Our Hidden Door

At one time, the houses in Progreso were made of wood. Over the years, this style of construction has transcended into concrete houses. Wooden houses still exist, but are now the minority rather than the majority. Our home is no exception. Where we may differ from other houses, is that our wooden house was never destroyed or removed from the property. You may ask, how do we know this? The previous owner is an architect, in selling the house, he shared some of the house history with us. He told us that he converted the house from a wooden structure to concrete by reinforcing the walls with cemented boulders and then applying a smooth concrete finish over the new stone walls. You can huff and you can puff, but you cannot blow our house down!

One Of The Few Remaining Wooden Houses Left In Progreso

Our House

The house history has proven itself true! We recently updated our matching guest bathrooms with new tile. Prior to the work commencing, before pictures were taken. As you can see, everything appears normal.

First, the old tiles were removed, followed by the cement adhesive and then the walls were chipped (roughed up) for the installation of the new tiles. With the walls stripped down, this was our opportunity to to have a shampoo niche placed in each shower. Once placement was decided, so began the chipping/carving of the niches. I like to refer to the sound of chipping concrete as the music of Mexico. It is a sound that you hear around town everyday. So, when the music is out of key, you know there is a problem, and our music was out of key! "Senora, we have a problem"! The wall that would house the shampoo niche for one of the bathrooms is an interior wall. In the conversion of the house from wood to concrete, because this was an interior wall, it was not reinforced, it was only covered with concrete. The depth of the niche was more than the depth of the concrete cover. Hiding behind the concrete cover was a wooden door. A completely intact solid wooden door!

Our Hidden Door

In the end, the shampoo niche locations were changed, the wooden door was once again covered in concrete and we have a job well done.

To The Right Of This Shampoo Niche Is Our Hidden Door

In Mexico, you never want to pass judgement on a house by it's outward appearance. You never know what you will find behind a door or concrete wall. I love the symbolism of our house discovery, the entryway of our journey to living abroad........

La Senora

Dreaming In Techno Color

Monumental Alebrije Art Parade Exhibit, Mexico City

Alebrijes are brightly colored sculptures of fantasy creatures. This bizarre and exciting art form is the result of an illness. Artist Pedro Linares began his career in Mexico City, making pinatas and carnival masks. At the age of 30, he fell ill with a very high fever that caused him to hallucinate. In this feverish state of mind, he would dream of wild and unnaturally colored creatures and would hear the voices of people yelling "alebrije" (a nonsense word of no meaning). After Pedro recovered, he began to create his dreams using paper mache, cardboard and brightly colored paints. His work was discovered by a gallery owner in Cuernavaca, Mexico which led to commissioned work by the famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In 1975, a documentary made on the man and his art brought Pedro Linares worldwide exposure. But, it was not until 1990, at the age of 84, and two years before Pedro Linares' death, that he would achieve international success when he received Mexico's National Arts and Science Award in Popular Arts and Traditions.

Monumental Alebrije Art Parade Exhibit, Mexico City

Monumental Alebrije Art Parade Exhibit, Mexico City

Monumental Alebrije Art Parade Exhibit, Mexico City

Today, Pedro Linares' descendants as well as other artists carry on the tradition of Alebrije Art. For mainstream appeal and purchase, the art form has also been adapted onto wood carvings of various sizes. The more "monster" looking pieces are said to scare away bad spirits and protect the home...........

La Senora

My Morning Star

By nature, I am a creature of habit and my morning ritual is the same day after day. I am an early riser. I love the peace of the morning. I take comfort in a sleeping house, knowing that everyone is safe and sound. My early morning hours are usually spent alone. This is my time, for reading, writing, watching the sun rise and appreciating my garden view from the kitchen door. But this morning, something was different in the garden. There appeared to be some color on one of the cactus plants. Thinking it was just a plastic bag that blew into the yard, I decided to deal with it later. Well, the surprise was on me. Waiting in all it's glory was a beautiful star shaped flower. A first bloom, after four years of nurturing!

My Morning Star

Anything is possible in life,  if you are steadfast and have patience.........

La Senora

The Golden Jewel

The Fifth House of Mail, Postal Palace, Mexico City 

The "Golden Jewel" of Mexico City is also known as The Old Post Office, The Postal Palace, and my favorite, The Fifth House of Mail, since it was the fifth building to house a  post office in the city! The Old Post Office has been in service since 1907. The building is an eclectic mix of several different architectural styles, designed by Italian Architect, Adamo Boari. On May 4, 1987, it was declared an Artist Monument. On November 4, 2012, La Senora declared it an Architectural Masterpiece!

Double Staircase

Below, Postal Service Windows

Side View of Staircase

Atrium Ceiling

Elevator

Today our lives revolve around technology and we are spoiled by the speed in which we receive information. Why use "snail mail" when you can email? As post offices struggle to maintain their position in mail delivery, a walk through this post office is a tribute to the "handwritten word" and it's place in history. I still find it fascinating that you can drop a letter into a mail box in one state or country and have it hand delivered in another. When is the last time you received a handwritten note or letter in your mailbox? Do you know the name of your postal carrier? No, "Internet Explorer" does not count! Sooner, rather than later, we will be saying, "remember when" and a younger generation will be asking, "what is a post office"...........

