“What’s a typical day in Cuenca like for you, now that you’ve retired?” It’s a question I often get asked. All I can say is that just about every respect of retired life in Cuenca is better than I could have imagined. Needless to say, I get up when I feel like it. Morning always begins with a cup of coffee on my terrace, enjoying the view of Cuenca’s el centro and the array of colors of all my plants. I have no idea what kind most of them are, with the exception of my orange and lemon trees, but they look great. I know absolutely nothing about horticulture, but have managed to keep all of them alive with a little water and occasional fertilizer. And I’ve found that my favorite plant nursery in Cuenca is up the mountain in the Racar area, where plants can be bought for $1 or $1.50 each.