“I’d love to be charming and softly spoken, but that’s never going to happen.” Louise Wilson, British professor of fashion design
Charming is such an overrated word “… it’s so charming, blah blah blah…” but discovered its merit this week with a road trip to pick up David’s handmade huaraches. You may recall me staying home the day he went with friends to place the order. He returned with glowing stories of his day on the other side of the lake.
So when the call came that his huaraches were ready, it was time for my own day’s discovery. The destination’s about two hours away on the southside of Lake Chapala to the Sierra del Tigre, 1 3/4 miles above sea level, along the Ruta Turística.
Our first stop would be the small, charming town of La Manzanilla de La Paz, population 2,550. As we crossed under its imposing entrance arches, you were welcomed by life-sized metal sculptures of mariachis all lined up along the median. Some of the town residents had mischievously added empty bottles of tequila to the statues, giving them a rather comical look and a festive introduction.
It was the 12th of December, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the town was alive and jumping … families were out and about … every little eatery was packed.
Catholic accounts claim that the Virgin Mary appeared four times before Juan Diego, a Mexican peasant; the first apparition occurring the morning of December 9, 1531. It’s said that Juan Diego experienced a vision of a young woman at a place called the Hill of Tepeyac. The virgin’s venerated image is now enshrined within the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It’s the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world and the world’s third most visited sacred site.
Our friend, Leslie, approached a fruit vendor stand set up in the plaza for a snack. I observed the seller grab a mixture of precut fruits, arrange them in a plastic bag with her bare hands, sprinkled the fruit with some Tajin and doused it all with limón. When it was time to collect the money she put gloves on! I dunno … shouldn’t it been done in reverse?!
We walked La Manzanilla’s charming streets admiring its colonial architecture. David wanted to show me this small vaquero shop with the most exquisite saddle all trimmed in shimmering silver ~ definitely my 1st purchase upon winning the lottery. A school children’s procession suddenly happened from up the street; listened to them in a nearby church singing hymns to La Virgen. We snuck a peek into the lobby of a beautiful and rustic old hotel on the plaza, La Vieja de Casona, with its extensive woodwork and large airy courtyard … totally charming.
A short drive brought us to the picturesque Concepcion de Buenos Aires, and here again the word applies, an extremely charming provincial small town; marveling at its cobblestone streets, stately colonial houses with stunning wooden carved doors, the grand portales (arcaded buildings) surrounding a well-manicured plaza.
At the time of our arrival, the main church was holding mass and rather than seeing cars parked outside, you saw horses scattered about, tied to posts waiting for their owners to finish service. Here life almost came to a standstill; it felt like we were worlds away from lakeside. The town had such a magical feeling and I was blending easily into its fabric living a charmed life indeed.
Lunch was on the plaza at El Tío Lucas, a cantina whose stucco walls were lined with photos and memorabilia of local life. It featured typical Mexican dishes: enchiladas Suizas, puntos de carne al albañil, breaded fish fillets and for starters, a complimentary small tostada generously topped with diced cucumbers and corn kennels in a tangy citrus dressing, light and refreshing ~ and can I get an extra order, por favor?! This is definitely worth duplicating at home.
A short walk around the corner brought us to the postage-size workshop of the three generations running the Huaracheria Cisneros. The family is the last custom huarache maker left in town. Situated in an old barbershop, a barber’s chair still takes center stage. The minute you walk through its door you get hit by an intoxicating smell of leather piled high in the back of the shop; shelves are filled with custom made, leather-woven huaraches awaiting their new owners. Sadly, David’s needed to be redone – the fitting was wrong, but while they were dealing with and adjusting the fit, I was looking at samples to order a snazzy pair for myself.
Lakeside restaurants open and close faster “than a snowball’s chance in hell.” Fresh with fond memories of Spanish food, we decided to try Rincón Español, a new restaurant claiming “Alta Cocina Española,” (Spanish high cuisine). Well, how many times can you spell mucho disappointment and add to that prices comparable to US restaurants. My prediction is this one will be closing soon unless it has “funny money” behind it.
Christmas season is here, so to quote David from our first Christmas together “… it looks like Macy’s exploded in here!” Over the years he’s gotten into the spirit of decorating trees with the ornaments we‘ve collected on our travels. The Hanukkah version has grown from a tabletop tree to a full floor model. My favorite decoration is a small pin cushion inscribed OY VEY!
As much as I dislike the overuse of the word, these magical towns provided a truly charming and memorable experience. Our huaraches will be ready next month demanding a repeat performance.
On the Menu … Pati Jinich’s fabulous Veggie-Loaded Mexican Lasagna recipe (spinach, leeks, mushroom, zucchini, onions, roasted poblanos chiles and corn); it’s the second time making this recipe and it’s an out-of-the-park hit, incorporating quite a few steps, but oh so worth it.
Also, small red baby potatoes along with zucchini, tomato, jalapeño and green onions as a hash served with breaded snapper filet and a garnish of epazote leaf cheese quesadilla; the epazote gives it a subtle herb undertone.
Wow! Great leather making, shoes and saddles! As usual, the food makes me drool! Thanks for that!