Kent Pond Hike

A late-summer hike on the Appalachian Trail in Killington, Vermont, took us to lovely Kent Pond. Come hiking with us! 

Exibicion de Nacimiento (Nativity Show) in Leon

We stumbled upon an exhibition of Nativity Scenes from around the world on our first day exploring the central Mexican city of Leon. Enjoy the show!

 

On the Road to Mexico

How do you get 3 people, 3 cats, 3 musical instruments and multiple suitcases and bags to Mexico to start a new life? You drive. 37 HOURS.

Messy Suitcase Video: Why Guadalajara?

Beto (Bob) is developing his video editing skills, and working on putting the many videos he has made over the past year of traveling in Europe and then Mexico up onto the Messy Suitcase YouTube Channel! 

After toting his GoPro all over Mexico, and now Vermont, plus the drives back and forth, he's just learning how to edit the footage, so please be patient, and feel to comment with words of encouragement.  Each video will get better, and they will be packed with fascinating info and our illuminating comments and observations.

We'll hope you'll follow our the Messy Suitcase YouTube Channel,  and ring the bell to be notified as we put more videos up. We are also open to new ideas!

Enjoy the video Why Guadalajara? 

Hike up Mount Philo

Robert Greenawalt and I just did our first almost 1-er in Burlington! (As opposed to the multiple 14ers Bob did back in Colorado.)

We hiked up Mt. Philo on a recent Sunday while visiting Burlington for Champlain College Family Weekend. Mt. Philo State Park, which sits atop 968-foot Mt. Philo about 13 miles south of Burlington, was created as Vermont's first Vermont State Park in 1924. With 237 acres offering breathtaking views of the Lake Champlain Valley and New York’s Adirondack Mountains, the park is a favorite of local hikers, picnickers, and even college students.

The hike was short but steep and challenging. The view of the Vermont countryside and Lake Champlain from the top was spectacular. We also found inspirational poetry at the top ...

... and we loved the message in the field below.

There are several camping sites at the top, as well as a group cabin, and we were surprised to see they were not in use. The best part was the Adirondack chairs that beckoned us to sit and enjoy the beautiful day and the view.

We met a couple of artists on our way down painting the view with watercolors.

Selfie of the day!

Car Setbacks (a.k.a. Shit Happens)

All was not completely smooth in our trip across the country and into Mexico,as we ran into several car-related setbacks.

First, the Car Accident

The first came in late August when Lexie was working on getting her driver’s license. One Saturday we decided to get some interstate driving experience in and drive north on I-76, away from the crowded metro Denver area. We were concentrating on watching cars that were merging onto the highway, as Denver drivers have a bad habit of expecting cars already on the highway to yield to them. Driving in the right-hand lane, we came to an entrance ramp where a car and medium sized U-Haul truck had just gotten on the merge ramp. We were opposite the truck so we couldn’t speed up, but before we could even slow down the U-Haul moved right into our lane. Lexie’s immediate reaction was to shift left to avoid the truck, but unfortunately, another car was there. We hit that car, bounced off, and Lexie lost control. Suddenly we were heading for the concrete median at 65 mph. Crash! Airbags deployed. Things didn’t end well for the truck, or for Lexie’s hand, which was broken and in a cast for 6 weeks. 

The U-Haul driver just drove on up the road. I assume he never even saw us.

Chain Reaction

This set off a chain reaction. First, we had to find a new truck. Unfortunately, we had already ordered a custom topper which only fit Toyota Tacomas through 2015, and it was black. So we started looking, all over the country for a low-mileage 2015 Tacoma in a color compatible with black. This consumed valuable time that we needed for packing and finishing up on the house, but we eventually found a charcoal one in the Denver area that had about 50,000 miles less than our older 2012 truck.

 License & Registration

The accident also meant that Lexie wouldn’t be able to get her driver’s license in Colorado, because she could not drive again till she got her cast off, which would be only a few days before our scheduled departure. We would have to figure out that later.

And it created some difficulties in getting license plates and registration for the new car in Colorado since CO had recently switched to a new computer system which had created a backlog.

Next, the Battery

Our troubles in CO weren’t over yet. On the day before we were scheduled to leave, the new truck wouldn’t start. We had it jumped and I took it to NAPA to get the battery tested. The battery was bad, and I changed it out in the NAPA parking lot.

