morelia impromptu

Friday was  Costco day.


It didn’t start out that way.  I had planned on driving to Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, to look around the colonial city and then have lunch with a friend.  It didn’t quite work out as I had planned.


I got a late start.  When I got to the west end of Morelia, my GPS told me to make a left turn onto a trunk road when I should have gone right.  But it was one of those mistakes that turned out all right.  It put me right in front of the Ford dealership.


I have not yet replaced my improvised battery bracket.  And I still haven’t.  The dealership did not have one in stock.  So, I will just wait for my return to Manzanillo.


They did help me, though, to get back on track for a visit to Costco.  I stopped there just to see what delicacies the store offered to the residents this part of the highlands.


I confess to a bit of jealousy.  There was thick ham.  Cherries.  Kalamata olives.  Tomato paste.  Turkey breast sandwich meat.  Pepperoni.  Tillamook extra sharp cheese.  It was like culinary heaven.


I also took a look at the high definition televisions.  In the past year. the price has come down to the point where middle class Mexican families can now afford to buy one.  A positive result of NAFTA.


But I didn’t need a television.  I needed lunch.  My lunch partner had picked one of her favorite restaurants (Parrilla y Canilla) in the hills surrounding Morelia.  The restaurant was formerly a residence on a nice piece of property overlooking the city.  Whoever designed it had an Italianate eye.

But the restaurant’s best asset -- as should be the case for any restaurant -- is not its view or its milieu.  Its food is marvelous.  I had a steak.  Once again proving that the myth of tough Mexican beef is just that.  A myth.  It was almost tender enough to cut with my fork.


Our lunch turned out to be one of those long conversation meals.  Just as meals with friends should be.

 

I was ready to head back to Pátzcuaro, but my lunch partner suggested that I might like to see the colonial part of the city.  I did.  And off we went.


Even though I took a walking tour through Morelia last February, this walk was much better.  She showed me the Palace of Justice.  The arguably oldest building in Morelia -- now a hotel.  An old exhibit hall.  The Templo de la Rosa.  A used book store right out of the 40s.  The Teatro Ocamo.  The Regional Museum.  The Cathedral.  The Regional Government Palace.

We took a quick break at the Museum of Candy for coffee and mineral water.  And then walked down to the aqueduct and the Tarascan fountain.  Stopping on the way at another used book store.

 

What turned out to be the best stop of the evening -- it was now well past 6 -- was in an alley of a former soap factory.  The alley is lined with small bars and restaurants -- and an occasional shop. 


We stopped at one of the shops because it had a curious mix of merchandise.  Candles.  Candy.  Canned fruits.

 

The owner showed us around offering samples of the foodstuffs.  I ended up buying a jar of quail eggs canned with various savories.  Something I certainly could not buy just anywhere.


Not even at Costco.  NATA or no NAFTA.