Life in Morelia - mid August

After much searching and looking at some "interesting" apartments and houses, we moved into an apartment in a neighborhood near where we spent the first 2.5 weeks in town and also near the kids' school.  It is a brand new apartment in a new building, which makes it clean and fresh, but it has also meant that the phone company can't find us and we're doubtful that the post office can either (and there are no mail boxes).  Three weeks later, we are still without a phone . . . But we have a wonderful view of downtown and the cathedral, it is convenient to both downtown and the neighboring university area.  We can walk to most of what we need, which is a nice contrast to our house in Vermont!

apartment 1  apartment 2 apartment 3

View from our living/dining room at sunset and sunrise.  
night 1    

Every Saturday night there is a firework display to accompany the lighting of the cathedral lights.

night 2    night 4   

We found a family who was just leaving Morelia (a climate-change biologist just starting a position at Yale!) and bought their bed, dining room table and chairs, mini-fridge, and dishes; we scurried around to used-furniture stores to find couches, more beds and a desk.  We now feel we have everything we need for the coming year.

Local market

We can walk to a small farmers market a few blocks away, open Wednesdays and Sundays.  We've learned that we can buy most of our groceries there, directly from the farmers (or bee farmers or tortilla-makers) quite cheaply.  Margaret has taken to photographing the produce, even though the shopkeepers laugh at her.

market 1   market 2   market 3

   

   

   





   This is a pile of huilacote (corn smut) a fungus that attacks corn cobs.  It seems like it should be unusual, but it is common and cheap, like an ordinary mushroom.  It has a rich meaty flavor like porcini.  We love it.  Behind them are sqaush blossoms, pomegranates, and avocados.
















These are just some of the purchases we made this morning: add in chicken breasts (beat into a flat sheet; we call them chicken sheets),
a plastic cup of honey, apples, broccoli, zucchini, and day lilies!
tortillas tomatillas mangos
tiny red
potatoes		 food bought huilacote
(corn smut)
plastic cup
of guacamole
chayote
(the green fruits)




Topiaries seem to be very common here.  Here is one at a local restaurant in Morelia: a farmer plowing.



The kids are getting ready for school at the Instituto Thomas Jefferson, which starts next week. We have had to purchase all of their textbooks for the year (unlike the US schools which generally provide the necessary books . . . ).
   
They even get to wear uniforms on days they have PE!