We found the perfect park bench to sit at the edge of the center of the park and watched the happenings. The road that separates the north & south blocks of the park is closed off on weekends and holidays, providing a large paved area right in front of city hall for play or gatherings. Here today were set up two, nearly half block long colorful inflatables composed of climbing walls, bouncy floor, animals, castles, mountains, puffy tree shapes and other fun stuff for smaller folks. We watched one little boy repeatedly climb on a deer which deflated and fell over under his weight. There were also peddle cars and tractors for parents to rent for the smaller ones. Children, children everywhere. Most exciting to watch. Beside us was a vendor who had a painting table where families gathered while they painted wall plaques of predrawn comic characters on little squares of plywood. Of course there were the men walking around with desserts, cotton candy, and elotes (roasted corn on the cob, sprinkled al gusto with cayenne ). An SUV selling premade lattes off the tailgate. Do not know how they kept them hot, but they were popular. There was also a small train of decorated wheeled cars each with about six seats, chugging around the block on the wide sidewalk, pulled by a little ATV decorated as the engine. We will try for a picture next week, as Dan inadvertently deleted a bunch we took tonight. Sunday evening is the time when whole families come out together and stroll around. Women all dressed up in their high high heels and men looking spiffy. After touring around the whole park, we shared an ice cream cone, amaretto with nuts, on the three block walk home. Our favorite time to be here.
Monday we spent most of the day with another realtor, María. So far every real estate company has been pushing the new homes they have in the gated developments outside of town--we put up with this so they'll also keep us in mind if something becomes available closer in, where we can walk into downtown for its ambiance and convenient shopping. María was no exception here, but her company has a lot of older houses listed on the internet that look like something we might be interested in, so the next day Dan sent her an email with all the listings we wanted to see, asking for their addresses. She still has not answered it. Hope she will.
Tuesday we walked around a great deal and found a most interesting house. While looking in the gate, a very prim little old lady came out and offered us a tour. It was one we had told María we wanted to see, despite being over what we said was our budget. Now we have seen it, and fell in love with it. Very tempting, and immediately liveable, and it does have furnishings included. It is 17 years old. In an old Spanish style with red tile floors, wall-height wood framed folding doors that open up to the outside patio and when closed let in light thru their many panes, the most glamorous spiral staircase in the middle, two full baths and two bedrooms downstairs, a small kitchen and large living/dining area looking out to a surrounding covered columned arcade populated with huge potted plants. Another large bedroom upstairs, with fireplace and opening onto a covered patio with an alcove to the side with a jacuzzi tub. Must go back again and take pictures. Can we give it up? No yard except the patio which doubles as gated parking area, shared with the identical house next door, which is also for sale. Too bad we don't have friends who want to invest in a home down here. Kitties could get onto other house roofs if we did not do intricate screening. We also looked again at another house Maria had shown us the previous day and decided, though it was new with sky light over a planted area inside house, it would have to have walls added and a shower put in downstairs. Checked this one off our list as too expensive with the changes we'd make. Visited Frank's new site, but again he was out shopping for materials.
Then another realtor, Rosset, took us out and about in the eve. Yes, again we drove all the way north to those gated communities--they just want to sell those houses. We then stopped at an older rental, which if for sale would of been most promising. It was in a little cul-de-sac off of a busy street on the way into Córdoba, not conducive to walking into Fortín, but well located if one was bussing around. Then next to another gated community nearer here, actually behind where Frank is building. Lastly she showed us two places , with a common wall, that are just being constructed. Possibility. Rosset is dropping off the plans today - shortly. She assured us that it was in time to make changes to the plans if we wanted. Makes us nervous though to pay for a place to be built and not be here to be sure that is what is happening. So far it is looking that it might be best to buy a piece of property now, then rent from Frank while building a place after we move down.
Well, Rosset dropped off the plans and took us to meet the lady architect at the property. The current floorplan would have to be modified to add a full bath and bedroom downstairs (planta baja). She is willing to draw up what we want and can give us a quote. Realtor also took us to another house the same architect's building, with a like finish. Oh what will we do? Interesting fact: all houses have a water storage tank (tinaco) on top of house, to provide gravity feed to fixtures. Usually this tank is 1000 to 1500 liters in size, and is filled by a ground level pump with a float valve to stop the fill at the brim. Many houses also might have an underground cistern (cisterna) of perhaps 5000 liters capacity, but this may not be the case for a location in Fortín where the municipal water supply is very reliable and ample. A propane tank is also normally roof mounted.
