Virgin of Guadalupe

Today is the Virgin of Guadalupe's day.
December 12th.
Last night, two streets down, our neighbors held the last novena for the Guadalupe and sang songs to her from 7PM until... well, they are still singing.  I awoke several times during the night to the songs La Guadalupana, Paloma Blanca and las Mananitas.  At six the rockets and fireworks took over and from the terraza you could see sparks of light and smoke and listen to some of the songs from last year's videos below.
[vimeo 10306545]

[vimeo 10306475]

Today's post is yet to be completed, but here's what's been happening the last few weeks.

Altars around town have been being cleaned, repainted and decorated.  This year, neighbors down the hill built a new altar which sat unfinished for many months, most likely waiting for the funds to complete it for this day.  (photos to come)

Further down, there's a Virgin painted on a wall.  Wednesday she looked like this, and later I'll have a photo os what she looks like today.



Throughout the week there have been live enactments by children in centro.
In our own neighborhood, two blocks down, there have been novenas and singing every night.


Yesterday, most of the altars were still undecorated except for a few red pointsettas, candles and pots of flowers.



and the flower stalls are geared up for the major altar building that will be completed today.





Every public and private altar will be decorated, every mariachi and singer in town will be visiting the altars to pay homage.

If you want a feel for what it's like, look at the link at the top of this post

100 Years of Tin Work in SMA

Cien Años de la Artesania en Hojalata de San Miguel de Allende

An update to the post below - the film has been selected to be shown this Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 6pm on the main stage in the Jardin in San Miguel as part of the opening ceremonies for this year's feria de lana y laton (wool and brass fair) and on Monday November 8, 7-9pm in the same location.  If you missed Thursday's show, be sure to come by the Jardin during those times to see it.

The post:

If you are in town this Thursday at 7pm, you can see the video documentary I have made about the history of decorative (and utilitarian) tin work in San Miguel de Allende.



If you live here, or have just visited, you can't miss the tinkering of tools on metal here.  It's everywhere, in all neighborhoods.  Literally hundreds, if not a thougsand people or more work in tin here. Over the years, because of purchasing tin work for our store in the U.S., I've been going in and out of these shops wondering how it all began.

There are a handful of families that go back exactly one hundred years, to 1910, when a metal worker, Aucensio Llamas moved to San Miguel from Jerez Zacatecas.  For twenty five years he made and repaired milk cans, oil lamps and colanders for making atole.  There was no tourism, no market for decorative or religious tin work.

In the late 1930's and into the 40's when Stirling Dickinson arrived and began to bring more foreigners to attend the art school he helped to found, a market for decorative pieces developed along with creative inspiration and eventually an industry that put almost all of San Miguel to work.

I won't go into the rest because ... we'd like you to come see it on Thursday.  Many of the artisan families who are in the movie will be there for the premiere and we'll have a question and answer afterwards so you can meet the original families, now in their third and fourth generations of family business.

The film includes these men talking about their history in tin work,, the unfolding of an international business market for them along with their personal feelings about their work and how it has changed over the years.  Voices are overlayed with photos and video footage of them creating pieces in their workshops.

These men create some of the most beautiful tin work in San Miguel today.  The documentary combines these men talking about their families, the lean and boom times, what it was like to begin making decorative pieces after doing utilitarian work and what it was life was like here in the early part of the 20th century.  It's a new perspective on the history of the town, told by the families who lived and grew through the ups and downs of of town economies that are driven by tourism.

The film will be shown at the Santa Ana Theatre at the Biblioteca on Calle Insurgente.  Thursday Nov. 4, 2010 7pm, with an introduction to the artisans after the show.

film duration: 40 minutes.
In the words of the artisans, in Spanish, with English subtitles.

