The Palace Carousel in San Sebastián

One of my favorite places is San Sebastián, Spain.  The Palace Carousel is exceptionally special!  Not far from were we stay, The Hotel Londres y Inglaterra, it is fun to sit on one of the many benches lining the promenade and watch the children and families revel in the excitement of riding on the carousel.

This carousel is a replica of its 1900 predecessor and was set up in Donostia around 1998 to evoke that golden era in which the city offered a whole world of attractions to visitors.

This merry-go-round catches the attention of children and adults alike.  Spend some time observing every detail. 

 

With ponies, airplanes, dolphins, cars, swans, carriages, giraffes and tigers, 

 

the two levels of this carousel are imbued with the Belle Époque style, a period of peace and prosperity approximately between 1871 and 1914.

Under the hand-painted roof, we find representations of paintings by famous painters such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Lautrec, Vallotton, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Sisley, Pisarro, Renoir and Degas, and at the very top of the carousel, a beautiful pony watches out across the city.  Artists of the mid 1800's to early 1900's representing styles such as Impressionism and modernism.

Degas 

Manet

 

The original Manet 

 Boating - 1874

 

Vallotton

Renoir

& 

Lautrec 

The original  Lautrec 

The Divan Japonais - 1892 

Cezanne

Monet
 

The original Monet 

 Studio Boat -  1874

Pissarro

 

Picasso

 The original Picasso  

Los Baineuses - The Bathers - 1918 

The carousel has been restored on several occasions to reflect each new era. In its earliest days the carousel had no electrical power and was manually rotated by an operator in the center. As the years progressed, electricity became the norm in towns and cities and at the beginning of the 1940s, when the Civil War had ended, a powerful electrical motor was installed. This system was active until the year 2000.

In 2008 the carousel was completely restored using the most up-to-date technology and a unique decorative style was brought in to reflect the city of San Sebastián. 

 

The carousel was painted by hand and features illustrations taken from old photos of Donostia at the turn of the century.

The sun setting on the large building which is the City Hall (with the carousel in the foreground).  It was once the home of the Gran Casino from the 1st of July of 1897 to 1924 when gambling was prohibited.  It was also built during the Belle Époque period.  

 

Everything around La Concha Bay's promenade so is captivating.  A special place to be.

 

 

The Best Focaccia!

I have been neglectful on writing on my Blog so I thought I would share my Focaccia recipe which I am so addicted to.  

I love using this substantial Focaccia Pan that I purchased at the King Arthur Baking Company.  It is made out of aluminum and measures 9" x 9" x 2".  I actually went back to the store and bought another one. 

 

RECIPE:

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 plus cup extra-virgin olive oil 

2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (like Maldon) 

 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon)

Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook, stir together the flour and yeast.   Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the flour.  Mix for a few minutes until a dough forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until risen nicely.  

Sprinkle dough with the 2 teaspoons of sea salt.  With the dough hook, mix for a few minutes.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

Generously oil the focaccia pan and place a 3" to 4" x 16" strip of parchment paper across the center of the pan, leaving a few inches of overhang on the two sides.

Carefully lift the dough out of the bowl and place in the pan, using your fingers to spread the dough out to the edges.   Generously drizzle the olive oil over the foccacia and use a brush to evenly distribute it.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or two.   

 

Drizzle more oil if desired.  Using your finger, evenly pock indentations into the dough.  Evenly sprinkle with the rosemary, turbinado sugar and sea salt.  

 

Bake at 475 for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly brown in the highest spots.  Remove the focaccia from the oven.  Using the parchment paper tabs, lift the focaccia out of the pan.  Turn off the oven.  Place the focaccia directly on the oven's lower rack for 5 to 7 minutes so the sides will crisp up.

 

I like to cut 3/4" strips, toast them and spread with a little bit of butter.  So, so good. 

My favorite variation of this focaccia is to add slices of peaches or plums when in season.  Unpeeled and cut into 1/2" wedges.  It is delicious served with a creamy Cambozola cheese.

Next time, I am thinking about topping the focaccia with caramelized onions, strips of jalapenos and a little Manchego or Chihuahua cheese.

 

I know it is time consuming with all the different risings, but it is well worth it. 

 

* The Turbinado sugar just adds another dimension to all the flavors.

