Travels with Robin in 2020

Buenas tardes,

I just returned from leading a group to San Miguel de Allende where we celebrated Semana Santa (Holy Week) with the locals.  I had such a great group of people from Alexandria - Minnesota, Tucson - Arizona, Houston - Texas, Chicago - Illinois and of course Denver.  It was a wonderful ten days that I am sure everyone will treasure for quite a while.  I know I always do after one of my tours.

I have been asked by quite a few who have traveled with me on many, if not all of my trips, what I have in store for my "Travels With Robin" tours for 2020.  I have three exceptional trips planned!

First trip planned is The Magic of the Maya World, a nine day guided tour in the state of Chiapas: February 20 - 28.  It's an opportunity to visit a forgotten corner of the world few people will ever see.  Chiapas is best known for its colonial cities but above all for its Mesoamerica's most stunning Maya ruins such as Palenque, Bonampak and Yaxchilan. 

I have visited these ruins many times and often there are little if not any tourists at all.   The area is also known for its diverse landscape from

the stunning Canyon de Sumidero (one morning we will enjoy the Canyon in our private boat up the Grijalva River),

to the mountains in the highlands where we will visit some of the villages known for their textiles to the dense tropical rain forest.  Chiapas is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet and it has one of the largest and most diverse indigenous populations in Mexico, with approximately 960,000 native language speakers over the age of five, which represents one quarter of the state’s population.

Next April, I am repeating that same trip I just lead for Semana Santa in San Miguel de Allende, seven days during Holy Week which is such a colorful time of year with the option to add four extra nights to the trip which everyone except one couple did this year. 

Full of pageantry, processions, decorated churches and homes, just a special time to be in this 475 year old colonial town to witness the spirit of the people as they partake in celebrating Semana Santa. 

April 3 - 9, 2020 with the option of signing on for an additional four nights, departing on the 13. 

Travel the ages... From the lavish culture of Mexico City, to the colonial town of Puebla to

ancient Oaxaca for El Dia del Muerto, The Day of the Dead

October 21 - November 3, 2020

Mexico City is cosmopolitan and cultured with world class museums where part of the city was built directly on top of the capital of the Aztec Empire.

It will be four days of exploring museums, visiting the homes of Luis Barragán, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, taking in all the sites around the main square (the zocalo), and experiencing some of the best cuisine Mexico City has to offer.

Off to Puebla for a few days, a colonial town with its Renaissance and Mexican Baroque architecture.  A city famous for mole poblano, chilis en nogada and Talavera pottery.  Staying right in the historic district close to the many magnificent churches.  We will visit the Museo Amparo with one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian and colonial art in the country and the Taller Uriarte where we will have a private tour of the Talavera pottery workshop.  A morning at the International Baroque Museum, not only is the collection phenomenal, the building itself is something to see.  And of course some exceptional dining.

Final stop, Oaxaca for five days over El Dia de Los Muertos!  An experience you will never forget.  We will be staying a block from the main square (the zocalo).  One day will be a side trip to Ocotlan de Morelos, famous for its Friday open air market, a visit to the ex-convent and Morales museum, lunch at a fabulous restaurant in the countryside and a few stops at some of the local artisans known for their ceramic figures, Alebrijes (hand carved and painted wood figures) and weavers using their back-strap looms.  The days spent in Oaxaca City, we will be right in the thick of the celebrations for El Dia de Los Muertos.  And of course, the cuisine in Oaxaca is some of the best in all of Mexico.   It is such a popular time to be in Oaxaca, that I have already reserved the hotel rooms.

Semana Santa and Dia de Los Muertos are such special times to be in Mexico.   Please let me know if one or all of these trips are of interest to you and I will add your names to the list.  I already have some folks ready to sign up.

Soon I will sending a detailed itinerary on The Magic of the Maya World.

Dates:  February 19 - 25, 2020.

Look for the Semana Santa in San Miguel de Allende email the end of May.

Dates:  April 3 - 9, 2020  (with the option of staying on until the 13th)

And look for the Travel the ages... From the lavish culture of Mexico City, to the colonial town of Puebla to ancient Oaxaca for El Dia del Muerto, The Day of the Dead email the end October, after I have returned from leading a tour to Mexico City and Oaxaca.