The film is for sale at la Conexion and at the artist booths of Chilo Botes (Cecilio Hernández, Eleazar and Enrique Badillo and Artes de Mexico on the Calzada de la Aurora.  It will also be available through our online store website after November 8th at :  www.mexicanfolkart.com

Dia de los Muertos 2010

Here's a photo slideshow of this year's dia de los muertos.
Stories and more photos to come later

[slideshow]

Hermanos Aguascalientes

For the 33rd consecutive year, Hermanos Aguascalientes performed a concert to a standing room only audience in the Jardin. They were playing something like Stranger in the Night when we arrived. We rolled our eyes, the look that says if there's one more like this we'll leave - yes?
[vimeo 15461633]
But sometimes you get surprised, and we did. The variety of the - for lack of a better term - elevator music, mixed right in with traditional Mexican folk songs, an oral history of the music of Mexico mixed with song. The two violinists, brothers, were dancing around, smiling and having a great time with the audience.



Best of all, they had the audience eating out of their hands. It brought out people of all ages and types who were chanting along, doing the wave, rolling their arms around and clapping to the music.

The Blessing of San Miguel

Happy birthday San Miguel!
Today's the day, but the big celebrations begin this weekend.
Last evening, this procession passed through the Jardin on the way to the parroquia with San Miguel, to be blessed.
[vimeo 15396646]

Mexican Independence In 2 Minutes

The Independence of Mexico, starring:
Ignacio Allende
Padre Miguel Hidalgo
Dona Josefa Ortiz
Juan Aldama
Ignacio Perez on his horse
The people of Mexico.

[vimeo 15032359]

For those of you who do not understand Spanish
it goes like this:
Dona Josefa in Queretaro, searches for Ignacio Perez to ride his horse to San Miguel el Grande to give a scroll proclaiming the insurgence to Ignacio Allende.





Alas, Ignacio is not home so he gathers a companion and they ride together past Atotonilco to Dolores where they find Ignacio Allende, Padre Miguel Hidalgo and Juan Aldama waiting.  He hails Allende - Capitan Allende! Capitan Allende! and hands him the scroll at which point there is much difficulty getting the ribbon off so they can read it.



Hidalgo is really more interested in the sword on Allende's belt than the scroll.  They each read the proclamation and head to the Parroquia to ring the bell, calling the people together for the fight.

The grito is shouted while they people wave flags and cry
VIVA MEXICO! VIVA MEXICO!
and they dance.


Below, my friend Elvia's daughter, Lupita.

Encarnación

If you haven't gone out to Mineral de Pozos to see Kate McKenna's second show, Encarnación, at Galeria 6, it has been extended until the end of October.



Besides being a wonderful show, Mineral de Pozos is a great place to visit for the day or an overnight at El Secreto, the B&B that is connected to Galeria 6.  My post about her first show, Suculencia, has a good description of her work.

Below is a video walkthrough of the show:

[vimeo 14117732]

 

More Celebrations

Last weekend, in an overnight to the city of Guanajuato, the neighborhood behind our hotel was having their saints day celebration.  Mid-afternoon, a procession which was headed for the church passed by the restaurant we were having lunch at, blasting off loud rockets to a torito dance performance followed by conchero dancers and hundreds of young drummers preceding flowered litters which carried the chalice, Jesus on the cross and the Virgin Mary.

[vimeo 14703978]

The party afterward had all the usual, specifically loud traditional music which echoed off the surrounding hills until 11pm followed by rockets and a fireworks display.

Celebrations

Thursday was the 49th anniversary of Radio San Miguel and also the 35th anniversary of the Casa de la Cultura in San Miguel.  Besides video of Chilo Botes, tin artisan,  singing at the radio station, (video to come) there was folklorico dancing in the Jardin at dusk followed by music into the evening. Here's a movie of the folklorico  dancers with dances from Guerrero, Nuevo Laredo, Veracruz and Mexico City/Jalisco.

[Vimeo 14511498]

Tin Workers

Over the years of exporting Mexican Artesania, I have continually been drawn back to the tin artisans who reside not only in San Miguel de Allende, but in Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Celaya, Mexico City.


