La Pena of Bernal and Mexico Magico, Queretaro (Mexico Notes 12)

Mexico Notes It is like a scene from a Fellini movie. Shrieking laughter of women. French music from a boom box. Chop chop chop of a machete. And we, hunkered down in our sleeping bags. Journal, June 13   We exit San Miguel de Allende, travel up and out of town past movie complexes, shopping […]

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Restaurant with a view. Santa Elena Vineyard © 2024 Jane Simon Ammeson.

The Aguascalientes Wine Route: award-winning wines, great food and live music

When the Spaniards arrived in the region in west central Mexico that would become Aguascalientes, Caxcán farmers and nomadic Zacatecos Indians and other early indigenous people were already crafting wine by foraging and fermenting the grapes that grew wild in these high desert plains. But the Spaniards had brought with them cuttings of Vitis vinifera, […]

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Lele Doll. © Carlene Fowlkes.

Keeping Culture Alive: The Iconic Lele Dolls of Amealco

Amealco, a scenic town in Mexico’s Querétaro state, is one of the country’s designated Pueblos Mágicos or “Magic Towns.” This distinction, awarded by the Mexican government, recognizes places that offer visitors exceptional beauty, cultural richness, and historical significance. Amealco, a reservation of Otomí indigenous culture, is where a treasured craft has been perfected over centuries. […]

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