Travel With Betsy

……Or in this case, 14 days……

I have been fighting a great battle here in Aix….with the flu/cold/allergy/sinus infection…or maybe something else.   All of these options were presented to me in the last 2 weeks by the french physicians here in Aix.  And, I have been medicated for most of them (not all….even I have a limit).  After 2 visits to the doctor and some internet research, my conclusion is that I started out with the “strain of the year” cold germ and progressed to a sinus infection.  Since I haven’t been successful in getting any of the french doctors to agree with me….or with each other for that matter….. I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I had some antibiotics left over from my trip to Mexico earlier in the year, and when I was packing up to come to France, I pulled them out and tucked them into my suitcase.  You never know.  So, yesterday…on day 14 (about) of suffering, the second onset  of a nasty sore throat, and a few days of some pretty colorful snot, I started to take the antibiotic.  What do I have to lose?  Guess what, I’m starting to feel better.  Don’t get me wrong, I am still congested, coughing and loopy, but I was actually able to get through the day today with only 1 nap, which makes me feel like I might actually be getting better!  If this works…… after I learn to speak french, of course……. I may go to medical school.  I could set up a clinic here in Aix for American expats…..make some extra money……

Anyway, despite my malady, I have managed to slide in a few interesting and fun things….and, started the french classes, which I have been enjoying.  As it turns out, head congestion and a blocked nose does wonders for the french accent!

When I last left off, I was planning to meet Mike and our friend Gene in Monaco for a few days.  The plan was to visit Grasse, Eze and St. Paul de Vence.  I did get to Monaco, but because I wasn’t feeling up to snuff, and because there was bad weather in the mountains, we weren’t able to follow our plan exactly.  However, we did manage to get to Cannes, where we had some amazing bouillabaisse, Coquilles St. Jacques and profiteroles.  Mike and I search for the perfect bouillabaisse each time we travel to the south of France.  I think we may have found it!  Good stuff!

After Monaco, Gene and Mike helped me explore the restaurant scene in Aix and the surrounding wine country.  We had some pretty tasty meals and some even tastier wine!  For those of you who know wine, you may know that provence is known mostly for rosé and white wines.   There are also reds available, but they are not as prevalent as the others….and, not as good….in my opinion.  The grapes used for the wines are the same as we see in our area of California.  Grenache is the main grape in the rosé, with syrah and mourvedre tossed in for good measure, although I did have one made with Cabernet that I thought was very good.  The reds are an interesting blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot.  At least that’s what I have seen so far.  Not bad, but I think there are better ones out there.

One of the tasting rooms we went to had an interesting display of the colors of the rosés.  On my last trip to provence, I learned that the goal of the rosé is to have the lightest color, with the most flavor.  This is an interesting feat, given that the color and the flavor both come from the skins.  So, there is a fine line about how long the juice should stay with the skins to achieve the best result.

The other interesting thing that we noted at the wineries is that they all (or at least the ones we went to) have wine refilling stations that look like mini gas pumps.  They all seem to sell the lower priced box wines.  Patrons keep their boxes and bring them back, when empty, to be refilled for somewhere between 1.20 and 2.60 Euro per liter.  We considered trying this out, as we all love a deal.  But, decided it was too far to come outside of the city for a refill!  And, I don’t have a car.  Renting a car to save a few dollars on wine seemed to negate the deal!  Too bad!

I am happy to report that I was able to communicate somewhat effectively with the tasting room people, and a nice woman at the Tourist Information Office in Eguilles, using my french.  I impressed Gene, or so he said.   He has no idea what I was saying….actually, in some cases, neither did the people I was talking to, I’m guessing.  But, as in the United States, people just like to talk, and so continue on even if it doesn’t make sense!  I will say this, though, the tourist information woman said that I had communicated very well.  So, I must have slipped in a few correct words.  I’m feeling hopeful!

All of this great ability in communication is the result of the hard work and study I put in before my trip and, of course, my first week of french classes.  I am really enjoying the classes and am going to tell you about them in the next post.  I have to go for now.  I am scheduled to take a full day tour of Isle Sur la Sorgue and Gordes tomorrow with Georges, a tour guide arranged through the school.  It’s my first full day outing since getting the “scourge” and I want to be sure I am rested.  Also, the commentary will be “en français”.  So, I’m going to try to sleep now so that I can be fully engaged tomorrow.  Otherwise, I will not be able to keep up.  It’s easy to fall behind with the lightening fast french speech…. So, for now……..