The malleable quality of tin (hojolata) copper (cobre) and brass (laton) they work in allows the artist to create beautiful repousse, punched and multi layered work.  It is nothing short of miraculous to see a solid surface become bowl like, the shape of animals, trees, hearts.


Most of the work here is still done the old way, hammered on lead plugs or into indentations on their palos - tree stumps with smoothed out indentations from the years of hammering and rolling the ball edge of a hammer around a piece of tin.


This year, I began video interviews with the oldest tin workers.  Those who were here when metal work was only done for utilitarian pieces - milk cans, oil lamps, cooking stoves, utensils for the home.  Those artists who were here before foreigners came to town with ideas for decorative pieces and the money to entice the metal workers to fabricate the first decorative pieces for the home, the pieces that would lead to the metal art you find today.


The project, which has become an obsession of sorts, is coming together, starting with the history of metal and metal arts including artists who have been working in tin for over 40 years, the story of how it happened here in San Miguel de Allende.

Here is a 2 minute short of one of the oldest artists, who remembers what it was like in 1944 when San Miguel de Allende was a town of about 7,000 people,  and no artisan metalwork being done.  It was a time where metal work was of utilitarian purpose, made and carried on the backs of burros to the ranchos to sell.

[Vimeo 14131039]

The entire documentary will be exhibited/shown in the Jardin as a part of the Feria de la Lana y el Laton this November as a tribute to these older artisan families.

[slideshow]

You're Kidding, Right?

This morning,
There's a long knock on the door
Followed by three long rings of the doorbell.

By now, I know that's not the sound of my neighbors calling.
I go to the upstairs window and see this guy
And another dressed just like him cross the street,
knocking on everyone's doors.

[caption id="attachment_3740" align="alignnone" width="248" caption="Fumigator"][/caption]

When I ask what he wants
He commands me, as if he is an official of the city,
"open the door I'm coming in to fumigate."
As flabberghasted as I was I managed to politely say
"No thank you, we don't use chemicals in our house,
Instead of  "You're kidding, right?"

Let the Independence Begin!

The Bicentennario, Mexico's 200th Independence celebrations are a little over a month away, although activities have been going on for about a month now and the gang's all here!  Today at noon, casually strolling down the street, posing for cameras, came five mojiganga's dressed for the revolution.

Miguel Hidalgo:

[caption id="attachment_3673" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Miguel Hidalgo"][/caption]

Ignacio Allende:

[caption id="attachment_3671" align="alignnone" width="321" caption="Ignacio Allende"][/caption]

Three Spanish women. The woman on the right is Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez.  Allende, Hidalgo and Domínguez, together, rang the bell in the church of Dolores, performing the first 'Grito de Dolores' the call for freedom which is now enacted on every independence day, calling the people together to fight for their independence.

[caption id="attachment_3670" align="alignnone" width="304" caption="Here they come, the women, followed by Allende & Hidalgo"][/caption]

Corpus Christi 2010

In last month's Corpus Christi procession, Elvia's son Beto was invited by personal invitation to carry the flowered litter, holding the chalice, in the procession. This is a big honor to anyone, and especially for a devout 18 year old young man.

Early in the day, banners are hung throughout the town and altars go up in doorways and arches where the evening procession pauses at each, for an oration.

Here's a short video and photos (to come)

[Vimeo 13689205]

Jose Refugio

For those of you following the stories of our neighborhood, on July 2, our neighbor Petra's husband Jose died.  He would have turned 69 on July 4th, the day he was buried.  His death was not unexpected, but in some ways a great relief to Petra who was his primary caregiver for over 10 years.  He had a stroke when he was 59 and for about seven years could get around a little.  The last three years he was bedridden and needed complete care.

