Morelia is the capital of Michoacán and it was the first city that the conquistadores had built after they conquered Nueva España. It is a very well preserved small colonial town of about 110 Thousand inhabitants and it is dominated by a marvelous twin-towered cathedral of a very pleasant light antique pink colour. Next to it, it is placed a spacious plaza filled with big tall trees which offer shadow to the numerous long stone benches where loud Mexican families and kissing couples like to chill out during their free time. I was amazed about these wide plazas which are present in every colonial city and represent the heart of the city as well as a meeting point for the locals.
 |
| Catedral de Morelía |
ToDo&Visit:
El mercado de dulce (market of any kind of sweets) as well as casa and museo of José Morelos (from which the town was named). Morelos was a prest who strongly supported and helped the revolutionaries for the independence of Mexico. If you feel having a drink go to the bikini bar and try a michelada (tipical Mexican drink: beer, tomato juice, Maggie sauce, salt and chily... quite particular!), but if you prefer something sweeter get a tasty Orgasmo cocktail (Kalhua, Baileys, white cocoa powder, milk and brandy).
 |
| Colonial Houses |
The second colonial town which I completely fall in love with was the fascinating town of Patzquaro (about 30 mins by car from Morelia). It is very well preserved as well but in
comparison to Morelia, its dusty streets emphasize even more its characteristic Latin flair. If I will ever get married, Patzquaro have to be the place where I will spend my honey moon :o) !
The centre of the town is again a spacious squared plaza with trees and benches surrounded by charming arched edifices. The rest of the town is formed by cute tight streets and very low buildings of the same antique look with old wooden doors, small balconies and courtyards.
A few kilometers from the centre of Patzquaro there is a brown-colour lake (not very attractive) where I caught a boat to reach the cute, tiny island of Janitzio. On the top of the hill stands the tall monument of Morelos with one of his feast in the air (it looks a bit like the Statue of Liberty in NY but the Mexican version :o). It can be climbed from inside and from the top you can have a wonderful view of the lake and the mountains. It is a lovely trip that takes you out of the town to see the surrounding green landscape.
 |
| Isla de Janitzio |
About Food
The best torta (basically a Mexican sandwich) that I have ever tasted so far in Mexico is in the famous bistro "Torta Patzquaro" located on the side of the road before entering into the town of Patzquaro. The torta I had was a tasty crunchy loaf of bread with bean paste, adobera cheese, tomatoes and big chunks of avocado... a real delicacy!
No comments:
Post a Comment