'A Casarella

Whenever I find myself answering one of those "25 Fun Facts About Me" quizzes, I like to mention that my husband's parents live in Mexico.

After revealing this little tid-bit, I am guaranteed to be asked three questions. To save us all the time, I'm going to go ahead and answer them for you below:

No, my in-laws are not Mexican.
In fact, they are originally from New England. This becomes evident when my father-in-law tries to speak Spanish. People from Rhode Island should not try to roll the letter R. Ever.

No they do not live on the beach.
Mexico actually has a whole inside part. (Who knew?)

No, I am not concerned for their safety.
Yes, I know what you saw on Dateline: Mexico is a cesspool of violence and corruption. But then again, so is Chicago. (And before you accuse me of picking on Chicago, please note that I lived there for thirteen years and loved it... well, everything except the weather...)

The town in which they live is called Ajijic (pronounced Ah-Hee-HEEK). It is one of many small towns/villages that dot the shores of Lake Chapala, the largest natural lake in all of Mexico. My father-in-law found the town about 13 years ago while researching expat communities online. True story.

In the intervening years I have visited Ajijic seven or eight times. I have wanted to write a post about it for awhile but last week was the first time I've been back since starting the blog.

In addition to being a weekend destination for Guadalajarans (and a winter destination for Canadians and Americans), Ajijic is also a haven for artists. Put all of these people together and the result is a town full of galleries, shops and restaurants which feels surprisingly un-touristy.

What stuns me the most whenever I walk through the village is the abundance of color, pattern, and texture. It seems that everywhere you look there is a mural...

Photo taken in the Ajijic Cultural Center

This mural, which faces Lake Chapala, was done by the same artist as the one in the Cultural Center.

This Chicken Mariachi Mural is on the main square and is new since my last visit.

I was thrilled to find this sugar skull painted on a garage on a secluded side street.

Unfortunately I couldn't capture this entire mural but it was stunning.

I was more interested in the drain pipe than the picture. Yes, it is a dragon (or monster) head.

...a colorfully painted wall...

This was the entrance to someone's house.

...and amazing iron, stone or wood work...

Taken after brunch at the Hotel Nuevo Posada

Found in the main square, this gorgeous sculpture is made from an old tree.

The stone work in my in-law's driveway.

My picture does not do this metal door justice...

The Catholic Church adjacent to Ajijic's main plaza

Cobblestone roads: hard on the feet but easy on the eyes.

Someone's intricately carved front door...

All of this is set against a natural backdrop that is just as beautiful as any artist's canvas:

Taken from the pool at my in-law's place.

Getting ready to go horseback riding. He was our guide.

Mt. Garcia & Lake Chapala

The green hills behind my in-law's house. (Note: these hills are brown during the dry season.)

The gorgeous Ajijic sky.

A girl from San Diego *has* to take pictures of an impending storm. (We haven't had rain in months.)

There are so many enticing places to shop in Ajijic, from street carts filled with fruit, coffee and candy, to boutiques bursting with clothing, jewelry and art.

Loved these Frida bags (and yes, I came home with one).

Opus Boutique. I'm obsessed.

And all of this is a mere 45 minutes away from Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city. Here are some pictures I took during a day trip there:

Sculpture on the streets of Tlaquepaque, a great shopping area in Guadalajara. I believe the artist is called Rodo Padilla.

Not sure what this is but it was in the most adorable candy shop.

Handmade paper flower crowns were everywhere. My thirteen-year-old was in heaven.

Don't forget to look up! The "ceiling" in a restaurant in Tlaquepaque

Molcajete. Never had it? Go get some right now.

Our preferred mode of transport in Guadalajara's Historic District.

Guad is filled with history and beautiful old buildings.

Including this one from Downton Abbey ;)

Purple peanuts at Liberty Market in Guadalajara. All pictures below are from the market.

Green pomegranates. Who knew?

I hope you've enjoyed this little slice of Mexico. I know I was kind of flip in my introduction but if you have any questions about the area I would love to answer them for you. (And if I can't I will direct you to someone who can.)

Adios!

Ahh Instagram! How I love thee.

Since creating an account specifically for `a casarella back in March it has actually become my favorite form of social media. (Perhaps even more than Pinterest, which is hard to believe...)

So needless to say I was extra excited when Julie from Girl on the Move contacted me to see if I would like to participate in SoCal Baton.

Here is how she describes the project and its conception:

I recently came across two photo relay batons on Instagram and thought…something like this would be perfect for Southern California because Southern California is AWESOME and I think the world should see everything that we have to offer…and so the So Cal Baton was born!

A Baton is a collaborative Instagram community. So in this case the collaborators all live in Southern California and the virtual Baton (aka the Instagram password) is handed off to one local Instagrammer per day to share the reasons they love the area through photographs.

As you might imagine, I said an enthusiastic yes when she approached me. It was the perfect excuse to visit some of my favorite places in San Diego.

The first stop on my day long tour was the Bernardo Winery, a hidden gem in residential Rancho Bermardo. Not only is it a working winery with a small vineyard, but it is also full of cute shops, rustic details and a delicious restaurant.

After the winery I headed west to the ocean. Specifically I went to the beach at Torrey Pines where I took a moment to admire the water.

(Or maybe the lifeguards.)

Okay fine, I was admiring the lifeguards.

But just a few minutes north at another Del Mar Beach I really did admire the ocean. Isn't it pretty?

Kinda makes you want to be there, which is part of the appeal of the SoCal baton.

I was going to end my tour at the beach but it just so happened that I had to run an errand in Poway, a small city due east of San Diego. Much like the winery, Poway is also full of charm so I was thrilled to make a quick stop at Old Poway Park, home of this steam locomotive from 1907.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed my turn holding the baton. I enjoyed it so much that I wish I'd had it longer. If I had, then I would have posted these shots from picturesque La Jolla...