Asuncion

Today, Thursday we explored Asuncion. Here's Alberto and Celeste at the Government buildings, at the port on the river. We visited the oldest house in Asuncion, which is now a museum. We strolled around the port and through the city centre. As the local attractions were closing for siesta, we headed for lunch at one of the most established cafe / bars, on Star Street. The Paraguay flag has 2 different emblems, one on each side. One of the has the Star and the Palm, and the other has the Lion. Here's the Lion emblem from the museum we visited this morning. The other emblem, the Stars and Palm gave their names to 2 of the major streets in the city, Star Street (where we had lunch) and Palm street nearby where the other old established bar is. The meal was lovely, more Surubi for me ! It's very much a local bar with no tourists.

After lunch we visited the Cathederal, which boasts one of the side altars taken from the Franciscans Church at Yaguaron.

Then we went to the Pantheon (like in Rome) where many of the national heros are buried. One of the most prominent was Mariscal Francisco Solano Lopez, whose father Don Carlos Lopez was the first President of Paraguay.

Before Lopez senior, Paraguay was ruled by the dictator Gaspar Rodriges de Francia (Dr. Francia) who defeated the Spanish on 15th May 1811, and ruled as the distator until he died.

Mariscal Francisco Lopez led Paraguay against the joint forces of Argentina, Brazil and Uraguay. The war ended when he was killed in 1870, with Paraguay a much small country than it had originally been before the war with it's neighbours. Before this war, Paraguay had been the second biggest country in South America after Brazil.

Mariscal Lopez's lady escort was Madame Lynch, originally from Cork in Ireland. Madame Elisa Alicia Lynch had already been married in France, so they never married, although she travelled with him and supported him to the end. They had 8 children together, one of whom died as a baby and is buried close to her mother in Asuncion's Recoleta cemetery (same name as the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires where Evita is buried).

We stopped at a market in one of the city squares where the native Indians come to sell their wares, mostly leather and lace, and we bought some souviners. Then we went to the Recoleta cemetery to see Madame Lynch's grave. The cemetery is very similar to it's namesake in Buenos Aires, with very elaborate mauseleums built like small houses. This is Madame Lynch's grave on the right.

Afterwards, we went to see Alberto's Mum who lives closeby. I was delighted to see her. I had met her in London.

We came home via the supermarket, where we found some K-Zero chickens ! I got a nice welcome home from my new best friend Conor ..