Here in downtown Queretaro most of the buildings originated in the 1600s and 1700s. The architecture is endlessly fascinating; our housemate, who has lived in Spain, says that it is very similar to Seville and other cities back in Spain. We took a walk through the Autonomous University of Queretaro (UAQ), at their satellite site for Philosophy. It makes a nice sheltered shortcut from our house to the mercado.
I thought of the Jesuit priests at my alma mater, Marquette University. Settlers, conquerors, educators; it’s complicated.
You see a lot of corrosion or spalling on the walls around here. It’s no big thing, just a part of the natural way with these old walls, inside and outside of buildings. (The rampant graffiti is another matter. I wish it would go away.)
Across the street from our house a renovation is in full swing, and has been for 2 years now. This gent has spent the entire week removing a ledge on the wall, laboriously chipping it off with a chisel and hammer, down to the bricks, and plastering over it. Why? Since his labor costs about $1 per hour, apparently the owner thought, why not?