* If you do not have a 9" square pan, a 10" cast-iron skillet will work. 

* Your rising environment will impact how long it takes for your dough to rise. 

* Many recipes call for kneading the dough by hand, I find using my Kitchen Aid easier and more efficient.   

 

BON APPETIT! 

 

 

 

 

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

 

I have put together a phenomenal nine day guided tour 

Puebla City and Mexico City 

 

September 17 - 26, 2026

For those who have been on my San Miguel de Allende tours, my Artisan and Architecture tour in the state of Michoacan, Oaxaca tour and exploring the Magic of the Maya World in Chiapas, I know if you join me, Puebla and Mexico City will also capture your heart.  
Helping me on this tour is Rick Hall.  Rick has helped me with a few of my previous tours and he was recently selected by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Artisans to be a judge at all the expositions in the state of Michoacan!  He is a perfect choice for this honor for he has worked directly with numerous artisans in central Mexico over the past 45 years and his personal folk art collection is museum quality.  Rick's knowledge of the history, artisans, etc.,  is remarkable! 
The first part of the tour starts in Puebla.  We will fly directly from Denver to Houston and then on to Puebla.  

Rick will meet us at the airport where we will be escorted to our boutique hotel, CasaReyna.

It was originally the ruins of 16th, 17th and 18th century homes before famed Mexican architect, Ricardo Legorreta re-created this gorgeous space, fusing old world and contemporary Mexico together.

Puebla is a colonial town loaded with Renaissance and Mexican Baroque architecture.  
A city famous for mole poblano, chilies en nogada, excellent dining and Talavera pottery.

 

 The first morning will be a walking tour of the historic center starting in the zolcal0

which is bordered on three sides by the original broad stone arcaded buildings (called portales).

and on the south side is the Cathedral.  The Cathedral, considered by many as one of the most beautiful in all of Mexico, was completed in 1648 with bells only in one tower with one bell weighing 8.5 tons.  

A visit to the Ex-Convento Santa Rosa, converted into a museum to display crafts produced in the state of Puebla.  The above is the former kitchen at the convent constructed with talavera tiles filled with huge caldrons and other earthenware utensils.  It is legend that the Dominican nun, Sor Andrea d la Asuncion, created the famous Mole Poblano.

A special guided tour at the renown , Talavera de Luz, a famous talavera pottery workshop where we will witness the whole production of the talavera pottery.

 

Along with some other tallers noted for their large cazuelas. 

A stop at the Museo Bello with its eclectic collection of over 2,500 pieces of furniture, decorative arts, talavera pottery all collected by Mariano Bello, a 19th century industrialist who owned cigar and textile factories.

One morning we will spend at the International Museum of the Baroque designed by Japanese architect Toyoo Ho.  Not only is the exterior architecture breathtaking, the interior exhibitions are some of the best I have seen in a long time.

Then off to the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest known pyramid in the world. Construction started in the 3rd century B.C. and the temple on top was added by Spaniards in the 16th century. Behind it stands Popocatépetl, an active volcano & the second highest peak in Mexico. 

A stop at the lavish Church of Santa María Tonantzintla, valued for its decoration in what is called folk or indigenous Baroque.  You will not believe how elaborate the interior is.

The 16th century Templo de San Francisco Acatepec is a unbelievable piece of architecture with its facade of Talavera mosaics combined with red brick.

Visits to the Museo Casa del Dean, a Renaissance-style home built in 1580 with phenomenal antique frescoes.   A stop at the Casa de Cultura, formerly the archbishop's palace with a facade adorned of bricks and tile.  Up a flight of marble steps to the second floor, you will encounter the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, the oldest library in the Americas.

Dining in Puebla is some of the best.  One night we will dine at El Mural de Los Poblano, shown above.    And much more...

Our private van and driver will pick us up at our hotel in Puebla and we will be chauffeured to an old gem of a hotel, Hotel Geneve, right in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City.  

 

A visit to Palacio de Bellas Artes with its French Belle Epoque exterior 

and Art Deco with Aztec influences interior where the second floor walls are lined with murals from artists of the Mexican Muralist Movement, Rivera, Siqueros, Orozco...

