Legend has it...

If you ask anyone in my country for the thing that defines the state in which I live, almost everyone will answer the same thing: The Arches.

Connecting the Historic City Centre with some of Querétaro's main avenues, these Arches are but a visible part of what once was the main source of clean water in my city. Comprised of 74 arches and measuring 4'265 ft in length (1'300 m) with a maximum height of 93.24 ft (28.42 m), The Aqueduct is one of the biggest in Mexico as well as a popular tourist attraction. 

However, the most interesting fact about The Aqueduct has much more to do with a simple question:

Why was it built? 

Back in 1726, Querétaro was one of the most prosperous and beautiful villages of New Spain, except it had a tiny problem: the supply of clean, drinking water to the city was scarce and inefficient. 

The official story is that the Capuchin Nuns complained to their benefactor, who in turn promised to find a solution to the problem and not so long after,  built The Arches.

But. As any good citizen of Querétaro will tell you, the official story is rumoured to be quite false. 

Legend has it...that the Nuns' benefactor, Juan Antonio de Urrutia y Arana, Marquis of la Villa del Villar del Águila, was in love with a nun (even though records indicate he was married to a wealthy lady in the City). He repeatedly confessed his feelings to the nun in question, only for her to refuse his advances. 

One lucky day however, she offered him a deal. She would accept to marry him if he found a way to bring clean water to the City. 

The Marquis not only complied with her request; he personally planned, designed and sponsored the building of The Aqueduct, donating the majority of the funds from (you guessed it), his wife's fortune. 

Finally, during October of 1738, The Aqueduct was finished and ready to start supplying Querétaro with clean water. The City organized a huge celebration which included parades, plays, balls & fireworks and lasted for about 15 days! 

Very proudly, the Marquis went to ask for the nun's hand in marriage, and guess what?! 

She refused him. Again.

Broken hearted, the Marquis never asked to marry the nun again, and contented with being the Capuchin's benefactor and one of Querétaro's most celebrated patrons. To this day, he is remembered as a local celebrity and philanthropist, and his memory is honoured in the Cemetery of Great Men & Women, along with Mrs. Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez and her husband (among others) who were crucial in starting the fight for Mexican Independence, and proud citizens of  Querétaro.

A weekend inside a traditional Mexican home.

There is a little town somewhere that's filled with cobblestone streets, a main square that's bustling with the sounds of people, and street after street of traditional Mexican houses decorated with bright colours and iron-wrought balconies. 

This little town is called Tequisquiapan, and it is located in the southwestern part of the state in which I live. Since it is a quiet, peaceful town and it also houses the National Cheese & Wine Festival, it is a very popular tourist attraction filled to the brim with weekend homes.

This past weekend, my family and I decided to head for Tequisquiapan in honor of my Grandmother's birthday celebration. It is only safe for me to say that while the world was going crazy celebrating Valentine's Day, I was having the perfect getaway at a traditional Mexican house, which I then decided to share with you guys on the blog. 

So, welcome to our little piece of paradise! 

Frankly, I was really excited to get to spend the weekend with every member of my extended family. I think it's mostly because my aunts tell the most hilarious stories from their childhood & we all have a good laugh while the smell of BBQ fills in every space. 

Immediately after we arrived, my little cousins squealed at the sight of the pool. It was only so bad that the day was cloudy and cold (not that it stopped them for long, anyway). 

It was a thrill to see everyone having so much fun. There were Foosball Tournaments going on constantly and the swings/slide weren't unoccupied for long. 

Eventually, light rain started falling. The kids were exhausted and our hopes of having a bonfire had pretty much vanished. 

Thankfully, I could still hear the sounds of laughter in the kitchen and I was very surprised to come in and find my Mom and aunts gathered around the dining room table, having coffee and warm bread, and sharing stories with my oldest cousins (read, making everyone crack up with their jokes). 

The next morning I woke up surprisingly early and decided to take a stroll around the grounds, in order to snap most of the photos you see in this post. 

As usual, I was very pleased to find some quirky spots, like the well standing in a far off corner in the garden, and a hidden (very well locked) shed (?) at the very, very back of the property. 

However, my absolute favourite moment was walking through the gardens and finding out these beauties were in full bloom. 

A couple of hours later, we had all packed our bags and were all walking around Tequisquiapan's Main Square. 

Just like the City Centre at home, Tequisquiapan is full of stores and restaurants that gather tourists and locals alike. 

For the first time in a million years, I saw only one globero (balloon seller) sitting around. Presumably, since Valentine's had been the day before, he was having a pretty slow day. 

We hadn't been around too long before it was time to leave. On our way back  we passed some pretty off-beat streets with the most awesome-looking buildings. Even though we don't do it often, it's always a treat to come to this tiny, magic town. 

See you soon, Tequisquiapan. 

(And Happy [belated] Valentine's Day, everyone!)

P.S. I forgot to mention this in my last post, but I was astounded by all the positive comments I received when I wrote about not going back to India. I hadn't expected that post to have so many readers (at all!). Special thanks to those who reached out and said something particularly nice (Shout out to Dang & Saket: Your words made my day!). 

