At the beginning of last month I was once again cat-sitting in my favourite pueblo, Patzcuaro. It was a short visit this time but definitely a fun-filled one, with two events in particular making it really special. Well, three actually.
The first was the discovery of pizza at Posada Mandala. Who knew? I must have walked by this lovely little hotel a thousand times over the years, all the while lamenting over the lack of good eateries in Patzcuaro, and never even realized that they had a restaurant, let alone really fantastic pizza.
My good friend Lyn, who has been spending a lot of time in Canada lately, was in town at the same time I was and introduced me to this charming little venue. We spent a wonderful afternoon with a couple of other friends drinking micheladas and eating really great pizza at a really great price. The picture below is the lobby of Posada Mandala. I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures and had to borrow one from Trip Advisor.
The next surprise was my introduction to Alas (wings) Gallery. Located at #12 Dr. Coss, right across the street from Casa Encantada, it is the creation of 12 talented women from the Patzcuaro area. The Co-Op is a multicultural and bilingual operation designed to enrich the quality of life for women and girls in the Patzcuaro region.
Bright and beautiful, the gallery is a Cultural Center showcasing the work of, and creating new opportunities for, many talented local artists as well as offering courses, workshops and cultural programs. The gallery opening was a huge success, and a truly inspirational idea that shows us what can be accomplished by strong women of different cultures working together to improve their community.
The third surprise of the visit was my extraordinary good luck in arriving in Patzcuaro the day before Lila Downs was to perform in Plaza Grande…….FOR FREE! The day before the concert I attended “lunch with the ladies” at Lupita’s Restaurant and met some folks living in Corazon de Durazno, where I was cat-sitting. Marta kindly offered to take me along with them the following day to the concert.
Marta and I are both physically challenged by the need of a walker (actually that day Marta was in a wheel chair) and so we arrived about three hours early to make sure we got a seat. A line was forming in front of the taped off area where the seating was arranged in front of the stage so I parked myself in line and prepared for a very long wait.
Much to my surprise they started seating almost immediately so I hollered for Marta to join me and the security gentlemen helped seat us. Being an invalid can occasionally be a great advantage. They actually picked up Marta’s chair to get her past the trees and curbs……and then seated us in the front row! The row was mostly reserved and I was later to discover that the reservation was for the entourage of the mayor.
Lila Downs is a truly dynamic performer and I was front and center for one of the best concerts that I have ever seen. I was also seated right beside the mayor. A peasant among the elite, LOL.
What a whirlwind trip my few days in Patzcuaro turned out to be. I’m really looking forward to more cat-sitting!
The following link is from youtube and the beginning shows my great seat in front of the stage.
Thanks for sharing a taste (pun intended) of our beautiful Michoacan.
ReplyDeleteGracias por compartir algo positivo de nuestro bello Michoacan.
My pleasure Terry. You know how I love Patzcuaro and I was so impressed with the Alas Gallery!
ReplyDeleteHa sido un placer Terrie. Ya sabes cómo me encanta Pátzcuaro y yo estaba tan impresionado con la Galería Alas!