Our Mushroom Friends took us Sightseeing in Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque in Jalisco, México

 Such a joy for having a sightseeing day in-between our mushroom consulting work.

Grateful to our mushroom friends for showing us the beauty and diverse culture of México!

This time it is about the 2nd largest city in México and the state of Jalisco is the Mexican Silicon Valley.

Happy on Sunday, May 25 in 1997...

Wearing my Escada strawberry collection in this colorful state of Jalisco, México.

Standing here inside the Guadalajara Palacio de Gobierno Jalisco (Government Palace) with the Cathedral visible in the back.

Just one of the gems of The Colonial Architecture in Downtown Guadalajara.

We had arrived very late on Saturday, from our work at El Encinal, one of the Monteblanco mushroom farms near México City.

I'd also managed to go to the new Santa Fé shopping Plaza to quickly check out the La Perla boutique and later to the Escada Boutique. Always did this at world cities, for knowing what is coming into the US Outlets, half a year later... My formal fashion design education shining through and I did not miss that opportunity!

The sales person noticed my Escada strawberry belt and said she had a matching bag and on discount. SO... that got adopted right away and I happily wear it in the top photo.

After our five hour drive, we arrived late at the Camino Real in Guadalajara by 23:00 o'clock and enjoyed a Russian dinner.

The Camino Real held a Russian Week, complete with Russian musicians!

The waiters as well were dressed in Russian style...

Here I went to thank the Russian singer for my requested song: Kalinka...

My Dad sang it in his choir and I sang it on the way home in the bus in Hungary: Communist Hungary with Husband Pieter Part IV -  Kiskunhalas just scroll to the bottom part... 

Pieter and I both love Hungarian and Slavic music, including Russian!

After breakfast together on Sunday, we went to see the historic downtown of Guadalajara, the 2nd largest city in Mexico and home of the Mariachi music and also the Tequila.

The capital of the state Jalisco.

Jalisco is the birthplace of José Clemente Orozco, one of the greatest muralists of the twentieth century in the world. We admired several of his murals at the Guadalajara Palacio de Gobierno.

This photo got taken from the Plaza de la Liberación with the view of the 2-steeple Cathedral.

The Cathedral is surrounded by four plazas that form a cross.

Guadalajara did not have any native population when the Spanish settled there in 1542.

Guadalajara sits on a mountainous plateau in west central Mexico at 5,400 feet or 1,646 meters.

On one of the four Plazas I am getting a history lesson by Agustín who loves history as much as both of us do. We all are avid readers as well.

The Flamboyant trees were blooming abundantly red!

Trying to soak it all up; a day with so much history and culture!

Admiring the Cathedral and the surrounding Plazas.

Way at the top in this photo, you can see some of the Jacaranda blossoms!

Wow, that Flamboyant tree...!

Pieter and I together in a photo against the Cathedral as back drop.

From the left: Carmen, me, Agustín, Olivia and Ricardo who live in Guadalajara and were exceptional guides that day. 

We owe them a lot for such a marvelous and educational day.

We did visit Tlaquepaque where I purchased a cute mini silver bottle and some gifts for friends.

After taking photo I noticed it could have used some silver cleaning and polishing, it resides in the antique type tray in our bedroom, shielded by a plexiglass cover but that does not keep things from tarnishing...

We enjoyed lunch with Mariachis and by 18:00 o'clock back at the Camino Real hotel.

Went to Mass at 20:30 and only had a very light meal afterwards.

Next day we checked out after breakfast and left for work at the mushroom farm. 

We spent another night at nearby hotel Plaza Centro in Tepatitlan de Morelos, also in the state of Jalisco, checking out in the morning after breakfast.

From there we left next day around 17:10 o'clock from the mushroom farm, for the three hour ride to Mansión Galindo... see below from previous post.

Related links:

The Most Modern Neighborhood in Mexico? | YouTube video showing at 2:07 my favorite white & blue agapanthus flowers alongside the road as we passed by numerous parks on our way to work. Santa Fe Mall is 6,000,000 square feet! 

This is the RICHEST Street in Mexico City! | TOUR | YouTube video showing you this world famous Avenida Presidente Masaryk in Polanco (close to our hotel, even walking distance and where I checked out the Escada Boutique)... It sure paid off for being fluent in Spanish.

