November 19, 2023 Patzcuaro: A miscellaneous day
Terry left us on Sunday to return to San Miguel and Michele and I decided to wander. We saw lots of groups of “peregrinos” (pilgrims) going from church to church. We’re not sure why but maybe it had something to do with the holiday weekend? It was a celebration of the Mexican Revolution. Or maybe it was just an ordinary weekend? There seemed to be a lot of young people in the groups.
We wandered on and came to a square with some people enjoying the sun. And there was music. We strolled over to the music and discovered that there were some dancers doing their dance thing. I started shaking my bootie, then lo and behold, they asked me to join them…
(I will try to insert the video that Michele took but don’t know if it will take.)
Here’s a photo….
They were a dance group who did various dances. I think they danced in costumes before audiences. I enjoyed talking to them in my “excellent” Spanish. Ha!
From the square we saw strange figures walking down the street. Is this a usual weekend? Or is it part of the Revolution holiday.
One of the highlights of this day was at the Libreria. We had discovered it earlier. It features an astounding mural by Juan O’Gorman that shows the history of Michoacán. It was completed in 1942, and unlike other murals and guide-book information, this gives a more balanced and complete story of the land, the indigineous people, the Spanish conquest of the country, and what has happened since. We bought a little booklet at the entrance desk, then dragged chairs to the front of the room and sat there for over an hour, going through the mural bit by bit. It was mind-boggling.
Here’s my photo.
If you want more photos, trying searching for …
The Mural of Juan O'Gorman in Pátzcuaro
within the Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library
I found a YouTube presentation on the mural which shows the different sections and tells the story. It’s in Spanish but the pictures are stunning.
https://youtu.be/4j79zVo5f_o?si=YeYuafyYqW2eaOYe
Finally, we were kicked out of the library when it closed. It was such a great day.
Looks like ballet lessons as a kid did not pay off, but you were having such a grand time. Shake your bootie sis.
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