“Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion.” Red Haircrow

Who knew that I was becoming a New Yorker in Mexico. Not having a car brings a mixed feeling of liberation and inconvenience. We’re schlepping bagfuls home every time we go out – it feels like we’ve become beasts of burden. But we’re averaging over 6,000 steps daily!

This week I fell head over heels in LOVE with a stunning redhead, a beautiful 6 months old Rhodesian Razorback named “Nandi” (Joy in Sanskrit). I’m currently negotiating playtime and arranging babysitting services.

At the Tianguis on Wednesday discovered a new flower seller and it was hard to contain myself. It was a good thing last Sunday I found a beautiful vase at a garage sale; otherwise, it was coming down to using water glasses to display all my fresh flowers. We purchased avocados with the most velvety rich texture which I served on toast with just a dash of salt, pepper and squeeze of lime – the bread came from the Scandinavian bakery. David’s find was the sourdough donut seller. Next time we get separated at the market I’ll know exactly where to find him.

We continue discovering new restaurants. Last Saturday night we went out for sushi – turns out to be our most expensive meal yet at about $65, but that included 4 Asahi beers. It was an enjoyable meal. David posted his first review on the Chapala Foodies Facebook page. Everywhere you dine inevitably you chat with nearby tables and share dining tidbits. This time we got the tip about where the best tacos in town are.

On Friday we met new friends for lunch at a lovely spot across from the plaza in San Antonio – another small town between Ajijic and Chapala. Seated under the canopy of an immense Bougainvillea tree, I had one of the best Chile Rellenos ever – no egg batter, oozing with cheese floating in a mushroom sauce sprinkle with almonds………almost nirvana.

The highlight of our week was Saturday night packed with cultural events: First, the opening of an art exhibit at the gallery space called Almagrande, featuring the artist Mario Pérez. The exhibit is called “Holismo,” a collection of sculptures displaying the human form in a variety of movements showing the ability to adapt, move, integrate. David and I both gravitated to a piece called “Salto al Vacio” or roughly translated to Leap of Faith, which it’s exactly what we are doing in our plans to relocate to Mexico. Needless to say, we are now proud owners of a very personal piece of art.

Next up – a music recital at the old Chapala train station – a beautiful, neoclassical building built in 1920 and now converted to a cultural center Tonight’s performer was a very promising young pianist-composer, Mauricio Allera, accompanied by a chamber orchestra and a soprano. The program was a mixture of his own compositions, Chopin, Mozart, Mexican composers, and Andrew Loyd Weber’s “Think of Me,” from “Phantom of the Opera.” This was performed by the soprano to culminate a wonderful evening of beautiful music in a historic venue.
David purchased the CD and had it signed by the artist. I engaged him in conversation about his creative process. He went on to explain a piece he performed tonight, “Unidos con el atardecer,” … translation is together at sunset. He created it for his French fiancé upon returning home after his studies abroad.

There was a small reception following the performance. We were commenting on the wonderful cheese being served. It turns out the cheesemaker is the pianist’s brother and husband to the soprano. They run an artisanal goat cheese farm outside the city. We were given his card and invited to a day tour of the farm and production of goat cheese. They recently had 10 “kids.”

We are truly enjoying our new experiences.