guanajuato lindo...

It has been just more than six years since we last were here. Coming in to the city yesterday morning seemed like a first time arrival; a brand new world just waiting for us to explore. For some reason the colors were more vibrant, the air just a bit swifter, and the crowd a little livelier.
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Our arrival was greeted by more new friends at Posada Santa Fe.

We set out to lay our eyes upon the goods...

...and visit an old friend, who gladly welcomed us back.

If you know us, you know that we can NEVER get enough of Don Quixote; in fact I have grand designs on a new collectible...

Guanajuato may be an enticing, beautiful city to explore, but if you don't have a map and you are not good climbing hills on foot, I recommend finding a taxista that will get you to where you need to be.

The only sad note, and it truly breaks my heart, is that we had one important goal in mind upon arrival and that was to get to the Diego Rivera museum. Each and every time we have come to Guanajuato over the years, our intentions have always led us to the doorsteps of this birthplace. Each time we have missed the hours of operation by minutes. We knew this time that Mondays were days that were closed, so when we checked in yesterday and settled in, we headed out to see what we could see...

...only to find, that once again, the doors had closed thirty minutes before!! There must be a reason, my great artist, that we are not intended on seeing you...!

Later on, we found a window seat terrace to enjoy dinner.

Just across from us was a church, where the bell was rung...

...by hand, to call all to mass.

There is nothing like aguas limonadas or sodas in a glass bottle...

A tad bit tired of Mexican fare, the kids opted for pizza at an Italian trattoria.

Chato and I tried a few pastas and steaks.

The evening view was sweet.

We headed out, with a cooler sun on our backs to explore...

The tunnels here are more than five hundred years old, and the city sits atop this underground transportation system. It is a whole other world - where the commute from here to there happens invisibly.

The kids found some kind of thing-a-majigy that lit up and you could fling 'em through the night sky with the help of a slingshot.

They would eventually return kind of like a boomerang...and they would fling them off again.

This city is just as beautiful at night as it is in daylight.

What a difference a few years makes too. The kids think it is hilarious to find Volkswagon BUGS and punch one another....

...and if you been to Mexico, you know that there are some bruised arms right about now.

Earlier in the day, the world seemed to come to a halt here. As Mexico participated in the World Cup, everyone paused what they were doing and pulled up a chair to the television. You didn't even have to sit to watch the game against Argentina to know what was going on. The cheers and jeers filled the plaza. So the story goes, it was not a game that Cuatehmoc could save...

...even if his face is plastered to EVERYTHING here, including Lala yogurt drinks.

We wrapped up the evening in the plaza, listening to music and spinning ourselves silly...

...and making a few personal purchases.

Today, we are going to continue a journey through Guanajuato's streets. Tomorrow we will head back into Leon for some touring, and Wednesday we head for Delores Hidalgo and will spend the night in San Miguel de Allende. Glorious historic heartland....