Bon soir!

I am always blown away by the kindness of strangers.  I get caught up all too often with my need to know all the answers to all of the questions, and forget sometimes that there are other people out there who have some answers, too, and they are willing to help.  They are all around, and sometimes we meet them in the most unusual ways.

Today, I met one such person while in line at the drugstore here in Aix.  Here’s the story…….

On my way back to the apartment for the day yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store for some supplies.  Probably because of the stupor-inducing cold medicine I have been taking….in addition to the uneven sidewalk….I slid off of the curb and hurt my foot.  It was one of those slow-motion moments.  You know the kind.  You are kind of watching a slow moving action from outside of yourself, you know what the outcome will be and you know that it’s too late to do anything about it.  Very painful.  When I got back to the apartment to assess the damage, I found a swelling toe and knuckle joint that was beginning to turn blue.  I got out my ice pack and started icing.

When I got up this morning, it was worse.  I mulled over my options and decided that I would get ready for the day and head down to Adrian’s coffee emporium.  Maybe I was over-reacting.  (Me?! Never!)  I got my latte and settled in.  After some musing, I decided that I would go to the drugstore and ask the pharmacist if she could take a look and let me know if she thought I should find a doctor.  When I got up to the front of the line and tried to explain my situation, en français,the pharmacist said (in a nice way), “I don’t do that.  You should find a doctor.”  Really?!  A woman in line behind me tapped me on the shoulder and in very clear American english said, “I have a doctor here in Aix en Provence.  I’ll give you his name.  He speaks English.”

So, after she spoke to the pharmacist about her issue, she came over and gave me his name.  Even offered to call him for me because she wasn’t sure the receptionist spoke English.  I declined her offer, but how nice!  I took the name of the doctor, his number and his location.  I thanked her and she said, “It’s OK.  I moved here from Minneapolis, and I know what it’s like when you need help.”  And, we went on.

Again,  I considered my options and decided that there was really nothing a doctor was going to do about my foot, even if my toe was broken.  So, I continued on with my day.

In the course of the rest of my day, I began to look at things around me in a different light.  I have to say that I was beginning to feel sorry for myself.  Here I am in provence, my first week,  and I have a bad cold that is keeping me from carrying out my travel plan, and now this.  Nasty curb!  But, I have to say that the kindness of this woman put me in a better frame of mind.

I continued on in my day to find myself sitting in a cafe with a very interesting young German woman who was visiting Aix en Provence so that she could complete her master’s thesis in art and architecture.   We spoke mostly with her broken english, but also with my broken french.  She was very interesting to talk to and had a perspective on Germany that I hadn’t heard before.  She felt it was a very “young” country because of the bringing down of the Berlin wall and the possibilities that has brought and would bring for her country.  She had thought about it carefully and had come to this conclusion.  Interesting.  We also talked about what she would be doing in the next few weeks and months to complete her degree.  She was delightful and so enthusiastic about her life that you could not help but become involved in it.

Then, I stopped in at the main church here in Aix en Provence to take a break.  I decided that walking on my bruised foot and toe was a good choice for some reason.  I sat down in the church to muse a bit and after about 10 minutes, a young organist came out of nowhere and began practicing.  What a treat!  It was like a private concert just for me!

As I was walking back to the apartment, who did I see but the same woman who had given me her doctor’s name and information.  She was driving along, saw me and stopped to see if I was OK.  We talked briefly and she went on.  How nice!

Also saw a funny group of tourists on Segways posing for a picture.  I took a shot as well and they waved me on.

I made my way back to the apartment and I saw my neighbor Anna and her cute daughter Nadia.  We had a fun conversation.  Before too long, Monique joined us.  I had mentioned to Anna that I had not been feeling well and she asked how I was doing.  When Monique heard that I had been sick, she immediately went into her stash of homeopathic medicines and gave me a pill, which I took.  No clue what it was, but how nice!

I’m thinking about all of the nice things that have happened today and am feeling happy to be here having this sometimes fun, sometimes trying and sometimes eye-opening experience.  And, I am just getting started.  Imagine all of the other things that are in store for me!

I can’t wait!

Bonne Nuit!

Seriously lovely weather here!  And, even more lovely people!

