Friday, August 05, 2011

another magic kingdom?

I may have stumbled onto one of Pátzcuaro’s little secrets.  A reason why the town seems to be such a happy place.


San Miguel de Allende is often, and not with a flattering tone, referred to as Disney in Mexico.  But it isn’t.  It is sui generis.  But Disneyland it ain’t.


I may have found Disneyland’s second cousin in Mexico, though.  Right here in Pátzcuaro.


It has been staring me in the face for four days, and I simply did not see it.  But all the clues were there in the grand plaza.


A landscaped public area as tidy as a Teutonic grandmother’s living room.



Characters dressed in costume.

Strolling families.



Laughing, happy children.



Vendors ready to meet any child's whim.






And, of course, amusement rides -- this one annoyingly plays “It’s a Small World."




Better yet, live rides.




Even though the clues were always there, I didn’t pull them together until I noticed today’s Rosetta Stone.


I heard music.  At first, I thought I was hearing the omnipresent teenager’s oversized car speakers.  But no self-respecting teenager plays Andrew Lloyd Webber and "Bésame Mucho".


The music was everywhere in the plaza.  And I soon discovered why.  The plaza is surrounded with ground level speakers playing the type of mood music Disney applied long ago.  (My house sitter would be scandalized to see that the speakers are Bose.)



If Disneyland is the symbol of Middle America, Pátzcuaro just may be what Middle Mexico is all about.

18 comments:

"House-sitter" Jordan said...

Very nice post, Amigo! You are correct though, I'm "scandalized"! All looked well, before that mushroom Bose shot. (Though I've said it before, in terms of the array of products Bose offers, those sound as good as any other!) If I just stumbled upon your blog, I may have though it was about Disneyland, but not with that.  Disneyland, by the way, does have "live" rides as well----backstage. :) 

tancho said...

Oh,Oh, sounds like you are liking Patzcuaro.....But there are no Chamber Music Festivals, no culture, no Starbucks.

Nita said...

I love the photos, especially the "Los Viejos".

Steve Cotton said...

I was surprised as I sat in the plaza how much I felt I was back in the controlled world of Disney.  And it was not a bad thing.

Steve Cotton said...

No Starbucks is fine.  I am not a coffee drinker.  But I must admit, I miss the cultural festivals of San Miguel.

Steve Cotton said...

It masy be the last photo set I publish until I can get back to a better internet connection.  That on e took me almost four hours to post.  Blogger just does not keep formatting in place with photographs.

"House-sitter" Jordan said...

Controlled, eh? hehe At least there are no stinkin' white-cloths, communist security troopers walking around where you were!

Babsofsanmiguel said...

The Miro Quartet were fabulous last night!  They played Philip Glass, String Quartet #5.  Quite a piece.  To add to the madcap activities, tomorrow there is an Arts & Crafts Fair at the Instituto: Intl Beer Fest with servings of 500 beers; and to top off the evening La Aurora will be open with all art galleries having openings along with all kinds of music, food and who knows what!  One would have to have the stamina of a moose to accomplish it all. 
Then Sunday another Chamber Music performance that evening.........

Felipe Zapata said...

No culture?! Course we got culture if you're referring to violin solos and ballet and stuff. Even international film fests. We just don't have it to the extent of San Miguel. You need to come into town more often, amiguito.

Felipe Zapata said...

Yep, Bose speakers. Who woulda thunk it? The Plaza Grande was renovated about 18 months ago. During the work, I noticed those little green babies and asked a nearby construction worker what they were. When he told me they were speakers, I thought: Oh, Lord! Give a speaker to a Mexican and you almost invariably got a racket, a real mess of loud noise. Imagine my surprise when the plaza was reopened, and the music was nice and soft. They play all manner of styles, but it's always low-key. Perfect. Sometimes my paisanos surprise me.

Kim G said...

You seem to be uploading your photos at full resolution. You might try shrinking them first. That should speed things along.

Saludos,

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where shrunken headshots have their place.

Steve Cotton said...

I just may take up that challenge.

Steve Cotton said...

I just took some more.  The sun was out, but the faces are in shadows.  The bane of photography.

Steve Cotton said...

It is a thought.

Steve Cotton said...

I am sorry I missed the Glass piece.  I thought about driving back up for it, but I am enjoying the bucolic charms of the lake.

Steve Cotton said...

And I have enjoyed sitting out there -- dreaming of the Anaheim Kingdom.

Steve Cotton said...

Nope this is a free land of Disney.

"House-sitter" Jordan said...

I think it's time to dream bigger---try, the Orlando Kingdom!