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Under the casket, a cross made of cal/lime is placed, representing the body. After the casket is removed, the cross, candles, bowl of onions (for spirits) and flowers remain for the 9 novenas. On the last novena, the family divides the cross by the number of people in the family, who take turns placing their part in the container which is taken to the cemetery."][/caption]

About a month before his death, she told me he would die before three months was up and took me to see him.  I had not seen him in about 2 months, when he deteriorated from being able to sit in a chair with help, to being more or less frozen in bed. I called hospice and took her to see them.  She had no idea hospice existed and was elated to be able to have some help.  The first step was an evaluation by a doctor who told them that they were very sorry but it appeared he had another 18 months - that the hard work would be hers, as he seemed comfortable.

I was astounded because it was clear that he was not eating, could not move and was not improving.  When it got worse a couple of weeks later, she refused to call hospice for help because she was convinced they did not know what they were talking about and thought they did not really want to help her.

So, in her own stoic, straightforward way, she waited, watched and cared for him at home until he died shortly thereafter.

Being what I would call a very traditional, religious person, she set up the wake in her front living room at the street where the door remained open to the street for neighbors and friends to come by and pay their respects.  The wake began the night he died, when his body was returned to the home and set up alongside an altar that the funeral home provides.  Friends led rosaries all day Saturday, ending with a eerie and beautiful hour long chant at 5am Sunday morning after which food preparations began, followed by a mass at church and burial.

[slideshow]

As you know from the stories of the novenas for Maricela and Jesus last spring, the family hosts nine evenings of prayer, with a meal for everyone afterward. I won't go into that here because you'll find it on the links for Maricela and Jesus, but I want to say how impressive the effect of these novenas are.  They are a combination of a prayer group, ritual, social event, fun night for kids, and done long enough for everyone to hear about the death and be able to pay their respects, as you can see by the increasing number of people who attend as the evenings go on.

Street Musicians (2)

Back on the subject of street musicians,
The city of Guanajuato has a wonderful minstrels
Who pass the day serenading those in outdoor cafes,
Singing while you sit in the shade having a cool drink.
He's my favorite - maybe it's the blue guitar,
Or the way he dresses to match his instrument,
But we never turn down a song from him.

[vimeo 11793328]

Mexico Lindo

Just outside the city limits, on the way to Dolores Hidalgo, there's a roadside attraction - a mini theme park of sorts called Mexico Lindo.  Enter at your own risk beneath a large, sun-bleached cow skull, facing Christo Rey who resides as a centerpiece in front of a lush palm, welcoming all to this replica of a ghost town.  It's a zoo of sorts with large iron giraffes, painted carved animals, a carved drunk sitting atop a roof and it houses a very large collection of paintings, carvings and memorabilia. It's a quirky desert oasis residing on several acres of very relaxed native landscaping.

[slideshow]
Mexico Lindo is really an art gallery. There are hundreds of paintings on wood and metal.  Every saint you can imagine is here along with a large collection of Botero style women and men in all poses from saints to prostitutes to musicians. Old wood cabinet doors are covered in traditional village scenes, fruits and vegetables. It all exists in a setting of cantera saints, skeletons, animals, plus a few modern Navajo style cantera carvings.

The park serves as the family residence and barnyard as well, housing an unknown number of people, burros, roosters and chickens.  The grounds are covered with makeshift buildings and outhouses that have walls made of organ cactus and decrepit antique tequila bars - freshly painted of course. You can even buy a carved deer which has been covered in aluminum and milagros for all the good luck you will need.

On your way out, you'll find an old hearse. Inside lies an old wood plank coffin, complete with bouquets of fading plasic flowers resting atop. It is elaborately painted with the national symbol of the eagle with a snake in his mouth. A scrolled banner  touting the of the last words of it's inhabitant decorate the back.  The entire family runs this place, right down to the youngest child who makes sure you have had something to drink, a taco, or a piece of gum.

Man and His Magic Wand

[vimeo 11769631]

A few weeks ago we were in Mexico City at the San Angel Market. This entertaining man, not one bit shy about his toothless grin, and totally into the music, captured our attention and imagination, performing with his magic wand in the plaza while young dancers were performing traditional folkloric dances behind us, providing the musical backdrop for his performance.

