala City. The devastation from that early earthquake is visible all around Antigua and especially at the cathedral. The original cathedral had ten separate chapels and was vast. The only existing image of it is in a museum in Mexico!

A new Chathedral was built on the ruins, designed to withstand any future earthquakes. It looks like a wedding cake and is so nicknamed by the locals.

The streets are all cobbled stones with drainage down the centre.

Because the city was built in the 1600's, any earthquake damage from the first big earthquake in 1771 means that that rubble needs to be preserved.
Our favourite church was San Pedro, a church dedicated to helping the poor and operated by Fransciscan monks. San Pedro came from the Canary Islands to work here and was canonised for the miracles that he performed.
Dinner was eaten last night at Hectors, a famous restaurant in Antigua. Peter had the house speciality of tenderloin and Sue spicy, garlic giant shrimps. Delicious!!