CHARMED BY MORELIA

Imagine an entire town the color of terracotta. Imagine hand-laid stone streets, earth tone churches and pink stone cathedrals, large cascading water fountains, sculptures of beautiful topless women and grassy parks with Baroque archways.

Now imagine university students walking to their classes along tree lined promenades, lovers kissing on every corner and cloudless skies. At night there's live music and fireworks that light up the whole city. This is Morelia. We've been here for a week and we are already talking about when we will come back. It’s like Little Spain.

Rowan has had to grow up a lot here, as we walk everywhere and at the end of the day that means several miles. He’s gotten used to walking through the outdoor markets. He has two favorite places to walk to, which he is constantly begging us to re-visit. The first is the Gum Tree: a hundred year old tree that is covered in ABC gum. Passersby pull gum out of their mouths and stick it to this tree all day long... and Rowan loves to stick his gum there too! The second is the Candy Market, where Rowan loves to sample locally made coconut candies, caramels, fruit leathers and spicy Mexican chocolate. His walk-a-bout legs have certainly strengthened here. Rosie’s legs are also getting stronger, and she’s starting to take steps!

I’m convinced we’re staying in the coolest guest house in Morelia, called Casa Rosa, owned by the sweetest Grandma from Chicago. Both of our kids have fallen in love with Rosa. Here we are having dinner together.

It so happened that this week is the State Fair. We got to "Do the Puyallup", Michuacan style by watching Mexican horse dancing, eating tacos and sampling locally made Mescal which is an agave micro-brew that tastes something like rubbing alcohol mixed with dirt. Rowan even got to sit on the world's largest bull (at least he thought it was...)

While Rowan was sitting on the world's largest bull, Travis was drinking the world's largest beer. 

Who better to show the clowns how to ride a unicycle, than Travis?

Rowan went on his first roller coaster ride at the fair, and loved it. We also took him to his first circus where he saw clowns walking tight ropes, child contortionists and graceful trapeze artists. At one point Rowan leaned over to me and said, "Look mom, they have super powers!"