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Teatro Nactional in Downtown San José

We made two trips into San José during our stay in Heredia with the Aronsons. Both were really half day trips because of the car. On the first day we drove from the Aronsons' place into Heredia to drop the car off at the mechanics and then took a bus to San José. The second day, we took a bus into downtown Heredia and picked up the car and drove into the city via two other small city-suburbs, San Juan and Santo Domingo.

Catedral Metropolitana de San José

We can't visit a capital city without paying our respects to its cathedral and San José was no exception. The Catedral Metropolitana de San José is not as awe-inspiring as some of the baroque Mexican churches, but it is a lovely building. The nave of the church has a barrel-vault ceiling and is flanked by two side aisles each of which has a flat ceiling. The walls of the church are painted in pale yellow with borders and highlights (friezes, bosses, and banners) in dark green, red, and gold. All is offset by the very lovely stained glass windows. Between the nave and the main altar is a deep dome with a windowed drum.

The city's other important building, the Teatro Nacional, we visited twice. First to admire its architecture and then to attend a concert performance to celebrate the anniversary of Costa Rica's independence. The music was entirely by young (or at least living) national artists. It was of a high standard, although one piece was a little too dissonant for our conservative ears. Nonetheless we were very happy to have gone and really liked the theater's interior.

Downtown San José Park

Downtown San José is not the most attractive city center we have visited but nor is it the worst. We found pleasant parks and gardens filled with references to Costa Rica's history, and one or two lovely remnants of art deco architecture.

Plaque Commemorating Walker Defeat	Famous Costa Ricans
Downtown Garden	Quiet Urban Corner

Echo of the Ecole de Nancy