You can buy these magic sticks from him as we did, and he will teach you how to use them.

Street Musicians

[vimeo 10675724]

Mexico is a wonderland of visual and auditory treats. There seems to be no end to the number of people entertaining, festivals and personal acts of faith enacted in the streets here.  With all the big events here, it's easy to overlook some of the quieter simple acts of creativity and beauty which are acted out in small ways every day - like these musicians - and many others who serenade the streets, buses, markets and private homes.


This couple  found each other about five or six years ago. They have been here, playing music, longer than that. They play traditional Mexican folk music and their blindness is secondary to the the things they love in life - their music and each other, spending hours and hours each day, in the streets, singing for the public. We'll have more about their story, and others, in a future post

Semana Santa 2010

Semana Santa is the ultimate act of faith,
Performed by the community in public,
A series of one costumed re-enactment after another
Depicting each aspect of the last week of Jesus' life.


At the Iglesia de San Antonio,
On the Thursday of the siete casas,
There is a re-enactment of the trial and sentencing.
The front of the church was decorated in palm trees and hills.
The apostles, in their colorful satin robes,
Spread themselves across the steps
Awaiting the Roman soldiers, Jesus and Pontious Pilot.
The women of Jerusalem sweep in, swaying and weeping.
The trial and sentencing is performed.
[vimeo 10677757]

On Good Friday, in the city of Guanajuato,
There is a live re-enactment of Judas hanging himself.
He crawls up a hand made ladder,
Hooks his noose to a makeshift tree,
Attaches a rope and lets go.

[vimeo 10646979]

Following Judas' hanging,
The stations of the cross are performed.
Jesus receiving his cross,
The crown of thorns, his velvet cape.
His litter is carried by the brotherhood of penetentes,
Wearing purple burlap, heavy rope disciplinas and hoods.
They carry Jesus around the church 12 times,
One time for each station.
Thirty women in black dresses, veils and bare feet on cobblestones
Carry the heavy litter that holds Jesus' Mother,
Mary, the Virgin of Sorrows.
As they move the litters to face each other,
She meets Jesus for the last time and words are exchanged.
The women are swaying back and forth, all the parishoners are crying.
Jesus' face is wiped, his image is held in the cloth for all to see.
The women of Jerusalem walk behind supporting the Magdalena
Who wears purple and can barely keep herself upright.
In the final round, he is brought to the front of the church
For the crucifixion.

The participation and the show of faith is nothing short of impressive.
[vimeo 11011441]

Below, a slideshow of photographs of the stations of the cross:

[caption id="attachment_3475" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW SLIDESHOW"][/caption]

On Easter sunday, in San Miguel,
There's a little brevity and fun.
Paper mache Judas figures are blown up with fireworks
In front of the police station and to everyone's delight

[vimeo 10682357]

Suculencia - Cacti Transformed

Kate McKenna, photographer and friend, has a show at the Oasis Boutique Hotel.

She photographs cactus, large and close-up then works them into prints on canvas.

The process of blowing these up life size causes them to mature and transform into a completely new work.

They are reborn in the nature of a painting -  or so it seems until you are right up close where the magnification of the image combined with the texture of the canvas enters the eye and mind in a new way that disassembles the assumptions one has about cactus in a desert climate. They are colorful, vibrant and restful pieces that say 'come closer, there's more inside.'

Go by and have a look for yourself.  It's something you have to see up close.

The show runs from today, March 5-20, 2010, 12-4pm Monday through Friday.
Chiquitos #1A.

You can reach Kate at her website and view her photographs by clicking here.

It is an unusual and beautiful show, curated by Kate and Kathleen Eckles Mann, in a beautiful location.

You won't want to miss it.

Spring Must Be Here

Last night at 11pm, our local norteno band showed up to play outside at our neighbor's house.  Spring must be here as we haven't had a late night music visit in quite a few months.  This is just one of the many things I love about living here.
Video below - it may take a minute to fuly load

[vimeo 9918792]

Mega Bombas!

