Behind Walls, a Wonderland!

This past Saturday. at my friend Erlinda's invitation, I accompanied her to Quinta Gloria, just east of San Marcos, near my home. The "Gloria" of the B&B's name was a classmate of Erlinda's when they attended a residential girl's school at the site of present-day Keiser University, just up the road. The school had been in the name of the wife of the dictator Anastasio Somosa, and Erlinda's class will observe their 50th graduation anniversary next January. They hold monthly lunches to raise money for the reunion, and Gloria, who now lives in Managua, graciously opened her childhood home on this occasion.

Pheasant

Behind the walls that surround the property, there is much to delight and beguile a visitor, beginning with a number of large avian enclosures which house hundreds of quail (Gloria served quail eggs as an appetizer), oriental pheasants, exotic chickens, and pigeons. Peacocks strut to and fro all around the grounds, amid decorative plantings of ferns, tropical trees, flowers, and vines. Fountains burble, pheasants call, pigeons coo, quail shriek (who knew?) and the peacocks cry.

Pigeon house

Teeny weenie...

Behind the plumes is a hard-working tail, keeping up the act!

Many whimsical touches: fish, owl, brahma bull overlooking the patio, horse head...

Sitting nook

And always a Virgin...

Inside the house (sorry, no pictures) are heavy carved wooden furniture, paintings, a beautiful collection of old rocking horses, and plenty of interesting curios in every corner. Quinta Gloria is magical, a wonderland behind its stone walls.