The warm feeling of home.

One of my favourite things to do at home (and the one I miss the most when I'm gone), is being able to roam the streets of the Historic City Centre. 

It is here where some of the most special moments for my country have taken place, like the Independence Conspiracies at the ancient Mayor's Home or the signing of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 (which is still in force!). 

However, I love visiting the City Centre because it is there where the smell of Mexican snacks blends with the laughter of kids playing in the parks, the voices of the balloon vendors and the thousand colors of the tiny stalls aligned one after the other. 

This week I went out to get to lost in the streets in order to be able to share some photos of my town (yes, it's mine!) over here on the blog.

(In case you were wondering: the gun is fake and the baby is too!)

One of the best things about walking around town is finding artists like the ones above, who dress up as statues of Revolutionary times and stay very still, suddenly surprising you  when you walk by or give them a few coins. Seeing them around is usually pretty fun (and the reactions of the public...priceless!).

Anyhow, my absolute favourite activity is to roam all the lonely streets because they tell stories. There is a certain kind of warmth involved in seeing the busy women walk the streets in a hurry, grocery bag in hand; the old ladies peeking through their windows. It all makes my heart melt.

On the other hand, even the busiest streets have magic of their own. There are stores everywhere and you can hear the vendors advertise their products: everything from food & art to jewellery and local gems. These streets are filled with colour and noises. These streets make me smile.

My favourite place in the whole world is a tiny street called Andador Libertad, or the Walk of the Artists. It is in this little nook where most of the painters & sculptors gather to exhibit and sell their work. There is always something new to admire.

(Besides, at the very end of the corridor you can find one of my favourite getaways, Galería Libertad, an art gallery that never ceases to amaze me with its exhibitions. This week they've chosen photographs by Mary Ellen Mark  -some of which were taken in India and have made me smile real wide). 

It is precisely this part of town where you can find all sorts of knick-knacks, including the prettiest colonial buildings. 

It is also here where you can visit a lot of restaurants with every style imaginable -almost all of which offer Mexican food (because it is the best in the world!).

We've also got some pretty rad sculptures in the most random of places. And a church in every corner. Literally. 

If you happen to visit the City Centre early in the morning, you can see the vendors setting up their stalls, opening their stores, or preparing the stoves & heating the comal (where we make tortillas) in order to receive all of the tourists who drop by. 

If you are feeling lucky, you can close your eyes and stay very still. You will feel how the city awakens and the sun shines a little brighter. That's when you will understand this is the warm feeling of home.

The Magic of a Mexican town.

Yesterday you may have spied a photo of some giant rock on my Instagram feed. If you did, then you already know that I've arrived in Mexico and I'm currently relaxing on the place I call home. 

In fact, I have been in Mexico for about three weeks now, and I have been taking a vacation from the blog in order to recover from jet lag and reunite with my Mexicans, as well as sleep all day and eat all the food I can possibly fit into myself. 

Yesterday, I went to one of my favourite places in my state: a small town called Bernal, in which rests this enormous rock, the Peak of Bernal. Also known as Bernal's Boulder, this monolith was formed about 8 million years ago (when it was presumably three times bigger than today), and is currently one of the tallest in the world. 

The town of Bernal is one of the most sought-after places by tourists, since apart from hiking/climbing the Peña de Bernal (as it is known in Spanish), one can enjoy some great food and buy loads and loads of Mexican crafts. However, the main reason why tourists and locals alike visit Bernal is because it is considered one of Mexico's Magical Villages.

One of the best things to do in Bernal is eat. Almost every restaurant has a view of the Peak, and the food ranges from simple snacks to five-course meals -all of which do a terrific job of representing Mexico's food. 

If you don't believe me, just look at these gorgeous tiny gorditas made out of corn flour, chicken, beans, lettuce, cheese and lots of salsa.

We also ate enmoladas, a sort of chicken or cheese taco soaked in mole rojo. Definitely, one of the best dishes to try while in Mexico. Of course, we couldn't miss the guacamole, could we?

Later on, we did some sightseeing and certainly a lot of shopping. There are just many beautiful things to buy around here, and seeing all the vendors displaying their art was certainly one of the things I missed most from home.

Just look at these two cuties made out of Mexican ceramic. Her, the image of a china poblana, and him the authentic charro. 

Or this lovely hand-painted Mexican landscape on a clay tile. 

Finally, I couldn't miss our beloved Catrinas, who even though it's past their time (they usually come out in Día de Muertos -Day of the Dead), look as stunning as ever.

Not to conform to the Mexican stereotypes or anything, but it seems like we're getting into the Christmas festivities already. Not that we are always festive, right?

Bernal feels specially lovely under all the Christmas lights and holly jolly vibes. 

The truth is, even when I may travel around and fall in love with new places, I would never trade this small town of mine for anything else. No wonder people say it's magical.

It feels great to be home.