They call them Mega Bombas
And there's a bunch on this video -
Along with the firing of the canons,
The men battling,
Exploding sledgehammers, and a few photos.

[vimeo 18572511]

For the complete story,
Go to the Sledgehammer Fireworks post

Sledgehammer Fireworks

You hear the din of battle next to the church, the sound of rockets booming and you feel the ground shaking from five blocks away. Each Carnaval, in the tiny town of San Juan de la Vega Mexico, there is a re-enactment of a 400+ year old battle in honor of a local farmer named Juan aquino de la Vega - on the side of the people - a Robin Hood type person who robbed from the rich to give to the poor against the Viceroy and his men.

(Photo Slideshow and youtube video at bottom of post)

From the surrounding ranchos, hundreds of men and boys arrive on horseback carrying banners and flags, tipping and waving their cowboy hats. They are part of the procession which is held in honor of San Juan Bautista, the town's patron saint and are here to participate in a blessing and prayer for the ensuing battle.

The parishoners follow, clasping photos of the saint to their chests entering the battlefield which lies adjacent to the church, immersing themselves in the minefield of boys and young men who are dressed as devils, jesters, clowns, cowyboys, campesinos, soldiers, revolutionaries, cross dressers, gang members or sporting t-shirts with full body images of the Virgin of Guadalupe. They are taping explosive packets by the thousands to the ends of sledgehammers and detonating them on rocks and metal plates.

At noon, after prayers to San Juan, the crowd is pushed into a large circle. At each end a small canon is rolled into place. Men with toy guns, swords and plastic coke bottles for weapons, assemble to fight the battle and circle around, crouched low, raising up and down, awaiting the first canon blast. The canon goes off with a loud boom and swoosh. A big wad of rolled up burning paper lands in the middle of the circle next to a discarded plastic coke bottle and the fight begins. It's an enactment though, and as you watch, you see that these men, however menacing they may seem, are doing a dance.

[caption id="attachment_3380" align="alignleft" width="315" caption="Ron discussing the amount of power in one blow of a sledgehammer. CLICK ON THE PHOTO for a video of Ron's sledgehammer experience ----CLIQUE AQUI "][/caption]

Back on the sledgehammer field, a train passes slowly by, whistle blowing the entire time as packets of fireworks explode under it's wheels. We meet a group of young men who are dressed like gang members. They befriend us and ham it up for pictures.  As they load charges onto their sledgehammers, Ron asks them what the largest charge they use looks like. They pile the packets on in a big show of bravado, then hand him the sledgehammer and begin dressing him for battle - loaning him sunglasses, a hat and neck scarf for his face.  He refuses the extra packets of ammunition but says ok to the normal charge then grabs the sledgehammer and heads out to the field.  Click on the photo above to see the video of parts of the day and Ron's rite of passage and his thoughts afterward.

There is one more video in the works.  It will be done in a day or two, showing the battlefield, the re-enactment of the battle, the procession, the pueblo of San Juan de la Vega, and local stories told by women of the community about this historic celebration.

I guess I should mention that the celebration for us is our ninth wedding anniversary.  We really don't like those typical out to dinner for lack of anything better to do celebrations, so this was perfect for us and an anniversary we will always remember. We had to go on the internet to figure out which anniversary the ninth is.  It’s something like pottery or china.  Not liking formal table settings, we took the bull in the china shop approach. We changed it to FIREWORKS because that’s what works for us!

If you missed the photo and video links, here they are:

The Slideshow - fotos (which includes the first video - more videos to come)

The video:
[vimeo 18572576]

Carnaval San Miguel Style

[caption id="attachment_3361" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="CliCK ON THE PHOTO to view a slideshow"][/caption]

There's not much going on here for Carnaval, but in the Jardin, you can buy gorgeous hand made paper flowers, accordion legged 'payasitos' - little clowns - paper masks and confetti filled eggs - cascarones - which the children run around with - war style -  cracking them on each other's heads (and yours if you don't watch out!)

