Adios San Miguel, hola Patzcuaro

Today we pack up and get ready to move on to Patzcuaro tomorrow morning. This has been a most successful adventure. We found all the tiles we were looking for, bought new bathroom fixtures: TP holder, toothbrush holder, towel holders, soap dish, hooks, all in ceramic. We even found a belated wedding gift and a friend’s requested purchase. If we actually find the fabric we want for new drapes we will have batted 1000. The laundry has been dropped off for 1-day service, a couple of cases of hard-to-find Chilean wine is stowed among the tile boxes, the apartment has been tidied up, and we’ll do take-away from Hecho en Mexico tonight. I guess we’re ready.

Among the treasures I found here was a new shopping bag. Mexicans at the tiangues use big, multi-colored woven plastic bags as their carry-alls. Most are plaid or striped. On a trip to Guanajuato I found a bag with the face of Frida Kahlo painted on it. Somehow, somewhere this bag got lost. But I found another one into which I can put all my purchases, starting with veggies and flowers from the big indoor market in the center of town.

And here she is, eyebrows and all!

Before I go there are a couple of other photos to put up that reflect life here in SMA. As in Florence, there are delightful little fountains in completely unexpected spots. Walking up the street toward the central jardin I came across this wall fountain making the prettiest gurgling sound. Beautiful colors, as usual.

Then there was a house with this sign on it. I never did figure out what the house had done wrong.

If you want a sun face for your house, I know just the place where you can find one ~ or more.

Frequently, if a house’s walls have windows in them they are barred, then shuttered and not terribly interesting. But I saw this window high on the wall of a house with some lovely vines spilling over the top of the wals and trailing around the window.




Remember the fish restaurant we like so much? Here it is, in all it’s rough glory. It is actually a Sol tent (Sol is a beer maker/distributor), plastic chairs and tables, 4 items on the menu and the best cole slaw in town. The magazine rack on the right is well used, the issues of various rags fairly current.














Walking home from a trip to the big market I saw this man and his little boy riding down the main street. I love his hat and the fancy embroidery down the seam of his trousers. He seemed well aware of the sight he was presenting, and happy about it, too.






















We went up to the Bella Artes, a beautiful old hacienda that has been turned into a cultural center. No matter how hot, dusty and busy the surrounding streets are it is always cool and serene in the big courtyard. There is a lovely, sparkling fountain in the center with chairs and tables scattered around for students or patrons of the little coffee shop.

Meanwhile, next door in the forecourt of the big church, a group of caballeros had gathered with their horses for a Sunday mass. This fellow fell to chewing the grass as soon as he was tethered up.

This morning, as we were driving home from some errands we mused on what had led us to Cuyutlán instead of, perhaps, this lovely place. IF we had come here before we went there, would we have purchased a house? IF it has been 1996, probably yes, and then we would have reversed our get-aways. After 2000, however, it would probably have been too expensive here but it was still easily do-able at the beach. But now, even there the land/housing prices are getting outrageous. Would we have like living here? Probably, although it’s not nearly as “Mexican” as is our village for the simple reason that there are virtually no gringos there and there are about 15,000 here. And it’s cold here. Not what I’m after. I can get cold at home.

So now it’s on to more cold but more things to see and do. I don’t know if I’ll be able to find any internet connections there. I will take photos of the very interesting architecture; actually, it’s again the paint that’s of note. All buildings are painted the same for the most part; red on the bottom, white on the top. Again, narrow cobbled streets, crazy traffic, no place to park. Our usual hotel is a real find as it has off street parking, but no heat. We can always go sleep in the car with the engine running.