Today, I met some of Monique’s art students.  I think I mentioned that Monique is an artist.  She teaches some classes here periodically.  I’m not sure how often.  But, it was interesting to meet the students.  One of them is from San Francisco.  We had a nice chat about our respective California locations.  I told her that my goal was to learn french, and she said I would.  Just being immersed in the culture will do it, she said.

In the last days, I have been taking the opportunity to get a good “lay of the land” here in Aix en Provence.  I have been ambling along, sometimes aimlessly and sometimes not, in an effort to get to know my home away from home for the next few months.

Since I have been feeling a bit under the weather, I haven’t felt like venturing out too far yet.  But it’s given me a great opportunity to take the time to see what’s around me.  I am usually in a frenzy of activity, trying to move from one activity to another especially when I am exploring a new area.  This time, though, I am taking a relaxed pace and stopping to smell the roses along the way.  I think I am seeing and experiencing more than ever before.  Ah, the joys of a forced relaxation.

Aix en Provence is a very walkable city, which I remember from my last visit here.  You can walk from one end of the city proper to the other, both north to south and east to west, relatively easily.  I’ve done it quite a number of times by now.  Each time, I go a different way, down one small, winding street that leads to another, until I finally come to one of the main streets that I recognize.  And, then I wander down that street until I get tired.  If I go out early enough, I can wander through a variety of markets as I go along.  There’s a market of some type or another every day here in Aix.  It’s quite a relaxing and entertaining way to spend the day.

I have to say that I have found good food on my rounds here, so far….and, I think I am at the tip of the iceberg on that.  From what I read, there are quite a number of excellent places to eat here. Yesterday, I walked around the corner to an Alsacian restaurant…cute little bistro.  I have walked by there many times, now.  I have never seen anyone there, but Monique  recommended it.  So, I decided to try it.  I’m glad I did…..sauerkraut and sausages…Alsatian comfort food….felt like I was really in the Alsace.  YUMMY!

Today, I finally found the elusive “drôle d’endroit”, although I have to say that I still had a hard time locating it.  I slid in just before the time of my reservation  I will be visiting there again, so I will need to master the route a little better.  But, I now see what everyone is talking about…..good food and nice people….and kind of a funny decor.  I had salmon with a mustard sauce and rice.  It was quite good.

I also met Dominique and Mairie Angel, the proprietors.  They are also friends of my San Luis Obispo “coach”.  What a nice pair.  And, their english is quite good, which I appreciated.  (Frankly, in these days with this travel illness, I have not been able to focus well on interpreting the  french.  I was glad to talk with someone whose english was good.)  When I introduced myself and said that I was a friend of my “coach”, their faces lit up!  They remembered her and, in fact, Mairie Angel said she was just thinking about her this weekend.  What a coincidence!  We had a nice chat, and they suggested that I should come back many times while I am in town.  I agreed!

I have to say that it has been quite nice to have an entree with some people here in Aix via my “coach”.  I don’t think I have ever had that experience before when traveling.  What a treat!

I also made it a point today to check out all of the public transportation options here.  I have now figured out the bus system inside of Aix and am working on the bus transportation to places outside of Aix.  Also have a good handle on the trains. So, when I am ready to roll in my usual fashion, I will know just how to go from place to place.  Good stuff!

My future is also looking bright as I have now been in touch with a few wineries that I think will be fun and interesting to visit.

First, I have been in touch with Kristin Epinasse.  She and her husband own a small, new winery near Bandol.  Kristin writes a fun newsletter introducing people who are interested in learning french to new friend words.  I checked in with her to see about doing some wine tasting.  She will  keep me posted on tastings that they have….there should be at least one in the time I am here.  The tastings are done in her home, as the winery is quite new and doesn’t have a tasting room yet.  This promises to be a fun and interesting time.  More fun people!

I now, also, have an entree for a tour and tasting at Beaucastel in Chateneuf de Pape thanks to a connection through Tablas Creek, a winery up the road from where I work in Paso Robles.  I will be heading out to visit them in November.

So, in conclusion, I’ll just say, “It’s a wonderful day in my neighborhood”.  How about yours!

bon soir!

