Today we took a little walking tour with our host Jane and a couple of other guests.
A block away from the Casa there is a little alley on the back side of the local market. It’s a good place to stop for a soda in the shade.
![hidden treasures a pedestrian alleyway near the casa](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/1alleyway-400x266.jpg)
The Virgin of Soledad is the patron of the City of Oaxaca. Her church is near enough to hear the bells in the morning. The top of the front facade is coated in painted plaster.
![painted plaster the facade of the basilica of San Jose](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2soledadfacade-400x266.jpg)
Inside the Virgin herself is above the altar. You almost can’t see her for the rococo decorations.
![the patron of oaxaca virgin of soledad](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/3virginsoledad-243x400.jpg)
City hall is right next door. The central court yard is a pleasant place to wait.
![nice waiting room the central court of city hall](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/4cityhall-1-of-1-400x266.jpg)
Tucked in a corner of the first floor is the time clock.
![cheerful, eh? time clock in city hall](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/5timeclock-400x266.jpg)
After spending time in restored buildings we went to see the bar called Los Danzantes. In a typical colonial building but with very modern decor.
![three watchers sign and masks on the wall above the bar](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/6danzantessign-400x266.jpg)
The bar itself was made out of blocks of crushed cars.
![we need this the bar at Los Danzantes](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/7danzantesbar-400x266.jpg)
This is one of my favorite courtyard fountains in the city.
![goldfish included modern intreptation of the court yard fountion](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/8pond-400x266.jpg)
Then on to another church. Sto. Domingo de Guzman. This is the ceiling in the rosay chapel. Usually there is a lovely white virgin in here but she’s been moved for the weekend to the main sanctuary.
![brightly painted ornate ceiling in the rosary chapel](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/9ceilingdomingo-400x266.jpg)
Tomorrow (Sunday) the city will be celebrating the dedication of this new retablo. It’s huge and very shiny. A lot of time (3 years) and money has been spent on it.
![shiney new retablo](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/10newretablo-266x400.jpg)
You see the strangest things on the bulletin boards in little courtyards. This was outside the door of BlackBox, one of my favorite ‘modern’ art stores.
![name that cartoon learn Japanese in Oaxaca](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/11mangaeverywhere-400x266.jpg)
The last church of the day was the Catherdral in the center of the city. it was filled with hundreds of these bundles of lilies because Friday was the festival of El Senor del Rayo. Our Lord of the Lightening Bolt is what they call the crucifix housed in the side chapel that was the only thing that survived a fire started when lightening struck the original thatched roof.
![sweet one of a couple of hundred bundles of lilies](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/12lilies-300x400.jpg)
The city is starting to decorate for the day of the dead.
![soldier day od the dead decorations](http://blackdogandmagpie.net/shoes/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/13preview-266x400.jpg)