Carnicería La Norteña

If you are looking for meat, try Carnicería La Norteña on the north wall of the main market building. They have a variety of fresh meats and are eager to help.

 

Fashion

On my way to the market building I cut through all the roofed wooden stalls on the west side of Plaza Chica. I could see from this mannequin that I am just not in vogue. Maybe I need a new look.

Mmm…maybe not.

Semana Santa

Easter, Holy Week, in Pátzcuaro is the time of greatest religious significance in the pueblo, with days of great solemnity followed by joy and jubilance and the burning of Judas.

Semana Santa also brings one of the two big craft fairs of the year (the other is for Noche de Muertos/NIght of the Dead) to Plaza Grande. Visitors come from all over Mexico as well as from countries around the world to see the renowned folk art from the pueblos of Michoacán. A few artisans also come from other regions.

See more about Semana Santa.

March in Pátzcuaro

Spring in Pátzcuaro is not to be missed. The children’s parade every year is a delight and will be coming soon.

Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyzeye/sets/72157615206385999/show/

Empanadas

I adore “salty” empanadas as an appetizer or as a meal with a salad. A family business has been selling empanadas for over 50 years in Pátzcuaro and they are available on Plaza Chica. An hermano or hermana takes his/her turn staffing the stall under the portal at the Southwest corner of Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra. You can best find someone there after 5:00 PM, as well as what seems random other times. Usually only sweet empanadas are available in the display case for walk-up customers. However, with a minimum of two days notice, I order from Carlos Melgoza Nieto for pick-up some empanadas made with meat and some with rajas  of chile poblano. Once I ordered 120 — not all for me you will be happy to know; we had guests.

Restaurante Cenaduría Lupita II, Morelia

We had not visited this buffet of regional foods in quite a while. From the choice of aguas that came with the meal, we ordered a pitcher of guava-ade. It was delicious. I enjoyed picking and choosing from a variety of dishes. At Pesos $130 per person, it seems a little pricey (I must be spoiled) unless one can eat a lot. The restaurant is located on Camelinas.

Cenaduria Lupita II‎
Periférico Nueva España
Av. Camelinas 3100
58270 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
01 443 314 2848

Patzcuaro’s Muffin Lady

More about food. Yes, we like to eat. For years we have enjoyed smiling Maria Elena’s home-baked muffins, quick-breads, cookies and little payes de queso. Most of what she offers is made with whole wheat and very little sugar. The muffins with hot coffee make a delicious breakfast variation; a pay de queso is an indulgent taste treat.

You can usually find her from about 5:30 or 6:00 pm until about 9:00 pm from Sunday through Friday. Go to the Northwest corner of Iturbe where it T’s at Plaza Vasco de Quiroga (Plaza Grande), right across the street from Mansión Iturbe.

Buén provecho.

Happy 2012

A new year of good things.
Adelante.

My Lush Floripondio

 The Floripondio/Datura in the garden flourish. The sap is said to contain scopolamine. I content myself with inhaling the scent of the blossoms that trails heavily through the night air. I love my garden.

 My Noche Buena/Poinsettia for Christmas.

A Living Catrina?

There is always a surprise on Pátzcuaro’s Plaza Grande.

Night of the Dead

In the Lake Pátzcuaro region, Noche de Muertos / Night of the Dead is observed on the night from November 1 to 2.  The ritual is steeped in the beliefs and traditions of the indigenous Purhépecha. Most of Mexico observes Day of the Dead. A visit at night to the cemeteries of the pueblos around the lake is a poignant experience of sight, sound and scent.

Night of the Dead slideshow on Flickr.
About Night of the Dead.

A quiet villa in Pátzcuaro.

Around the Plazas

“Trick or Treat” from El Norte has trickled south to Pátzcuaro. Only in the last couple of years did one see children around the plazas asking for moneditas (small coins) for their calabacitas (little pumpkins, plastic or real). The adopted custom has morphed into something more local. There is no trick, just treat. And the children get far more mileage from the activity than in El Norte. They run around the plazas with their calabacitas for days—and nights—on end.

Someone whom many of you know, so I will not give a name, has a quirky sense of humor. I saw three children come up to him. He smiled broadly, dipped his hand in a calabacita and fished out a few coins. “Gracias,” he said, pocketing the coins, to the children’s speechless shock. When they found their tongues, they finally chorused “No, no….”. He laughed and returned the moneditas.

Another favorite activity of ours is eating. Today we breakfasted at Café Gourmet San Diego on Calle Ramos, between Plaza Chica and Farmacia Guadalajara. They serve as early as 8:30 AM and I have yet to see a foreigner present.

They have several fixed menus, starting at Pesos $35. My breakfast was fresh-squeezed orange juice, huevos a la mexicana, refried beans, and a basket of bread including rolls with whole wheat that were, I am sure, from Rivepan. The café is Nescafé. We modified our order and I asked for hot milk with my coffee. To my pleasure, I received a cup with frothy steamed milk to which I added Nescafé. When we left Pesos $10 was added for each of us for our special coffee order, which was fine (in my experience, a charge is added for any modification to the fixed menu). I am an aficionada of good, dark roast coffee, which I make with an espresso machine but I go to Café San Diego for the breakfast, having already had my first cup of coffee at home. A good almuerzo for a total of Pesos $45 per person.

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