Today, I learned how to ask for a pharmacy, lozenges for a sore throat and something to take for a bad cold.  While it was a great learning experience, it was not really how I had envisioned my day.  Sigh………..As it turns out, my fatigue of yesterday was probably a combination of jet lag and the onset of a cold.  Thanks to the Rosetta Stone and my iPhone translator app for the help on making my needs understood.  I was actually pretty prepared on this except for the word for sore throat.  I have it down now.  I’m hoping I won’t need it again!  And, for those of you traveling to Aix en Provence anytime soon.  There are NO pharmacies open on Sunday and none of the little 7-11 type shops sell throat lozenges..  Come prepared!

So, today was a bit of a slow day for me.  But, despite it all, I did do some exploration of the city and managed to meet a few people along the way.  First, I met my next door neighbor, Ana and her little daughter, Nadia, on my way out of the “bastide”.  I am really loving my apartment and the colorful “bastide”.  But, I have to say that getting in and out of the gate in the front is something of a challenge.  I have been given 3 keys…..one for the front gate that resembles on of those old time keys.  In the fogginess of my cold, I can’t remember what they are called.  But, you know the kind….a round “handle” on the top attached to a long stem that has a metal square with 2 teeth carved out of it.  There is also a key for the entry into my section of the apartment building and one for my apartment.  I’ll say this, I feel very secure here.  No one is getting in unless someone here knows them.  Very reassuring!

Anyway, the front gate was locked when I went out this morning, so I had to use the old fashioned key to get out….quite a challenge.  I finally managed to get it open so that I could get out, but then couldn’t get it locked on the outside.  As I was down on my knees peering through they keyhole, my neighbor and her daughter came by with their dog.  She reassured me that this was, indeed, a challenging lock and that we really didn’t need to lock it during the day.  Thank goodness!  However, if I need to come in at night, I’m not sure what I will do.  Oh well!  I’m sure I’ll figure it out!  I invited Ana to have lunch one day.  Monique tells me she has a very interesting story.  Looking forward to hearing about it!

After my stop at Adrian’s latte shop, I wandered down into the square and happened into a book market…..all kinds of books.  I spent quite a bit of time looking at them….almost bought one.  But, I decided to wait.  I’m sure the market will be there again next week.

I then wandered down a bit further to the helpful tourist information office to see about getting some information on the bus routes in town.  The “billetterie” was closed today, but I did get a few helpful pieces of information about the towns surrounding Aix.  I think I could spend the next few months, just exploring the small towns.  There are quite a few that look to be very close by.

I also saw the statue of my friend, Paul Cezanne, near the rotonde area in from of the tourist information center.  Several years ago, I visited Aix en Provence for 1 day.  I was staying in Arles and came here on the bus.  I walked up into town from the “Gare Routiere” (bus station) and wandered around all day.  I am surprised at how much of the town I remember from that day.  The statue was one of the things I remembered.  Nice to know it’s still there.   Took a picture of it on that day, too.  How funny!

As I was walking through town, I stopped at one of the “Paul” bakeries for my favorite “pain raisin”.  I think of all the french pastries, these are my favorite.  They are made with a kind of puff pastry.  The finished product looks something like our “elephant ear” pastries, if you know what those are, only with raisins.  Just love those things!

Also stopped to watch someone in a shop making baguettes.  I have never been able to master the making of a baguette.  There’s a trick to keeping the inside oh so fluffy, while getting the outside to a light crunchy brown.  This fellow obviously knew what he was doing.  He was making them in volume.  He had something like a 3′ by 2′, several inch thick, layer of dough on his cutting table and was cutting the dough into baguette sized widths.  I’m guessing he would get 8-10 baguettes out of one layer of dough.  On a day that I am feeling better, I may go back and see if he needs an assistant….you never know.  Mastering the baguette.  Another goal for my Aix-traordinary adventure.  Might be fun!

 I also spent some time looking for a restaurant called “Drole Endroit” (A funny Place to Meet) that was recommended to me by my San Luis Obispo “coach”.  It’s down a crazy little alley lined with garbage bags…supposed to be a fun, locals place.  I found it yesterday, but not today.  Oh well…..there’s always tomorrow.  But, I am determined to find it in the next few days to see what all the talk is about!

