My love of traveling was hugely influenced by my mom, who loves exploring places and cultures far and wide (as her mom did as well). As an adult, it’s great to share this love with my parents and to experience different places traveling with them: like Puebla, Mexico over the Christmas holiday.
(Lo siento, amigos. I’m having some troubles currently with image uploads. Most are below, but don’t hesitate to pop back soon when I’ve fixed the broken parts!)
Mom did much of the planning for the trip, and she did a great job. We flew to Puebla from Cancun, where we’d spent the prior week relaxing at the Westin Lagunamar. The Westin, and especially its staff (hey, Marco!) is awesome, but that’s another post which primarily involves a pool and margaritas. Anyhow … the direct flight from Cancun to Puebla was a snap (non-stop flights are available from the mainland United States, too) and our hotel’s transportation from the tiny Puebla airport was equally slick.
Following our arrival in Puebla, we set out for dinner, briefly wandered the neighborhood near our hotel, then retired for the evening. The next day, we set out on foot to explore the city. Now, Puebla has a wealth of stunning Catholic churches (one for every day of the year), endless restaurants making delicious renditions of mole poblano, Talavera tile everywhere (more on that in a moment) and all sorts of other cultural attractions worthy of the city’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But toss all that aside for a moment. The brightly-colored and impeccably-maintained buildings along so many streets are a treat all of their own.
Equally as captivating was the zocalo (the central city square). The zocalo is a hive of activity during the day and well into the evening, with restaurants and bars, churches, shopping, and nearly everything else one could imagine. Right There. That includes an obligatory “Puebla” sculpture for everyone to take their selfies. We did. And on Christmas Day, it may just be THE place to be. Music, family, everything. Right There. (Apparently I was enjoying it too much to take pictures, so you’ll have to imagine it yourself.)
Puebla is also home to Talavera Tile. Our tour didn’t permit photos, so you’ll have to experience a factory on your own – and it’s totally worth it. Everything is done by hand in traditional ways, from soaking and grinding stone to make the tile, turning cups and bowls on a human-powered wheel, and hand-painting the intricate designs on plates, vases, tiles … you name it. The traditional blue-and-white designs are stunning, but to my eye, the newer, more modern interpretations are equally amazing.
Puebla is also an amazing city for street art (not just the publicly-visible Talavera Tile). The professional–and not so professional–art around town is an incredible tour of cultures and experiences, Mexican and otherwise. Although it’s not limited to any specific area, the neighborhood around the historic Cinco de Mayo tunnels is particularly remarkable for its wealth of art.
Puebla isn’t just a place to feast the eyes, it’s also a great place to … well, feast! (I know. Groan. Bad joke. Just go along, okay?!) In any case, Puebla has some great food. The dinner that began our trip was a delicious one at Casa Reyna, where I had the mole four ways. Honestly, eat all the mole while you’re in Puebla. All of it.
While traveling with my parents is largely a collaborative experience, mom planned for our accommodations in Puebla. And La Purificadora was a pretty sweet place to hang our hats for the week and walk around town from. In addition to the mezcal and Jamaica (sweet hibiscus tea) welcome cocktail which I definitely welcomed, the rooms were spacious and swanky (and I could read the labels on the shampoo and bath gel without my contacts, which is remarkable). Mom made reservations that included the hotel’s simple but delicious breakfast, but they really nailed it when they pulled out the stops for Christmas dinner: food, band, drinks and all.
Upper Left Traveler 