Friday, February 17, 2017

First day of sleeping in this morning… until 7:00! Feeling refreshed, we lingered, caught up with our blog and catalogued pictures.

On the road again… We drove about 7 miles past Tucson to visit the well preserved Spanish Mission San Xavier Del Bac. Founded in 1622 by Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, it was finished between 1783 and 1797, through intermittent work. The majestic building stands out against the mountains, and you can see it from miles away.

The floor plan of the mission resembles the Roman catholic cross, but the Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexico Renaissance also blend into the architecture. Free guided tours are provided, but some guides are barely audible because they do not want to disturb worshipers. The baroque interior is quite a sight! All in all, an interesting visit.

We then headed towards Tubac, a village advertised as “Where art and history meet”. I would think that we were not prepared for this shopping experience. The village is predominantly showcasing arts and crafts, from jewellery to paintings, home decor and clothing. You have to be selective and vigilant, though, as some items are local and others, imported. In our meanderings, we found a few interesting things, like decorative gourds made by Arlene Zaloznik, in Green Valley, Arizona (check http://www.azbaskets.net). Neat!

Tired of walking and with merchants closing their shop at 5:00 pm, we decided to head back to Marana to enjoy a great meal with our friends, at a local italian restaurant. Gelato, anyone?

Let’s call it the night.