“Home is where you feel at home and are treated well”. Dalai Lama

Have you ever experienced walking into a new place and think to yourself, “This feels like home!” Well, that’s how I felt from the moment Lupe opened the front door of ​Casona Rosa B&B​ in Morelia to welcome us. She beamed her famous, big smile and thus began a glorious three nights stay.

Lupe led us through the beautifully decorated and landscaped courtyard and into the main reception room where we met Rose, the proprietor. She immediately took us under her wing in her kind and inviting manner. It’s as if we’d been friends forever and reuniting once again.

Turns out Rose is a wealth of information about everything and anything Morelia and she’s so eager and enthusiastic sharing it. The B&B is conveniently located within easy walking distance to 90% of everything you want to see in the historic center of the colonial city.

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Casona Rosa is a feast for the eyes with its charm and design esthetics. It starts in the aforementioned courtyard. The lush, green space provides a perfect retreat with charming nooks to relax, sit and read and enjoy a glass of wine. We sneaked a peak into unoccupied rooms … all decorated in Rose’s distinctive manner reflecting her eclectic design sense. Michoacán’s rich heritage in creative arts is on full display throughout the premises.

My favorite space at the B&B was the sitting room at the landing at the top of the stairs. It contained an array of handmade wooden trucks and toys. I was wonderstruck with the delightful collection; wanting to get down on the floor and play with them! Best in show was the helados pushcart.

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The dining room area contains a rich collection of paintings, art books and Mexican folk art. Each morning the dining table was beautifully set with colorful linens and dishes. A delicious breakfast spread included: yogurt, granola, fresh-squeezed juices and fruit platter beautifully cut and arranged by Lupe. Our first morning she made us crispy, hot potato pancakes (onions, tomatoes and jalapeños); the next two days included a tasty Sopa de Huevos (poached eggs in a lightly spiced tomato sauce). It’s a sure bet I’ll be making this at home since I pried the recipe out of her; it’s a hearty, savory and hunger-satisfying soup.

We stayed in the lavish ​Frida Suite​, two spacious rooms full of everything Frida Kahlo; colorfully decorated with prints and pictures of the painter. My best friend, Jim, and cousin Sharri, would find themselves in paradise, being devout Frida devotees. David, too having been twice to one of his all-time favorite museums, Frida’s Casa Azul in Mexico City, and always ready and eager to return

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Sadly, the time came to say goodbye to Rose and Lupe. In the three days they’d become dear friends. As I said previously, it was like meeting up with old acquaintances. We shall meet again!

Christmastime all year long … our butterfly and Morelia adventure was not over just yet. It was Day Six with one more stop requiring a two hour detour to ​Tlalpujahua​, (pop. 3,700). It’s another beautiful and charming Pueblo Mágico, and former mining town (1959 saw its demise). It had been the leading producer of gold in the early 20th century. It’s “magic” designation came about in 2005 with its winding, narrow cobblestone streets, adobe stone houses with red tile roofs and stately church attracting tourists to this remote mountain village (elevation of nearly 8,500’.)

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In the 1960s, a local, Joaquín Muñoz Orta, started creating Christmas tree ornaments here. This eventually grew to become one of the five largest producers of holiday ornaments in the world. There are about 150 small workshops dedicated to producing the fine blown glass spheres or ​esferas​. Yearly, the town produces about 38 million spheres, 26 million of which are exported. All in all, 70% of the economy is devoted to Christmas. An amazing feat considering the size and location of Tlalpujahua.

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We began our pilgrimage at the Santa Claus Village and his Taller (workshop). The selection was overwhelming even to this die hard aficionado. I’d walk through the many thematic rooms and just shake my head in total confusion (think of a dog spinning in circles and you get the point).

There were way too many colors, shapes and sizes to consider. The ornaments were simple glass spheres, but there were over a thousand different models available in many design choices: matte, shiny, sparkling … your eyes exploding with visual overload. After what seemed forever, we got down to work, focused on a specific color scheme and voilà! The most exquisite hand made ‘ornaments cost no more than $2.50!

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A few more shops added to our collection of holiday treasures … spreading the wealth around. Tlalpujahua is mostly built all uphill, so we huffed ‘n puffed our way, laden with purchases (thankfully light in weight). Today was the weekly Sunday market with stands selling everything imaginable in the plaza and surrounding streets.

We passed a woman selling her fragrant Pan de Naranja. We smelled it. We tasted it. We bought it. Her orange bread was light and flavorful, deliciously moist and aromatic. Passing by a second time we noticed her table was almost emptied. Regrettably, we should have bought a few more loaves to bring home and freeze, devouring ours within a short time walking around. It was simply divine.

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Driving back home we encountered a freak winter’s storm (it’s the dry season) with heavy thunder and lightning. A lighting rod suddenly cracked and hit an empty field way too close to us, with its bright flash and gigantic boom. David turned to me asking if we’re going to die. My response, straight out of “Game of Thrones,” was … “And there is only one thing we say to Death: ‘not today’.”

As mentioned in prior writings, México’s toll road system is fast and efficient, but costly. Consequently, you’ll find few takers. You do have to beware of speed since there are radar cops out and about. Alternatively, the minute you get on the local roads, you encounter traffic and a much slower pace to get between cities.

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Back safely at home after six fun, fulfilling and fantastic days exploring new territory. And back to daily life at Lakeside. Unfortunately, David developed tooth pain while away; turns out he needed an immediate root canal. I picked up a nasty head cold along the way that has sidelined me this week, but only so far …

Teocintle Maiz was celebrating their third anniversary with a special prix fixe dinner: ​Sopa de Lima​ (Lime Soup, a Yucatán specialty), Red Snapper Bisque, a fresh spring salad with goat cheese (Galo Goat Farm!) and jamaica vinaigrette, Veal Ossobuco in an ​amaranth mole​, the same sauce was used on the Mahi-Mahi filet wrapped in ​hoja santa –​ an aromatic herb with a heart-shaped, velvety leaf, whose name means “sacred leaf.”

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​On the Menu​ … a quick highway stop in the sudden downpour at good ole Subway for dependable sandwiches (same taste SOB); Scallops, Mashed Potatoes, and creamed spinach; Salmon and homemade potato pancakes: leftover mashed potatoes, filled with tomatoes, onion, jalapenos.

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