Apart from historic photographs, unless otherwise stated, all photos on this site were taken by members of my family. Please don't republish them without my permission. Thanks. © 2008 Mark Collins 10-06-2010 | | Peru 2004 - Day 1, Lima
We had arrived in Lima the night before after in excess of 24 hours travelling. After a casual walk down to the sea in the morning, our afternoon excursion explored the colonial history of Lima. | Founded on the 18th of January 1535, Lima, the City of the Kings was named by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. On our first day, we were struck by the number of beautiful flowering shrubs in the city. For a city of negligible rainfall, the irrigation which allows these to flourish must be a major undertaking. | The name of this shop in Miraflores, "The Athlete's Foot", caused us some amusement. On the final day of the holiday, having returned to Lima, Alan bought some shoes here. A statue of two lovers embracing is the centrepiece of the Parque del Amor in Miraflores, which is inspired by the sentiment that "In the cities, they do not make monuments to lovers", a lament by the poet Antonio Cilloniz. There are fine views of the coast from here. |  |  |  | The construction of Lima cathedral, situated in the main square, was begun on the very day of the City's foundation. The cathedral contains the remains of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. I was reprimanded for unknowingly breaking the rules by using flash for the photograph of the nave. The wooden balconies on the Archbishop's Palace, adjacent to the Cathedral are very beautiful. |  |  |  | A short walk, past the railway station took us to the Church and Convent of San Francisco, which is considered by some to be the greatest architectural complex of its kind in South America. The Church of San Francisco is an impressive edifice; I have corrected this image using electronic perspective adjustment to straighten the towers. Alan has managed to get caught in the bottom right hand corner! |  |  | The library had a wonderful atmosphere, reminiscent of a set from Harry Potter, there is another picture in my photo album. The cloister walls are tiles with beautiful handmade ceramic tiles of stunning colours and patterns. |  |   | The choir has beautifully carved wooden pews surrounding a magnificent huge rotating music stand. |    |  | This statue of the good saint himself stands in the open passage above the cloisters; he is carrying a cross and a skull. The walls of the sacristy are lined with statues of saints. Here are St Leon (carrying his head), St Nicholas and an unidentified person with more than a passing resemblance to a certain member of the royal family! |  |   | The final picture on day 1 is of the church interior taken from the choir. Flash was allowed in this church. |  |
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