Dates:  October 21 - November 3, 2020

I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully traveling with you in 2020!

Robin

Robindsg@aol.com

Celebrating Carter's Memory

It's that time of year when I put together an Altar in the niche in my home in Denver in honor of my brother, Carter.  It will be six years this December 30 that he passed away.

Carter is surrounded by marigolds, los flores de Cempasuchil representing a pathway for the dead.  And woven fish that I bought in the jardin in San Miguel de Allende during Palm Sunday.  Carter loved the outdoors and fishing.

For those who knew Carter, you will recognize some of his favorites things.  His extensive Mexican mask collection, his love of the Grand Canyon and especially Lake Powell, a photo of the album cover of The Who (I asked him once, if you could be a musician, who would it be.  He told me he would be Pete Townshed, the guitarist of The Who.  And I do remember him playing air guitar and leaping thru the air when he would come home from college.  Always made me laugh), he loved doing the Suduko in the paper every morning, the infamous red pen, playing basketball, the terrier dog, a Mexican wrestler (lucha libre), the church that resembles the Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende, a bottle of his favorite wine (a Turnbull Cabernet), pheasant feathers referring to his love of bird hunting, his favorite fruit, the pear, a nopal cactus (he loved the desert), a heart milagro (he had a big heart and was very giving) and the two candles, one of Saint Michael, the patron saint of San Miguel de Allende.  And like the archangel Saint Michael, Carter was always a leader and very protective of me.
We love you Carter and miss you every day.

My Los Dias de Los Muertos dinner party over the weekend

Last time I was in Oaxaca City, I came across a stall in the market that was selling this colorful oil cloth with Catrinas, skulls, flowers and paper picados on it.  I could not resist and bought three meters to use as my tablecloth for my next Day of the Dead dinner party.

Highly varnished clay skulls from San Bartola Coyotepec. 

Keeping with the theme, I made paper napkin holders with a skull and every one's name on it.  The typeface I used is called "thriller".  How appropriate.

A devil tin candle holder from San Miguel de Allende

Another tin candle holder along with a clay pumpkin that I had bought at El Tianguis, the Tuesday market on the outskirts of San Miguel.

An empty bottle of KAH Reposado tequila.  Every bottle is an individual, hand crafted work of art - no two bottles are alike.  Besides the bottles being very cool, the tequila is also excellent.

I had to get the pumpkin carved to great my guests at the front door.

Special adhesive wine labels that I put over the original ones that read "Embalming Juice", "Zombie Virus" and "Spider Venom". 

Silver and black mylar picados that I had found in the market in Oaxaca.  Perfect to hang between the living room and dining room.

The main course was a 6-pound bone-in Boston butt pork shoulder.  I made a paste of smashed garlic, salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, achiote paste and cider vinegar.  I scored 1-inch deep cuts on the fatty side, then rubbed the paste all over the pork and wrapped it securely in banana leaves.  I tied the banana-wrapped bundle of pork with kitchen string and let it sit in the refrigerator two days before I cooked it.  
I set it on a rack in my largest Le Crueset dutch oven.  Added some cut onions and jalapenos to the pot and enough water to come 1-inch up the sides.    Covered the pot and baked for 5 hours at 300 degrees.   After 2 1/2 hours, I turned the pork over.  
The pork turned out perfect, tender and delicious.  I shredded it with a fork and poured some of the braising liquid over it.
I served it with a salsa Veracruz, a cazuela of roasted poblanos and sauteed onions, and corn tortillas.  Along with a spinach and arugula salad tossed with a cilantro dressing and then sprinkled with pepitas.
I have plenty pork left over to make some green chili for my next tamale dinner or two. 
It was a very festive evening!

Celebrating La Dia de Muertos in my Casa

Being an interior designer, decorating for La Dia de Muertos is one of my favorite times of year to be creative.  And of course, the most important part of that is creating an altar for my brother, Carter Mullen.  The niche in my hallway is the perfect place to honor him and his life.

 Surrounded by marigolds, los flores de Cempasuchil.

