Michoacán

This past week we were invited to share a trip to Michoacán with our friend and landlady, Maria Luisa, and her daughter, Monika, and grandson, Gonzalo.  What a fun adventure.  It was so much exploring a new part of Mexico while getting to know them better.

Morelia is the capital of the State of Michoacán.  It is a lovely colonial city, once known as Valladolid, it was renamed in honor of the Mexican Independence leader, Jose Morelos. The city is centered around the magnificent baroque cathedral and adjacent park. A treasure for residents and visitors alike. In the spring time, the old Jacaranda trees add vibrant color as well as shade. Ice cream vendors and bucksters mingle with the crowds.

Another of the city's treasures is the Museum of Michoacán History, where we spent a delightful couple of hours learning about Michoacán and its people, not always a happy story.

On another day we visited the small city of Uruapan, famous for its National Park and the Artesanal Fair that takes place during Semana Santa.

The national park in Uruapan features a lot of water features, making for a tranquil atmosphere and a pleasant visit.

A great way to see Morelia is on the Turi-bus; on our tour, there were not many more than 10 of us--and we were the only ones from the US.  In fact, we saw very few other gringos in Michoacán.

This photo was taken from our terrace on the Friday night before Easter--a full moon and a cloudy sky.

These two photos show some scenes from one of the processions during Semana Santa, Holy Week.