some of my favorite things

Today was a rest day for me.  But I did get out to see a bit of Pátzcuaro -- and found some things quirky enough to pique my interest.


Pátzcuaro’s grand plaza is surrounded by what were once the mansions of the colonial elite.  They (the mansions, not the elite) are now shops, restaurants, hotels, and government offices.  But the structures still retain the grandeur of the grandees.


To keep it that way, the authorities have slapped up a painted notice -- “No anunciar.”  That is it at the top of this post.  In The States, it would read “Post no bills.”


The reason is obvious.  We have all seen telephone poles that look as if the only thing holding them together are the posters and staples stuck on them.


But I am not going for the obvious irony here.  Posting a notice of no posting is not the type of target that usually attracts my interest.

 

What made me laugh was the other side of the pillar.  Another notice.  Obviously posted there with some authority.


Maybe “No anunciar” applies only to notices posted on the other side of the pillar.


When I was here in February, I wrote a series of posts on the O’Gorman mural in the town library.  I stopped by to take another look, and was surprised to see two small panels I had not seen before.


And I now know why when I look back on my earlier photographs of the mural.  I could not see them in February because they were behind book cases then.

But I know no more than that.  I asked the woman at the desk and tried to follow her explanation.  But my Spanish was not up to the task.


This was O’Gorman’s first mural.  I thought the other panels might have been his own drafts before adding them to the mural.  But the style seems different.  I am going to ask around.


Then there are the surprises.  Colonial homes often have plain exteriors hiding exquisite interiors -- or what were once exquisite interiors.


While walking around the grand plaza, I found myself in need.  And a red and white sign on one of the old mansions was just what I needed. ”Sanitarios publicos.”

 

When I walked through the gate, I discovered what once must have been a stunning courtyard.  It is still lovely.  But, in its day, the fountain and the arches would have provided a refuge from the outside world.


Both in Melaque and San Miguel, I have appreciated the sense of privacy that gardens and walls can provide.  I suspect I will now find it very difficult to live anywhere without those conveniences.


But speaking of convenience, that was where I was headed when I started this story.  After seeing the courtyard, I wondered what the bathrooms would be like.

 

After paying my 3 pesos, I headed through another archway and walked out into this.  What looked like a large field.  In the middle of town.  Those are the bathrooms in the back.  Women in front.  Men behind.


The surprise, to me, was the field.  I have no idea what it was.  But I am having breakfast with a group of local men.  Maybe they will have an answer.


And that is one thing I love about Pátzcuaro.  There are enough questions to keep my writer instincts on guard.