In addition to all of the above, I also walked down to the train station to see about getting a train to Monaco on Thursday or Friday.  I am going to meet Mike and our friend, Gene there.  We are going to get some perfume in Grasse and get an eye popping view from Eze and St. Paul de Vence.  After I got the information from the very helpful train information attendant, I stopped into the small 7-11 type store to see if I could get any lozenges….even a Riccola would have been nice.  I also needed to get some tissues, as there was (and continues to be) a small thin stream of liquid dripping out of my nose and, of course, I had used all of my tissues.  I found what I thought were tissues, paid for them and while still at the payment counter tore them open only to find that they were not tissues, but sanitary pads.  By that time, the helpful train information attendant had come to buy a soda.   As my nose dripped down my face, I went back to the shelf and picked out some “real” tissues.   We all got a good laugh out of my mishap!  HA!

Anyway, enough for now.  I am going to bed!  Feeling  better, but sleep will be welcome!

à bientôt!

There’s a word for you that is très compliqué.  The word for jet lag!  Well above my french comprehension level. I didn’t come up with this phrase on my own, I downloaded this nifty itranslator app for my iphone that helped me to find it. The app gave me the meaning, the spelling and, the other uses (there are no others for this word combination) It even said the words to me so that I ccould say them to someone else. I was thinking I might need to use it if I had to explain to someone why I was ” sleep-walking ” today. HA ………..seriously, though, some of the worst jet lag I have had. I’m not sure why it’s affectig me this way this time. But…WOW…..am I tired ! I just had to take a nap so I could stay awake long enough to write this ! That’s a serious sleep issue !

On the upside, I am sitting in my cute apartment, my home away from home for about the next 3 months, viewing the setting sun out my living room window.   I can see the tops of the trees in the courtyard that my apartment overlooks and a wide strip of light pink sky peeking through the leaves and blending into the darkening sky above. Just beautiful. It’s no wonder that arttists such as Cezanne and Van Gogh chose this spot for some of their work. It’s the light……..

It’s an interesting proposition deciding to ” live ” in a place for an extended time where you would normally “vacation” for a shorter period of time. Over the last 2 days, I have been thinking about whether I am a tourist or a resident. I’m really neither, and I find myself engaged in an odd mixture of activities…..finding restaurants to eat in and places to have a good cup of coffee, buying a local cell phone so that I can call out in the area without the massive roaming charges of my iPhone, exploring entertainment options in the town, researching places to visit as a tourist inside and outtside of the town, buying food to cook in my little kitchen, organizing my space for longer term living, and putting my mark on the space so that I have a feeling that I am at home. I’m really still in the “tourist” phase and will be for another short while, but I will soon transition into the “resident” phase as my language classes begin and I develop a living routine here. It will be an interesting experience filled with opportunities for enlightenment, I’m sure.   Fun times !

I have had many highlights in my first few days here. At the top of my list has been meeting some new friends here at my apartment building and in town.. When I began thinking about how one would organize an adventure such as this one, I, as usual, began to network to see if I could find anyone that had some experience in doing an immersion in another country….particularly in France. Much to my surprise, I found someone who had done just this for a full year. We connected early on this year and became fast freinds. She introduced me to my hosts here in Aix en Provence and has coached me throughout my planning process.  I have followed her well thought out footseps for several of the decisions I have made for my big adventure.

Monique and Dominique run the  “bastide”  (bank of apartment) where I am staying. They, along with their 2 daughters and Monique’s 92 year old mother all live here and have been very helpful and gracious in welcoming me. They are an interesting group of people that I will likely be telling you more about as I go along. Monique had some pistou (a type of provençal soup) waiting for me in my little kitchen when I got here. This, after the long trip, was much appreciated and very tasty I have to say!

In addition, today I met Adrian, who runs a coffee shop in town. He is also a friend of my San Luis Obispo coach. Very nice guy…and produces the best latte that I have had in quite a long time !

Adrian

My apartment is very cute and very Provencal, I thnk. I have a small kitchen, a living room, kitchen and separate bathroom. Monique is a artist and has furnished it with some very nice artwork. The colors are what you would imagine in Provence….muted blues, yelows and reds. There are very large Windows in each room that are situated so I can see the courtyard that I describe above. Lovely !

I am on the third floor. It’s and old building…no elevator…. so you know what that means. There will be lots of stair building walking in my future. My legs are already in the best shape of their lives.

