We’ve had a couple of days just catching up with  shopping, admin, phone calls… lovely to chat to my family 😊 … and making plans for using our boleto touristico ( tourist ticket) . We should be able to explore most of the museums, galleries and archeological sites included in the ticket before it runs out on Thursday.

On Friday we walked to the supermarket and markets and carried our provisions in rucksacks covering 6 miles and 23 floors… all good practise.😱

Had a lovely lunch out today at Qura and wandered about the town. We came across  a convent dating from the 16 hundreds. The building is beautiful and so calm - part of it is still in use today with 13 nuns living there . It was remarkable to see the books of records dating from when the convent was built… so beautifully handwritten and legible to this day. I loved the huge wooden doors the heft of them is so pleasing… couldn’t help but wonder how many hands over the last 5 centuries have felt the weight of them… It’s always a treat when you find interesting places along the way. This is our rest day and still we have walked over 4 miles! 

Every now and then there is a loud blast from fireworks. Apparently this is used as a call to mass and celebrate a saint. When the church is ready for mass they blow up something!!

Cacti randomly appear in the street 

Some are quite tall!

The coat of arms of Peru cut into the hillside 

There are lots and lots of steep steps in Cusco. These a a particularly colourful set

Quirky looking dog 

Loads of amazing fresh produce 

Freshly dug potatoes drying on the street 

Delicious lunch - Paul’s Ranchero

Raine’s ricotta and avocado toast 

Complete with freshly squeezed juice. All for 70 soles including tip. £14.50

The bread ladies on the market. Apparently those large round breads are quite sweet 

Coffee break. Paul fancied an apple tart

The view from the coffee shop over Plaza Mayor de Cusco - the main square 

Looking the other way 

There had been a wedding in the cathedral - great car

Some of the streets are very narrow and walking on them can be a bit hazardous 

Hefty wooden door in the convent

Another but more ornate door in the convent

This was the workroom where the nuns produced fine needle work for ceremonial clothing

This room had an amazing mural

Each nun only had this as personal space 

And this as a wash room

The structure of the building was amazing 

The private church of the convent. No visitors allowed 

Convent records written by hand dating back to the 1600