And those who knew Carter, and there were so many and many that considered him their best friend, you will recognize some of his favorites things.  His extensive Mexican mask collection, his love of the Grand canyon and especially Lake Powell, Suduko, the infamous red pen, basketball, the terrier dog, a shot of good tequila in the skull glass, a Mexican wrestler, the church that resembles the Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende and a bottle of his favorite wine, a Turnbull Cabernet.   And the two candles, one of Saint Michael, the patron saint of San Miguel de Allende, where the Mullen family had a home for over 42 years.

I decorated the bar with Day of the Dead napkins, the Frankenstein bar towel, a black vase from San Bartola de Coyotepec (one of the village that I visit on my Oaxaca tour where they make the most beautiful burnished black pottery) filled with marigolds and of course, a few bottles of tequila.

My kitchen counter, with one of the hand-painted tequila bottles.

More Halloween decor.

Getting ready for a dinner party.  The runner is from Chiapas, the black skulls from San Bartola de Coyotepec, the little pig salt bowls were just recently bought in the gigantic Sunday market in Tlacolula, the beautiful basket filled with Chestnuts from the Thursday market in Zaachila and the clay pumpkins from the Tiangis in San Miguel de Allende.  Traveling in Mexico in October always gets me in shopping trouble for I am always buying something new for Las Dias de Muertos.

September 7th, I posted on my Blog about making Cochinita Pibil.  It turned out SO good, I bought an 8 pound pork shoulder and made the recipe again.  This is just part of the braised pork that I served to make tacos for the dinner party.  I used the remainder of the pork for the filling of tamales that I made the next day.  It's always a good idea to break up the tamale making process by preparing the filling a day or two in advance.

Freshly made corn tortillas in the basket, the pork pibil, salsa Veracruz, pickled red onions, fresh limes and sliced radishes.  The makings for some delicious tacos! 

And Halloween would not be Halloween with out a carved pumpkin.

The Panteon in San Miguel de Allende is a spectacular site on Dia de Muertos

November second is a busy day in San Miguel de Allende, especially at the cemetery, The Panteon.  On any other day, this street is deserted with an occasional car or pedestrian.  But being All Souls Day, their is a steady stream of families going to the cemetery to decorate the tombs and visit with those who have passed on.

All these temporary little stalls are selling a variety of flowers, painted tin cans to hold the arrangements, crosses and fruit.  All to be purchased as offerings to passed loved ones.

 Cotton candy for the children.

This lady is making individual bouquets all with the flowers representing Dia de Muertas:   Marigolds (Flores de Cempasuchil), Cockscomb (Cresta de Gallo) and Baby's Breath (Aliento de Nino).

It is a busy place.  The priest is giving mass over a load speaker. Families are gathering around the grave sights.

Musicians are waiting to be hired to play a favorite song of the passed family member.

Talk about color.

Beautiful combination of colors. So simple but heart warming.

Tiny little table with a meal on it along with plates full of food.

Another colorful sight.

Over the top!

The graves sites have been scrubbed and a fresh coat of paint applied.  Flowers planted.  All in honor of their passed loved ones.

Beautiful.

And last but not least, is the North American section which is very tidy and orderly.  Just like an English garden.

The Children are a big part of the Celebration for Los Dias de Muertos

I just adore the way the children get involved with Los Dias de Muertos.  This little guy was coming home from school and I was just coming out of the Diego Rivera Museum in Guanajuato.  I said, "Hola Guapo" (Hi handsome).  With a big grin on his face, he stopped so I could take his photo.

Up in the jardin (the main plaza) in San Miguel with hordes of people dressed up in a variety of costumes.  I have never seen such a beautiful little devil before than this little gal.

The Bell of the Ball.

Great job on her makeup with the garland of yellow flowers painted on her forehead. 

A lovely "Frida Kahlo" with the walking "RIP" coffin. Wonderful.

Such creativity in this costume!  Strips of magazine pages woven to make bodice of the dress, black plastic bags for her sleeves, layer after layer of crumbled white paper for the skirt and her large hat comprised of cookie and candy bags are just magnificent.  This certainly gives true meaning to recycling!

Talk about forlorn.  I think someone was ready to go home and hit the hay.

Having dinner at La Brasserie at Calle Jesus 11 in San Miguel de Allende and there was a steady stream of costumed children walking by.  First this little gal appeared in the window.

Next her brother.  I just love how this brother and sister seem to not have a care in the world except enjoying the evening out and definitely their suckers.  Life is grand!