Valentines day in Puebla

15,700 steps

Today we are spending the day in Puebla, our last full day here.

Start off this morning with a visit to the car museum. Lots of cars here, but we are the only 2 visitors. You have to sign in, and by the looks of it there are never too many visitors. They charge and extra 100 pesos if you want to take pictures.

After the car visit we took the elevator to the top floor which gives you great views of the city. We were hoping to see volcano Popo from here, but again it is cloudy over there.

On the way to our next stop picked up a bolilo relleno de crema, which is kind of like a cream filled open face donut, very yummy.

We walked to the other end of town and came across a street vendor making tacos and grilling them with blue corn, Oaxaca cheese, squash blossoms, time for some lunch. Very yummy, we could only put a touch of hot sauce on them, the hot sauce here is HOT.

Next off we visited Santa Rosa Convent. We are now carrying our ID all the time because we are getting senior rates, we thought it was only for Mexicans, but if we show our ID they are giving us rates at about ½ price. None of the museums here are expensive, but ½ price is ½ price. This convent has been through a few transformations, it has been a psychiatric hospital and a little community, and currently is a museum of popular art. We didn't realize but once you pay a guide follows along with you and tells you more about the museum. We had a young guide who knew quite a bit of English, so we were lucky. This convent is known for the nuns inventing poblano mole, a delicious chocolate sauce that we have had on chicken. The kitchen was spectacular, all done in talavera tiles, from ceiling to walls to floor.

We finished our touring with a visit to the local market. Local market it was. I think we were the only tourists there, but something Andre always loves visiting when we are in a new place. Everything looked so fresh, and everything was there to purchase. They had a few food stands where you could order something to eat which was our original lunch plan, but that street vendor looked so good we couldn't resist earlier.

Home for a rest up when it is the hottest part of the day then we head back to the square at around 4 as we heard there was a concert. The concert was right outside the cathedral, it was a christian band and everyone seemed to know the words, it was nice to watch for a while.

Decided on an early supper as we didn't have reservations anywhere and valentines seems to be really celebrated here. We saw lots of women with flowers and gifts. Happened across a fantastic restaurant that was in the courtyard of an old mansion. They had TVs on the wall with pictures of what the different options for ordering are which was helpful.

Back to the main square and we had seen a piano being set earlier so knew something was going on tonight. Andre had read somewhere that it started at 7, it was only 6 but we decided to wait and just people watch and enjoy another beautiful evening outside. It really cools down here at night, I have been wearing a little jacket every morning and every night. The concert was actually 2 people playing the piano together, we think the name of the band was 4 hands. They were very good and it was a fun evening.

So many nice house on old town

The top is a restaurant and just below it is the mirador

Ford Model Ts

The Italian section

Would need help getting out, so we won't get one

The tall towers is the Cathedral

I guess this place has been abandon for a while

No more glaciers since 2001

Paleterias sell popsicle either made with water or cream with many varieties for around $1

Chips are very popular here

bolilo relleno de crema kinda like a Boston Cream donut but more filling and softer

A VERY nice looking Hostel

The street are almost all this nice and colourful

Another chip stand

Churches everywhere

Sometimes facing each other

Made with corn fungus, squash blossom and Oaxaca cheese. Super delicious

At the Ex-Convent Santa Rosa which is now a popular art museum. So much stuff on display and we had a guide telling us the stories about each sections.

The museum cost was $4 for the 2 of us since we are over 60.

Kitchen where nuns invented mole poblano. Notice the talavera tiles on the ceiling, floor and walls.

Now at the 5 de Mayo local market. I could have spend the whole day here but I think Wendy walked thru the meat section with her eye closed.

A few places selling food that looked really good but we just had eaten, so we skipped. 

Would love to have a market like this at home, perhaps the meat could be refrigerated but it looks fresh.

The fish section was outdoors, I guess for the small

Every part of the cow is up for sale

The radishes are very large here

Another beautiful  church visit

One last visit at the Cathedral, the main door is usually not open and they use the side doors we were told.

We found a great Mexican place for supper

The only dessert made in house, the rest were from Costco

Used to be a mansion

Micro brewery using an old bug for the draft taps.

Not sure why they were here, everything is so peaceful.

Warning up for the concert

1 of 2 emerging artist panel