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

June 2025

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 40 years and his personal folk art collection is museum quality.  Rick helped me with my last tour to Mexico City and his knowledge of the history, artisans, the city, etc., was 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.

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.   

 

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 National Palace, the former site of Hernan Cortes’ residence. 

The most interesting feature of this Renaissance building is the great mural by Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico along with countless other murals on the second floor. 

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 45 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

June 2025

robindsg@aol.com

 

 

An Artistic Adventure in San Miguel de Allende

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

A Painter's Paradise

 

I have had the pleasure of putting together a special itinerary for October of next year for a group of ladies from Denver that are avid painters and love to travel to exotic places for some unique workshops.  And believe me, this will be an incredible adventure!  

 Ten days in San Miguel de Allende and

staying at a charming B & B right in the historic center of town.  

Experience the exceptional treasures of San Miguel;  its beautiful colonial architecture, delicious cuisine, native culture, comfortable climate, endless shopping and interesting museums.  A place I have lived and spent time in for over the past 49 years. 

A walking tour on Day two

with lunch at one of my favorite restaurants where Chef Anna Lilia will prepare a special lunch just for us.   

After lunch we will tour, La Esquina, the children's folk art museum situated in an old colonial three-story home that has been meticulously restored.  The concept of Maestra Angélica Tijerina when creating La Esquina was to group the works into four main themes, to promote and disseminate popular toys and games highlighting their manufacturing characteristics, materials and social function, as well as their artistic qualities, expression of creativity and cultural diversity of the country.  Over the course of 57 years, Tijerina has collected an astounding collection of over 3,500 Mexican toys from 28 different states in Mexico.

More on La Esquina, go to the post on my Blog:   

Link: https://robintalkscookstravels.blogspot.com/2017/12/la-esquina-childrens-folk-museum.html

One morning we will walk over to La Fabrica Aurora.  The La Aurora textile factory was one of San Miguel de Allende’s most important industrial operations from its opening in 1902 to its closure in 1991. It was the town’s biggest employer.  In 2004, it was re-inaugurated in its current form, a bustling collection of shops, galleries and cafes that many refer as a paradise for art lovers.

That afternoon we will spend at the lovely home of my good friend, Chef Paco's, up on the hill where we will have an inter-active cooking class of some phenomenal recipes.

After we will dine al fresco and enjoy the lunch that was prepared along with some local wines.

On our way to the first day of our painting workshop, we will make a stop at  the Sanctuary of Atotonilco (often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Mexico).

The murals are everywhere and it is truly spectacular.

Artist Frank Garnder is a landmark in San Miguel.  I recently met with him to talk about the workshop and I was very inspired by what he was proposing knowing that my group is not new to painting.  A graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1986 with a BFA in Painting, he had a desire to explore the world and find true inspiration for his paintings.  This eventually led him on his second trip to Mexico in 1990 to San Miguel and it  has been his home ever since.  

 

Frank says, “A controlled chaos or loose spontaneity is my favored look, although each color and stroke is well thought out and carefully placed. I try and convey to the viewer my feelings about the scene through my use of color and brushwork. I’ll let the subject, my mood, or both determine how much detail is required to complete each painting.”  

 

For more on Frank, go to www.FrankGardner.com 

Frank's studio space is streaming with natural light and an ideal spot to spend the day.  You will be at Frank's studio three out of the four days.

 

Some works in progress from a landscape, caballeros, collages, a painting of his collage...

 A series of collages in the works...

Frank's property is an oasis in the campo (countryside)!  The cacti are just spectacular and the craftsmanship of the stonework is superb.  

An ideal landscape for Plein Air painting...  The lighting in San Miguel is spectacular, especially the morning and afternoon light.  Ideal for painters and photographers.

A break from the workshop, a side trip over over to Guanajuato where we will experience the elegant architecture, 

gorgeous churches and pedestrian streets,

 the beautiful Opera House, Diego Rivera Museum, 

world renowned Gorky Gonzales’s ceramic studio and then enjoy a sublime, gourmet meal at the best restaurant in town, Casa Mercedes. 

