We haven't done much since arriving in Tucson, except to hang out and relax. As you already know, I visited three of the quilt shops in town. There is still one more, but I don't think we'll make it up there. Most of the quilt shops I've come across are closed on the weekends, and almost all are closed on Sundays. We've already committed (to ourselves) to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on Monday, and then Tuesday, we'll be moving on again. Sometimes it's nice just to stay put. Too much driving around can be wearing on the soul. But be on the look out for my post about the museum. It's one of our favorite places to visit when we travel in this part of the world. There's always something new and interesting to see there.
We did make our way to the Mission San Xavier del Bac on Friday. It's easy to see why it's called the "White Dove of the Desert," since it stands out against the brown and green of the desert, the only structure of height in an otherwise flat landscape. You can see the restoration work in this image. The left side has been painted, while the right side has not.
When we got out of the car, I was distracted by these Saguaro cacti. One of the things I love about the Saguaros is how the birds and other critters use them to make their homes. I learned that the inside of these little holes can be 20 degrees cooler in the summer, and 20 degrees warmer in the winter. No wonder the birds like to make their homes inside.
And then, as we were approaching the Mission, we were distracted also by the Native American food vendors selling burritos and Indian fry bread (which I love). There are few things any better than hot fresh genuine Indian fry bread. I had mine with honey and cinnamon. Mike had a burrito. After eating our "lunch," we toured the Mission. It was very interesting. We were both amused by the sign that asked us to imagine what the Native Americans living on this land in the 17th century must have thought when a missionary showed up and informed them that their homeland was owned by the King of Spain. (You don't say!) The Mission was built as a form of appeasement to them.
It isn't as ornate as the cathedrals in Europe, but it is still an architectural masterpiece when you consider it was built in the 1680's and 90's. The carvings were ornate and the frescos were lovely.
Sadly, the frescos in the domes had crumbled and disappeared long ago.
The mission is being and has been restored in parts. An earthquake in the late 1800's damaged it fairly severely, and some of that damage was never rebuilt. There are photographs in the museum, however. It was an interesting place to see from both a cultural and historical standpoint, and we were glad we made the drive to see it.
I spent all of yesterday sewing, but I'm not going to post the pictures until Design Wall Monday tomorrow. Today, I think I'll spend the day making up the last of the stitcheries for my Kitten's Tale quilt.
We did make our way to the Mission San Xavier del Bac on Friday. It's easy to see why it's called the "White Dove of the Desert," since it stands out against the brown and green of the desert, the only structure of height in an otherwise flat landscape. You can see the restoration work in this image. The left side has been painted, while the right side has not.
When we got out of the car, I was distracted by these Saguaro cacti. One of the things I love about the Saguaros is how the birds and other critters use them to make their homes. I learned that the inside of these little holes can be 20 degrees cooler in the summer, and 20 degrees warmer in the winter. No wonder the birds like to make their homes inside.
And then, as we were approaching the Mission, we were distracted also by the Native American food vendors selling burritos and Indian fry bread (which I love). There are few things any better than hot fresh genuine Indian fry bread. I had mine with honey and cinnamon. Mike had a burrito. After eating our "lunch," we toured the Mission. It was very interesting. We were both amused by the sign that asked us to imagine what the Native Americans living on this land in the 17th century must have thought when a missionary showed up and informed them that their homeland was owned by the King of Spain. (You don't say!) The Mission was built as a form of appeasement to them.
It isn't as ornate as the cathedrals in Europe, but it is still an architectural masterpiece when you consider it was built in the 1680's and 90's. The carvings were ornate and the frescos were lovely.
Sadly, the frescos in the domes had crumbled and disappeared long ago.
The mission is being and has been restored in parts. An earthquake in the late 1800's damaged it fairly severely, and some of that damage was never rebuilt. There are photographs in the museum, however. It was an interesting place to see from both a cultural and historical standpoint, and we were glad we made the drive to see it.
I spent all of yesterday sewing, but I'm not going to post the pictures until Design Wall Monday tomorrow. Today, I think I'll spend the day making up the last of the stitcheries for my Kitten's Tale quilt.
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