Candelaria

February 2 - the candlemas, groundhog day in the United States, a cross quarter celebration world-wide, is known here in Mexico as the candelaria, celebrated the 40th day after Christ's birth, the day Jesus was presented to the temple.  Never mind that the reason it took forty days to get him there was that women were considered 'unclean' for forty days after the birth of a child at that time.  Or perhaps women just gave themselves 40 days to recuperate, let's hope.  But the point is, for however many thousands of years, this celebration still exists, and like everything else wonderful here, it is celebrated with total belief and passion.

This photo was taken on Christmas day when the Santo Ninos are taken to the church to be blessed and kissed by the priest.  Every family has at least one, if not five or six of these Santo Dios' and there are hundreds of 'outfits' if I dare call them that, which you can buy at the Christmas markets for the current year's nacimiento.

This Christmas, we went to church with our neighbors because the mass was also in honor of Petra's daugher Maricela who died this year, and for her other daughter Elvia's husband Jesus who was killed this year. The church nacimiento ran the length of the altar and to the ceiling. Local musicians with guitars were singing the mass.  Toward the end, the baby Jesus, which was resting at the top level of the nacimiento, was brought down, carried by a monk to the front of the altar, where several hundred parishioners formed an orderly line to take turns kissing the baby.  As with most of the traditional celebrations here, the belief in something bigger than you is omnipresent and something I find a wonderful relief and counterpoint to the lack thereof in the western world.

Mexican Bakeries

In Mexico City there are bakeries that specialize in cakes.  Not just your normal birthday and wedding cakes, but cakes that tower a full story tall with multi layers, fountains, bridges, lights and a scene for every occasion from baptisms to lucha libre wrestling matches. A few years ago we took photos in a bakery which is near the zocolo.  The photos from that visit are on this link and worth having a look at.

In Coyoacan, there is a bakery that comes close to the style of the one in Mexico City, but much much smaller.  Nevertheless, it has an incredible selection of  breads, cookies, cakes, and an array of 'gelatinas' - in cups, with fruit, and as icing for cakes like the one in this photo. If you have ever been to your neighbor's Mexican family birthday party, you'll see that gelatina is almost always served with your piece of cake.

The pastries are works of art and in the case of the smaller pastries, it is mesmerizing to see hundreds of them lined up together, cut into perfect triangles squares or rounds, decorated with a dollop of cream or a piece of fruit on top.  Oh, if they only tasted as good as they look.

[caption id="attachment_3330" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="CLICK ON THE PHOTO to view a slideshow of the bakery in Coyoacan"][/caption]

As for me, I  just love these layered lighted cake towers. There was a time in my life that I would have loved to attempt making something like these cakes.  The scalloped edges and colors remind me of an old fashioned kitchen curtain. From afar, the scalloped edges could be crocheted, the roses made of plaster of paris with matching turquoise satin ribbons. Then there's the lighted bases.  Where do they come up with these ideas?  You can just imagine barbie dolls or action figures instead of roses - or better yet, coming out of the roses. In the bakery in Mexico city they were in to icicles hanging from the edges of most of the cake towers.  Every bakery must have a theme.  I guess I should be asking, can you eat these?  And where do you begin the cutting?

Here is the link to the slideshow of the bakery in Coyoacan

And the slideshow of the bakery in Mexico City

Water!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="The creek, almost to the level of the market stalls, up about 15 feet from it's normal height (of zero inches)."][/caption]

As of this morning we've had 5.99 inches of rain since Monday. That's 1/3 of the total rainfall for a normal year here.  Yesterday, the radio was announcing the evacuation of the lower areas in town as the waters rose in the 'stinky creek,' now a formidable raging river.  The market stalls on Avenida Guadalupe were being emptied, rows of taxis waiting to help.  Everyone was in a curious and quiet mood, seemingly with out much concern, but getting out nevertheless as they all remembered the flood of 1998, where without much warning the entire lower market was washed out.