In the pretty Coyoacán neighborhood, we will dine one day at Los Danzantes overlooking the Jardin Centenario with the handsome fountain with coyote figures.

We will immerse ourselves into the world of Frida Kahlo when we tour Casa Azul, Frida's gardens, studio and home.

 Frida's colorful kitchen at Casa Azul.    

 And a visit to Museo Casa Kahlo, a new museum dedicated to Frida's life and work. 

 

Another morning at the Plaza de la Constitucion, invariably known as the Zocalo, one of the biggest public squares in the world.  We will visit the National Cathedral, one of the greatest religious structures in Latin America, 

and the Templo Mayer, the site of the Aztec Teocalli (sacred city). 

A visit to the former headquarters of Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education which now houses a muralism museum, including Diego Rivera's first large-scale mural project.   

  

Stunning in scope and scale, the murals in this gigantic government building depict the history of Mexico, from pre-Hispanic development and the arrival of the Spaniards to the modern era.

A stop at the Palacio de Correos de Mexico (the central post office) built in 1907 is quite spectacular with its eclectic architectural styles.  Pretty amazing.

The Palacio de Iturbide is one of the best colonial, Baroque buildings in the city.  Built around 1780, it was once the home of Augustin de Iturbide, the first emperor to Mexico after Mexico's independence from Spain.  Later it was a convent, a college and then a hotel before Banamex purchased it.  It re-opened as the “Palacio de Cultura Banamex” and today it hosts numerous temporary art exhibitions, as well as art workshops for adults and children.  The last exhibition was out of this world, who knows what will be in store for us in June.

 

 A visit to Museo Diego Rivera Anajuacalli, one of the most interesting structures in the city to house a museum.  Built out of volcanic rock, it contains Rivera’s astounding collection of over 56,000 pieces of Mesoamerican art.  You will also see many mosaics on the walls and ceilings, based on Rivera’s original designs, that depict the gods and goddesses of the pre-Hispanic times.

A stop at Juan O'Gorma's most lasting creation was the Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which he designed and built in the early 1950s and which has been given UNESCO World Heritage status. The surface is entirely covered with millions of stones chosen by him for their individual colors, and sourced from various regions of Mexico.

 

When on the campus, we will see a few murals by David Alfaro Siquero.

Comida one day at Contramar, famous for their fish and the decor is spectacular.  I love the brilliant blue wall along with the ceiling being covered in the Mexican straw mats, los petates.  It's a popular place.  Author and Chef Rick Bayless just featured Contramar and the San Angel Inn in his latest PBS series of, Mexico, One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless.  Check it out, Season 12, Episode 6.

A full morning at the Museo Nacional de Antropolgia which houses a world-renowned Pre-Coloumbian collection.  The museum’s large, central patio is almost covered by a 275 foot canopy which sits on a 36 foot pillar, the largest concrete structure in the world supported by a single pillar.  Now that is what I call a fountain!

The collection in beyond description.  Not only is the collection magnificent, the building and gallery spaces are spectacular.

Cena (dinner) at Los Limosneros, a lovely restaurant that puts a contemporary twist on traditional Mexican cuisine.   The walls of this old structure date back to 500 years, part of the fortified walls built back in the days.

We will have a relaxing afternoon, touring and dining on one of the colorfully painted trajinera boats

at the floating gardens (Chinampa) in Xochimilco.  Xochimilco, meaning “Place of the Flowers” in Nahuatl is famous for its Aztec-made waterways surrounding the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, which is now modern Mexico City.

 

Our last night we will have a leisurely dinner at the San Angel Inn.  The San Angel Inn is a long-standing, venerable institution in Mexico City.  Set in a classic, old hacienda (originally a convent), the atmosphere is elegant with blue-and-white Talavera-style place settings and bright white table linens—it has a true Spanish-Mexican colonial feel and is an oasis of calm in the middle of city.  A special place I have been coming to for over 50 years.

For more information, please email me your name and any other contact information and I will send you a complete itinerary along with pricing, a deposit request form and plane travel information.  I am limiting this tour to a maximum of ten and I already have a few people who are interested in joining me. 

TRAVEL THE AGES...

FROM THE COLONIAL TOWN OF PUEBLA

TO THE LAVISH CULTURE OF MEXICO CITY

robindsg@aol.com