As you know, my primary goal here was to learn to speak french. I was coached by William, my San Luis Obispo french tutor, that when I got here I should always try to speak French, even when people want to speak tome in English. He said should tell people that I am learning french and then try to communicate in French. For the most part, I have done that. Some communications are better than others. But, I did manage to buy some items at the markets today using my French and bought a pre-paid phone using my French as well. I l also treated myself to a nice fluffy pillow that I will leave behind after my stay, using my french to purchase this. I felt especially good about this interaction The word for pillow is particularly tongue-tying.I would put it down here, but I don’t think I can spell it.

I did meet a vendor today that was selling scarves at one of the many markets here in Aix. I had my now, usual, prelude with him of « I’m Learning French »., to which he responded back to me in French asking me if I liked his scarves. Of course, I didn’t get this totally right and said no. He then engaged me in a conversation about how I should have a private tutor here because it would give me more exposure to the language. He also encouraged me to watch french TV and go to some french movies. If I did all of that, he said he thought I would be speaking french in no time flat. He then gave me a quiz on french numbers, which I did not pass. I have been confused by the logic behind the numbers beyond 60. They don’t make sense to me. And, of course the french speak at the speed of light, complicating it even further. I think I have it now, though, thanks to my new friend the scarf vendor. Very nice guy !

And, I tried some french with Monique’s mother, who by the way, is very sweet. She told me that she doesn’t speak “American”. She used to, but not anymore. I will have more conversations with her as my french gets beter.   And, it will….

I also had an excellent meal and a very cost effective one. I stopped in at a crepery place that was reviewed as the #1 place to eat in town. Around 4 :30 or so, I found myself on that side of town and stopped in. Not only were the crepes fantastic, but the place was cute, too. I went down into the basement into some « cave-like » rooms and ate a gallette (essentially a savory crepe) filled with spinach, goat cheese and cream. Also had a glass of some special cider made here in provence., All for about $9.90 euros (about $12.50 if the Euro is stil where it was when I came here. ) They even threw in 2 little muffins for dessert. Very nice.  And such a deal.  You know how I like that!

So, I am off to a good start. I’m giving myself a break from anything too adventurous and cutting myself a break on the french language until I wake up a little bit. Don’t want to make any avoidable mistakes. HA ! Anyway, I’m off to bed now to try to ward off the jet lag. Wish me luck…….ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz

So, I have been telling you all about all of the great deals I have been getting on things here in San Miguel….food, drinks, concerts, jewelry….and the list goes on. Well, today, I took all of the money that I saved on the above mentioned items and bought myself a private tour of a few of the Mexican towns near San Miguel. It was a great experience….one that I wouldn’t trade. But, it wasn’t a deal…..technically speaking. (Probably much less than I would have spent somewhere else, though.) So now, what I’m wondering is whether I can still call the above mentioned items a deal since I spent the money I saved. Read on….and, then let me know what you think!

Yesterday in the late afternoon, I decided that I would try to go out to some of the towns outside of San Miguel that I have been hearing about during my time here. I have given San Miguel proper a real run for its money and felt the need to branch out a bit. So, I enlisted the help of Tere, my gracious host here at the Bed and Breakfast where I am staying. On one of my first days here, she suggested that she could help me find a guide, so I thought I would take her up on her offer.

When I talked to her, she said, “But you want to go tomorrow? I will need to call someone. I don’t know. It’s Sunday. I will try. I will leave you a note in your room to let you know.” I thought this was fair. It was late notice after all. If it works out, great. If not, fine, too.

I will take this opportunity to let you all know that I have come to know my host, Tere, in the time I have stayed here. She is extremely nice, very well-meaning and very eager to please. But, she is a little scattered. She has offered to do a few things for me (that were her suggestions, not mine) that she hasn’t actually followed through on. Doesn’t matter to me at all. I am very happy. So, I wasn’t totally expecting her to follow through on my request for a guide. I had formed a back up plan, so what did I care?

When I came back to my room after last night’s festivities, there was no note in my room saying this had been set up. Also, no note this morning. So, imagine my surprise when Jesus, my guide, knocked on my door this morning at the appointed time! It took me a minute to gather my things and we were off! What a full and fun-filled day! Jesus was a wealth of information and great company! I can truly say that after my experience in San Miguel this week and today with Jesus, I have a new appreciation and respect for Mexico and its people.