[caption id="attachment_3314" align="alignleft" width="256" caption="Water at Plaza Parian, Avenida Guadalupe CLICK ON THE PHOTO to go to the album"][/caption]

Here's a few photos and a video - not great quality, but nevertheless a view of the creek, people moving their stores and standing around waiting to see what would happen.

The Little Tin Candle Boat

[caption id="attachment_3288" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Antique tin boat, powered by a candle. CLICK on the photo"][/caption]

I've recently begun work on a documentary of the tin artistans of Mexico.  Today, I interviewed one of the older families and they showed me this wonderful little tin boat which is powered by a candle.  It actually putt putts around and just makes you smile to watch it go.  Click on the photo below to watch the little video.  As I go along, I'll be posting short clips of the process of making tin pieces, but for now, here's a charming little toy boat.

Casa Azul, Frida's House

The Frida Kahlo Museum and the house that she grew up in, the house she was nursed back to health in after her tragic accident, the house she learned to paint in. This was her family home, which after one of her break ups with Diego Rivera, she moved back to. She painted it blue. She and Diego later brought the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife here to live. She spent her last days and died here. (slideshow at the bottom of this post)

[caption id="attachment_3215" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="The grounds outside the room where Frida's day bed was."][/caption]

I was truly stunned by the size of the grounds, as well as the design of the structures which skirted the outer perimeter near the street, different than I had imagined.  I was equally surprised at how many preconceived ideas about Frida Kahlo's life I had adopted which this visit  dispelled by just being in the presence of the real thing.  This always happens to me with art galleries anyway.  For example Goya's dark series, which are housed at the Prado in Madrid, you can't imagine what these paintings really are through photographs of them.  You think you can, but when you stand right in front of them, they convey emotion, compassion, anger and the power of their story and they become real.  You have to spend time with the emotion they create inside you afterwards.

Three Kings Day

[caption id="attachment_3254" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Along with the large city sponsored market, you'll see people selling toys outside their homes and markets -- scroll down for the slideshow"][/caption]

As a follow up to the Queretaro Nacimientos - the seven deadly sins post and their fabulous three kings display, here in San Miguel, the day before Three Kings Day, a market is set up along Calzada Guadalupe which runs about a half mile.  All the sellers in town have booths which are full of toys, clothing, shoes, tools, television character dolls, baskets of sweets and kitschy things for the children. All the street food vendors are here too. It is completely set up and taken down in less than 24 hours running from about 6 A.M. on the 5th of January until 3 A.M on the 6th, at which time it is completely dismantled.  It's as if it was never there in the first place.

Fireworks!

[caption id="attachment_3161" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Castillo fireworks in front of the church"][/caption]

It is not exaggerating one bit to say that there is a larger than life fascination with fireworks here in Mexico. At three A.M. on almost any day of the week, you are likely to be woken up with a loud kaboom! followed by about six more.  If it's close enough, it rattles the house. Often, you will never know what it's for but it certainly gets your attention.  For festival days (or weeks) you'll have rockets and church bells for an hour at about six in the morning, followed by rockets throughout the day. Sometimes it is from one church, other times they are scattered around town.

[caption id="attachment_3160" align="alignleft" width="235" caption="Senor de las Columnas"][/caption]

Two weeks before Easter
for the arrival of Senor de las Columnas, the rockets and churchbells begin at 3 A.M. from the top of Avenida Independencia.  They are waiting for the procession from Atotonilco, an all night pilgrimage carrying statues of saints that will be paraded around town each day leading up to and including good Friday. The street has been decorated for almost a mile to the church, people are already on the street.  There are non-stop rockets going off, waiting for the moment that the statues reach the top of the street where their silk and ribbon coverings are unwound. It is so loud and so long that you have to give up trying to sleep and go outside to watch. Everything is preceded and ended with fireworks.  It is usually about 4 A.M that I give up trying to sleep and go outside.