One day with Frank will be at the exclusive Rancho del Sol Dorado.

A beautiful venue with stables, horses, an outdoor kitchen for dining, 

 goats, chickens...

One morning will be at a taller (workshop) where you will create your own mini-Mojiganga!  

Mojigangas, supersize papier-mâché puppets, are a staple of almost every San Miguel de Allende wedding, fiesta, and callejoneada (parade).   The word "mojiganga" carries with it the meaning of "burlesque"... these giants are farcical and expansive exaggerations of humanity.

Pack your canvas and supplies for we will then head over to the phenomenal setting and spectacular home, Casa AguaMiel, 

and gallery of dear friends, Alfredo and Jim's, for an afternoon of painting

followed by an early dinner starting with a Tequila tasting, then a variety of mesquite grilled pizzas with traditional and Mexican toppings, salads and side dishes, dessert, wine, beer and fruit waters.  

They just recently hosted the opening night gala at their home for the International Film Festival.  It was over the top.

The last day you are on your own to shop, sight see, wander around town before we meet up for our farewell dinner when I have my favorite trio play for us over our cocktail hour.

 

My first encounter with San Miguel de Allende was the summer of 1974 when I went to the Art Institute and that same summer my parents bought their first Mexican house in the historic center of town.  And that is when my love affair with Mexico, especially San Miguel started.  Because of my intimate, long relationship with San Miguel, I receive extraordinary service, have exceptional contacts and countless resources in town.  On my tours, we dine at some of the best restaurants.  My driver and transportation service are top notch, whose owner I have know for over 25 years.  It is easy to say San Miguel is "my home away from home".

 

 

You simply just have to show up.  

I will have taken care of everything.  

That's the beauty of my tours.

It's a trip of a lifetime!   

 

 

TRAVEL IS THE ONLY THING YOU BUY 

THAT MAKES YOU RICHER 

 

October 12 - 22, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

Pipila and the Scenic Panaramic View of Gauanajuato

When I have my San Miguel de Allende tours, we always make a day trip over to Guanajuato and our first stop is the magnificent scenic overlook with the spectacular panoramic view of colorful Guanajuato.  In the 1700's Guanajuato was the largest silver producing city ever, providing over 70% of its silver to the Old World.  

The Pipila monument stands about 10 meters tall and is a reminder of the War of Independence.  Pipila, Juan Jose de los Reyes Martinez, was a hero and patriot born in San Miguel de Allende in 1782.  In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo's forces were besieging the granary in Guanajuato where the Spaniards had taken refuge.  It was Pipila, a miner at one time, who slapped a slab of of stone to his back to deflect the gunfire and stormed the overwhelmingly massive granary (alhonidiga) and set fire to its doors, thus opening the way for the rebels to enter and occupy the stronghold.  In stone, he continues to hold the torch high, standing above the plaque promising "there are still other Alhondigas to burn." 

Today the Alhondigas de Granaditas contradicts it gory past.  On each of the four corners of the building, you will find large hooks set into the wall.  Each hook held a cage with the head of the heroes (Father Miguel Hidalgo, Juan Aldama, General Ignacio Allende and Mariano Jimenez) until 1821 when the Spaniards left Mexico for Spain for good.  Today the Alhondiga is a state and federal museum.

A view of town with the Guanajuato Mountains in the back and the prominent Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato dead center and the state University behind it.

I love all the pedestrian streets in Guanajuato.  So welcoming.

The interior of the Basilica with 15 huge crystal chandeliers adorning the vaulted ceiling.  The Virgin at the back of the church is made of wood and was given to the city by Felipe II in 1557.  It has been venerated in Spain since the year 714 and so it is the oldest religious figure in Mexico.

El jardin de la Union is the main plaza is unique.  Because of the lack of flat land conducive to the typical broad, square Mexican plaza, the plaza is a rather unusual shape and it has the nickname, "a wedge of cheese".  Almost entirely covered by a thick canopy of Laurel trees, there is a handsome gazebo in the middle.

 

Very European is feeling with its grand architecture.

A panoramic view of the city.  It's a wonderful entree to the city and everyone is always excited to explore further.