Our first stop was in Guanajuato. Guanajuato is in the Sierra Madre mountain range and sits in a valley between 2 elevations. So, we drove up and then down into the town. We did stop at the top, though for some pictures. The views were spectacular. The hills around the town were covered with lines of terraced, box shaped houses of all different bright colors that looked like they were connected together. I told Jesus about my interest in the bright colors that I have seen in Mexico and asked him what the significance was. He said it symbolized happiness. Interesting. I interpreted the color as energy. I guess it’s the same thing when you get right down to it. Anyway, I loved the rows and rows of variegated colors of these houses. Just beautiful!

From the vantage point we had, we could see the houses and then look down into the town and see the buildings that were there. There were many churches in Guanajuato, as there are in all of the Mexican towns I have seen on this trip, and we were able to easily pick them out from where we were standing. The white University building was also easy to pick out. It was quite a scene.

Jesus took me down some narrow roads into the town and then into the underground where there were tunnels that had been built in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Their purpose was to redirect the flow of the river, which now runs underneath the tunnels. The tunnels are now used as shortcuts through the city and for parking. The stone workmanship on these things was something to see. They are all over the city.

We then parked the car and took a walking tour of the city. We visited the Opera House and many of the churches in the city. The highlight for me, though, was the tour through the Diego Rivera museum. Diego is the most famous artist of Mexico and was a contemporary of Picasso. They were friends. According to Jesus, they had a falling out because Diego had been painting in the style of cubism and decided that it wasn’t really art. He shared his thoughts with Picasso….big mistake!

Diego was something of a prodigy….started drawing at the age of 3 and then went to the university to study at the age of 7. When he became of age, he went to Europe to further his education. He learned and practiced every style of art that was available at the time. The museum had representations of each style. I saw things that reminded me of Picasso, Rembrandt and Monet. I found it really interesting. Jesus was very knowledgeable and talked to me about the different styles and how they were represented in the different works and pointed out his favorites. WOW!

We then got back in the car and headed up a 3000 meter (9,840 feet, if my metric conversion serves me) elevation to a town called Valencia, the most productive gold mine in the Guanajuato region. There is a church sitting on top of the mine. (Actually, there is a church on each one of the over 20 mines in the region providing holy protection for the mines.) This particular church is the most beautiful, which is why we stopped there. The alter and chapels were all done in intricate hand carved wood and are finished with gold leaf. Very pretty and well worth the stop.

Earlier on in the day, I told Jesus that I could go forever without eating and he should let me know when he was hungry and we would stop for lunch. When we got another few paces down the road from Valencia, he said we should stop at a good restaurant he knows in Santa Rosa. It was totally a locals joint….very nice….and great food. We had an inordinate amount of food (chili rellenos, enchiladas, guacamole, soup….will need to go on a diet when I get home). Then, Jesus announced that I needed to have some tequilla. I don’t do shots. I’m a light weight and I feared it wouldn’t take much for me to become a laughing, incoherent passenger. But, Jesus insisted and I was here, so why not! The waiter brought a shot of tequilla and some limes and I downed this like a true Mexican. I wish I could tell you the name of the tequilla….don’t know, but it was quite tasty. And, it didn’t make me drunk. So,I was able to get through the rest of the tour with my marbles. I was grateful.

Our last stop was in a town called Dolores Hildago, home of ceramics and oddly flavored ice cream. Some combination, don’t you think? I didn’t get either, but did some hearty window shopping.

The town is named after Father Hildago, who was one of the heros of the Mexican independence from the Spanish. He was a bit of a rebel…frankly, a little too over the top for the catholic church. So, they sent him to this outpost to get him out of the way. He loved the Mexican people and wanted a better life for them, which he knew wouldn’t happen if Mexico continued under Spanish rule. The story goes that he organized the Mexicans to march against the Spanish. It was one of the starting point of the Mexican revolution. What a guy!

I ended my last day back in San Miguel with another walk around the Plaza Principal and one last Margarita at another of the sunset bars named by my airplane friend. I sipped my drink and watched as the sun set. The rays of the sun formed orange, pink and yellow stripes. I have to say that with the lights of the churches in the foreground and the dark sky in the background, it was breathtaking.

After writing all of this, I realize a few things. First, I had a once in a lifetime experience today with my private guide. Second, we covered more ground in one day than most people would cover in a week. Third, I got to see all of the scenery in the surrounding area. Lastly, I got to meet another really great person here in Mexico! So, I deem that my money was well spent!

Such a deal…..Don’t you think?!