I am writing from a beautiful apartment in Mexico City. Sam and his mom decided to take their annual trip and this year they chose Mexico. They invited me a few times, but I passed each time because I always felt like I was intruding. A week ago, they had not bought their plane tickets and asked me one last time to come, and I decided to say “Yes.” I had busy, yet very productive August at work, so I decided to take a week to relax in one of my favorite cities.
I finished a few meetings in NYC on Friday and flew from Newark to Mexico City. My Amtrak club status came in handy, because it gave me access to the United Lounge in EWR. I swear to god, that card is one of my most treasured possessions. It’s an easy flight and was in bed by 11 PM. Sam found a place in La Condessa, which is where we stayed a few years ago. It’s a wonderful neighborhood.
On Saturday morning we woke up, had breakfast in the neighborhood, then caught the bus to Puebla for Saturday and Sunday. I have never been to Puebla and I am so glad I went. We arrived without much of an itinerary and took the two days to soak up the city and walk around. We stayed near the Artist Quarter and really loved the vibe. There was so much live music. In every bar, restaurant, or cafe one can hear people singing and playing instruments. Bonus: most of the musicians are really good. The quality of the talent and the diversity of music make it really incredible.
There are a ton of markets that fun to explore. antique markets, traditional Mexican handicraft markets, and hipster craft markets. There are beautiful churches that make me stare in awe and walk away in outrage at the decadence of the church. I could talk a lot about Puebla, but I’ll mention my 3 favorite things and something that caused me concern.
We celebrated Sam’s birthday at a restaurant called El Mural de los Poblanos. I had mole poblano in with pork. It was fantastic. I have never been a fan of mole, but I am a convert. It was really one of the most delicious things I have ever had. I find Mexican cuisine pretty sophisticated and complex, so I think there must be a lot of bad/mediocre moles in the world. When a pro makes mole, it is incredible.
I loved visiting Biblioteca Palafoxiana. It’s reported that this is the first public library in all of the Americas. It does take a long time to explore it, but it is a beautiful library. It makes you want to sit in the middle of it and study something new. No photo does it justice.
Finally, I loved sitting outside at a table at Restaurante Bar Café del Artista. It was a lovely experience that is extremely hard to describe. Enjoying a drink with my husband, with a good musician, a chill in the air, and cool vibe of people around you made it wonderful. Everything about the evening made me cherish the moment.
Now here is the thing that bothered me. There is a local liquor making place called La Pasita. Our Airbnb host told us about it and it gets rave reviews. We decided to stop by after lunch and try one of their signature liquors. It’s a very small and very busy shop, with a big counter, a few tables, and shelves full of eclectic knickknacks and bottles. We ordered a glass and liked what we tried. I went back into the shop to return the glasses and buy a bottle to take home, when I noticed a bust of Adolf Hitler on the shelf. Now, I saw other busts as well, one even looked like Oliver Hardy. It was really busy in the shop and I decided stop to ask why Hitler was on the shelf. I decided to leave without buying anything. Maybe there is a good reason, but I didn’t have it in me to try to find out. I liked the liquor, but the Hitler bust cost La Pasita a sale.
Go to Puebla and enjoy an overnight. Eat good food, relax with the artists, and if you have the energy as La Pasita why there’s a bust of Hitler in his shop.