Our 1st Time Consulting in Mexico with stay at Camino Real Hotel Mexico City | previous post about our hotel in Polanco, part of Mexico City

For Consulting in Jalisco we stayed at Hotel Camino Real Guadalajara - Mexico | previous post

Mansión Galindo in San Juan del Río, Querétaro in México | previous post

Guadalajara Guadalajara | Marca Ciudad | YouTube video for getting an excellent Mariachi taste

For Consulting in Jalisco we stayed at Hotel Camino Real Guadalajara - Mexico

CAMINO REAL GUADALAJARA - MEXICO

Pool with view of HUGE Ficus elastica tree...

You can see the tables and chairs where we later enjoyed a very light meal.

This hotel is only 2 stories high, as they call it; a horizontal complex.

There are no less than four pools on this very green and stretched out property of 7 acres with attractive gardens and tennis courts.

Our gracious hosts for Sunday, Ricardo the mushroom farm manager and his wife Olivia took us first to a 10:00 o'clock performance of the historical ballet of Guadalajara.

Lots of color and temperament!

Around noon, we were back again, outside in the sunshine and strolled a little over a market with everything rustic.

Next we enjoyed an authentic Mexican lunch; complete with Mariachis!

We returned back to our hotel by 17:00 and loved just to relax a little while on a chaise lounge.

We opted for a very light meal on the patio after our boss had flown in by 21:00 and all three of us enjoyed eating together.

The end of a perfect Sunday that started relaxed at 8:00 and let us wear our shorts... together with my Escada strawberry pieces.

Fond memories of mushroom friends and a great hotel where we stayed several times.

By the way Camino Real means: Royal Road

Related links:

Our 1st Time Consulting in Mexico with stay at Camino Real Hotel Mexico City | previous post

Mexico's Mariachi music, string, song and trumpet and I got serenaded... | previous post

Mexico's Mariachi music, string, song and trumpet and I got serenaded...

 We both have been so fortunate for having met the pure Mexican culture in many ways.

Here I'm standing next to a group of Mariachis that came to play and sing at a stylish Mass, celebrating the 49th anniversary of El Encinal, Monteblanco's oldest mushroom farm.

Mariachis are without hats; out of respect!

To the left is the manager from El Encinal and Don Victor who started Monteblanco 49 years ago is seated next to me and on the right of me is his son.

The kind Mariachi lends Pieter his violin...

The priest is getting ready for saying Mass

It was a very special Mass and afterward lunch for all employees.

During Mass, which got celebrated with lots of fresh flowers!

Mariachis still playing while employees are seated at table now.

Second from left is me standing near the door...

No paper napkins and such, but instead an Eco friendly table setting!

That was a meaningful event and most of the employees are grateful for their job!

UNESCO has added Mexico's Mariachi music to its list of 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity'.

Glad they did!

Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City famous for its serenading Mariachis click for more info

On our fourth trip for consulting in Mexico, we got another very special royal treatment...

On Saturday, December 2 of 1995, we got picked up at the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City, by Agustín and Carmen. They took us to the Historic District of Mexico City (UNESCO World Heritage Site) where we had lunch on a terrace with a margarita, under a parasol in the sun. It is such a beautiful city with many parks, trees and green planting; paradise. 

After lunch we did walk around for some shopping together, for us CD's from the three tenors and organ music from Bach which we could not find at Schiphol/Amsterdam airport.

After a rest period back in our hotel, Agustín and Carmen picked us up again at 21:00 to go to Plaza Girabaldi where, according to the old Spanish tradition, the Mariachis still serenade. The idea is that you will listen in the square and pick out a group for taking to your home for serenading your wife/girlfriend/lover... 

What a display! 

It's like being in a live operette with such beautiful costumes!!!

Beautiful trousers with those gold decorations along the side of their legs. The length is also perfect; nice and long down to their booties. Very slim cut and higher waist, as in the movies used to be. Also with hats on, and they use violins, bass guitars, trumpet and a unique instrument the Vihuela (a 15th-century fretted plucked Spanish string instrument).

Agustín bought a group, for three songs; dedicated to Carmen and me.

That was very special!

Of course, the audience could also enjoy it. 

WISH we'd had our iPhones back then...!

Related link:

Our 1st Time Consulting in Mexico with stay at Camino Real Hotel Mexico City | previous post about hotel where we stayed