Our little band of explorers traveled to Queretaro this past month to visit 'El Cerro de las Campanas' or The Hill of the Bells. It is named for the sounds the rocks make when you hit them - when the rocks are struck with other rocks they sound like church bells ringing! It was very interesting.
In 1867, during the French intervention in Mexico, the city of Queretaro was the last capital of Emperor Maximilian I of the Mexican Empire. The Mexican Empire was defeated and on June 19 Maximilian was executed by a firing squad on Cerro de las Campanas together with his Generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía. Inside the church at the top of the stairs are three marble cubes - these marble cubes represent the exact spots where Maximilian, Miramón and Mejía stood while they were executed by a firing squad. (I found out that they were not executed in the church... that was built later.)
The huge, garganutan statue that you see pictured (with my cute family standing next to it so that you can see just how large it is) is of Benito Juarez, one of Mexico's greatest leaders. The phrase on the statue translates (roughly) to: "Between individuals, like between nations, the respect of people's right is peace."
A legend states that if you are on this hill and hit one of the rocks three times that you will one day be wed! So, all of our children hit the rock... I did to; but I already found my 'Prince Charming'.
5 comments:
Looks like a fun place, and that statue is enormous! Good thing all the kids hit the rocks three times...it sounds like it would be fun to hear them "ring".
We are going to miss you so much.
Before you come back to USA, I should teach you something else of mexican food, so what else would you like to learn?
Oh, I would like to teach you something else, but you are almost perfect and I still have many things to learn... so may be cook is ok for me to teach you.
Thank you for all that you are and do for us.
Edith
Oh how we enjoyed our trip and the visit with your wonderful family was a main part of the reason.
Shar Skidmore
Hi, what a great blog you have. You children have grown so much and they all look handsome and beautiful. Your Mexican adventures sound like so much fun. How long will you be there?
Thanks Natalie for the compliments... and yes, whether I want them to or not our children are growing!
We are having a great time here in Mexico - we are finished here this summer (2009). We will have lived here for two years at that point!
Thanks for checking in with our little 'bunch'!
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