La Senora

Man vs. Nature

Cosmovitral Botanical Garden

A visit to the Cosmovitral Botanical Garden of Toluca, Mexico is truly a man vs. nature experience. A botanical garden housed within the beauty of a building wrapped in a mural of stained glass windows called "Cosmovitral". The running theme of the mural is about man and his relationship to the universe. Cosmovitral, is the coming together of two words, cosmo for the universe and vitral which is Spanish for glass. The building that now houses the Botanical Garden was originally constructed in 1910 as the 16th of September Market, in honor of Mexico's Day of Independence. In 1975 the market closed it's doors and the building sat vacant until 1978, when Leopoldo Flores convinced city government to convert the building into a space for art. It was Flores, who envisioned the stained glass additions and use of the floor space as a botanical garden. In 1980, with the mural of stained glass windows completed, "Cosmovitral" opened to the public. As quickly as the doors opened, they closed due to a change in government. Ten years later, the stained glass ceiling was constructed and the doors were re-opened. The bright colors of the stained glass, mixed with the cooling colors of the plants, is a visual sensation! Your eyes don't know where to look first and it is impossible to take it all in at once.

Hombre Sol (Sun Man)

As in so much of Mexico's architecture, historical and cultural significance is structurally incorporated into a building. Cosmovitral is no exception. Each year, on the day of the Spring Equinox, nature's sun aligns with "Hombre Sol". When the rays of the late afternoon sun pass through the stained glass work, the image of the sun appears as if it is on fire! Until his death, in 2004, Leopoldo Flores, hosted this annual event with a musical concert timed to the passing of the sun..............

La Senora

The Magic Of Patzcuaro (Part Two)

Patzcuaro is a beautiful and magical town, noted for it's traditional adobe and wood architecture, red tiled rooftops and cobblestone streets. It is also home and host to a vibrant artist community, where folk art is still made by hand, using techniques that date back to Pre-Hispanic times. Patzcuaro's "stand out" art form and labor of love is Engraved Lacquer Painting. Lacquer painting is a detailed and brightly colored art form . While visiting an artist workshop, we learned about the process and techniques used to create such art. They start with a hand carved wooden object. The chosen object first receives a 2 part black lacquer application. Once dried, the artist carefully etches a design into the black lacquer, using a thorn from a local tree, that is inserted into the end of a feather for better mobility. This feather tool also serves as a duster for the debris of loosened lacquer. Once the design is completed, a variety of naturally made colored pastes are applied into the etched crevices, finger rubbed into place, dried and repeated over and over until completed. Some pieces are enhanced with a gold leafing to give a dimensional result. Depending on the size and detail, a single piece can take several months to complete. Each piece is unique, for no two pieces are ever alike.

Engraved Lacquer Painted Wood Plate

El Senor (Left!) Takes A Break With A Local Vendor

Life Art Among Textiles For Sale

During our stay in Patzcuaro, we took a day trip to Santa Clara Del Cobre also known as The Copper City. Santa Clara is a "must see" city, that will have you saying, "I must return with a trailer"! The coppersmiths are artistic metalworkers with creations that raise the bar far above the commonly known copper pots and pans. The designs, colors and hammered textures left me in awe. If you can imagine it, they can make it. Some of my favorite pieces were kitchen and bathroom sinks, dinning tables and chairs, kitchen cabinet doors, sideboards, entertainment units, and wall tiles. Unfortunately I am unable to share photos of these pieces, no photography is allowed in the retail stores.

Coppersmith Workshop

(Left, Jewelry Display Board)

Just between us, La Senora may need more than a trailer on a return trip..........

La Senora

The Magic Of Patzcuaro (Part One)

A favorite Mexican tradition of mine is the celebration of "Dia de Muertos" (Day of the Dead or All Saints Day), also referred to as "Noche de Muertos" (Night of the Dead). It is a respectful and beautiful celebration of a loved one's life, not death. The town of Patzcuaro is popularly known throughout Mexico for how it embraces this celebration. Families come together and assemble fresh flower alters at cemetery grave sites and /or within their homes. A favorite meal of the passed loved one is prepared and incorporated into the alter, as well as photos and  prized possessions. Candles light the way for the arrival of the deceased spirit as families prepare to spend the night at their respected alters, sharing food, drink, stories and memories from one generation to the next.

Out of curiosity, we asked a family what happens to the food that is placed on the alter and whether or not it is eaten? They said that they do eat the food the next day, but it has no flavor, because the spirit has taken the flavor with them!

Flowers Arrive By The Truck Load

Setting Up The Flower Stalls

Off To Make An Alter

Tzintzuntzan Cemetery Entrance Covered In Marigolds

Generations Of Helping Hands

Finishing Touches 

Cemetery Alter

Patzcuaro not only lights the way for Day of the Dead, but is also part of an Artisan community shared with neighboring towns. I look forward to sharing that story (Part Two) with you in my next blog.

La Senora

A Birthday And A New Year

 As we bid farewell to 2012, we also celebrated  El Senor's 65th Birthday! My oh my, where have the years gone........

El Senor & La Senora

We hope you all enjoyed the holiday season surrounded by the pillars of life......Family and Friends.
Welcome 2013!

La Senora