Coffee traditions in Manizales, Colombia thrive under social and professional pretexts for intellectual modalities and conversations. During a typical Pre-Covid day, singers, journalists, poets, dancers, musicians and professionals, could be found drinking coffee and sharing conversation in their favorite shops, or outdoor patios.

In Spanish, the tradition is described as a "tertulia," or a meeting of friends to drink coffee, and play chess, card games, or simply share conversation.

Dear Diary - Manizales is the Perfect Place for Coffee and Contemplation

I had to leave early this morning to be in El Centro, or downtown Manizales, to meet with my lawyer, who I have collaborated with, both from legal issues, and marketing to foreign residents. Last year, we wrote several articles about legal concepts which may apply to foreign residents, on coffeeaxistravel.com, an online magazine focused on Lifestyle, Gastronomy, and Tourism, in the Colombian Coffee Axis.

As I wandered towards the center, the light captured my attention and I took the pictures in this article, in between errands.

All pictures are my own original edited photos. They were taken using a Sony NEX-3N.

Our current topic is for a future article on my Coffee Axis Travel website. The name of my Steemit profile - Open Minded Traveler, goes back to my original blog, which I have been writing on intermittently, for almost 8 years. In previous articles, we answered questions about Real Estate Purchasing, Pre-Nuptial Agreements, and Civil Procedures in Colombia. The articles are based on previous professional experiences by Cristian, with professional conceptualization for future possibilities.

After our chat, I had a cappuccino and chat with a friend before going home. Leaving the law office, I passed some men out in the street playing chess and conversing, having escaped their long confinement. Life is for living.

A fruit stand catches my eye, a bursting pyramid of color and hope. Each piece was carefully stacked with the pride of a vender who is glad to be working once again.

Parque Caldas, a ghost of its former foot traffic, only has a few small groups of friends and vendors starting their day with coffee and chat.

People here say that, "Manizales is a city with a church on every corner." They are the charming corner pieces of this old city draped over the peaked ridge of the Central Corridor of the Colombian Andes Mountains. Standing next to the church, I can almost imagine myself in the Swiss Alps confronting a stately castle of the distant past.

It was just another day in paradise...

I consider Manizales to be an almost mystical place with a cloud like fog, called "bruma," in Spanish. Oxygen here is so thin that you will always find a moment to stop and contemplate life as you run your errands. Yet, athletic sports are widely practiced here including mountain biking, tennis, dance, football, trail rides on horses or mules, and even a tai chi federation.

Arriving home, I found my mom excited about something more than a shopping snafu which I have to sort out tomorrow. She had created a post-impressionistic mural reminiscent of California Poppies in the summertime. Very Mary "Van Gogh."

My mother never fails to astound me. The source of my own free spirit, she has always worked to create beauty in unexpected places.

And that was my day out running errands, drinking coffee with friends and enjoying my day out in Manizales de mi Alma. My post is going out much later than usual. Only a few more days left of my highest number of continuous days publishing back to back ever, yet, a solid exercise in discipline and perseverance. The next competition starts August 1st, 2020 and goes for 50 days, instead of 100. Already curators are projecting that more 1,000 participants will be getting involved in the next round. This is only the beginning!

Dear Readers, Whether you are planning a trip to Colombia, or exploring my life vicariously through my diaries, I want to thank you for taking the time to read my stories. July 11th, is the last day of #the100daysofsteem, of which today was my 39th daily article. This has been a huge growing experience for my voice and writing style going forward, and I am grateful for all the readers who took the time to skim my perusings in times of coronavirus and beyond. #SteemOn

And, as always...

If you feel a kindred spirit in my diary about times of coronavirus, pressure and overcoming - then do your part to help a neighbor get through to the other side by upvoting, and/or giving me a resteem, of this post. Tell a friend - and join #thediarygame so we can all bring home the rewards of high quality content curation on the @SteemitBlog ecosystem.