Then, Rear-Ended

For our last meal in the Denver area, we decided to go to Woody’s Pizza in Golden, our favorite pizza place. They make a wide variety of delicious pizzas, and you go to the counter and grab a slice of whatever pizza just came out of the oven. On the way, we were stopped at a red light on a fairly major road, 2^nd in line. Traffic was stopped behind us. The light turned green, but the person in front of decided he wanted to change lanes so he didn’t move until traffic on our left had cleared. As we sat waiting, the woman in a large truck behind us suddenly rammed into the back of our truck. Our truck was half packed, but fortunately it was drivable, with only damage to our tailgate and bumper. Because of our tight travel schedule to make it across the country and catch a plane to Europe, it would be three months before we could get the damage repaired.

The new truck with topper, right before the accident

So we had to drive across the country with a badly damaged bumper held on by a bungee cord.

Our Car Registration Expires

We parked our truck at Lisa’s brother’s house in northern Virginia and he graciously took us to the airport for our European trip. During the time away, our temporary Colorado registration expired, so we had to call the car dealership from Greece to get an extension sent to Lisa’s brother so we wouldn’t be driving illegally when we got back.

Back to Lexie’s Driver’s License

Back from Europe, our plan was to spend some time in our Vermont house and get Lexie the driving practice necessary to pass the test. Then we would both fly back to CO, get the new car registration and take the test. However, since we own property in Vermont we investigated whether Lexie could get her license and whether we could register the car there. We found out we could do both, and now Lexie is a resident of Vermont. We also registered the car there. Vermont DMV took our CO title and told us it would be a few weeks before our registration and title would arrive in the mail (to our Colorado address).

Unfortunately, the weather was abnormally snowy so we didn’t get as much driving practice in as we expected, still Lexie was ready to take the test a few days before our scheduled departure. Unfortunately, she didn’t pass, mostly because the examiner didn’t like the way she parallel-parked the truck. (Personally, I completely avoid parallel parking the truck because I can’t do it.) She actually parallel-parked perfectly, but before she had time to straighten the wheels out, the instructor told her she was finished and to move on – and then deducted points for not straightening out the truck!

It was frustrating, but we rescheduled the test for the day before we were scheduled to leave VT. Then, just as we were getting into the truck to go to the test, the examiner called us and told us that a mistake had been made and that they rescheduled the new test too early, as Vermont has a three-day waiting period between tests. That meant that Lexie still doesn’t have her license, which we will have to take care of this summer.

Cracked Windshield

We embarked on our trip to Mexico in early January, and on the second day on the road, we took a stone to the windshield which caused a crack. We didn’t want to go into Mexico with that so, as we were driving, we scheduled a glass repair while we were staying at our AirBnB in New Orleans the next day.

Troubles at the Border

We’ve previously documented our problems in getting into Mexico because we still hadn’t received our permanent registration from Vermont – read that blog. 

Sidetracked by the Gas Crisis

And, follow our problems in getting the whole way to Guadalajara due to the gas crisis in Mexico here! 

Rising Above

However, even with all of the minor setbacks, we made it to Mexico and have started our new life -- and we certainly have learned how to handle adversity! And sometimes the setbacks provided unforeseen advantages. Because of the accident, we have a newer car that is better able to handle rough Mexican roads. Because of the gas crisis, we discovered a city we never would have thought to visit, Leon.

We have a new name!

"Life is Short, the World is Big" is our philosophy, our passion, our lifestyle, our motivation, our inspiration.

But as a blog title, it was just TOO LONG!

So we are in the process of changing the name of the blog to Messy Suitcase! After all, we are living out of a few suitcases stuffed into the back of our truck (along with three musical instruments, three cats and our youngest child, Lex, who is on a gap year from college). OK, we let the cats and Lex sit in the back seat, but you get the point!

Every few months, we pack up those suitcases -- often with "help" from the cats -- and head for our next destination, where we again live out of messy suitcases!

Connect to Messy Suitcase on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube -- and watch for our YouTube channel to get a lot busier.

Thanks for supporting Bob and Lisa in our travels ... because life is short & the world is big!

Do you recognize Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, in our new logo?

Discovering Mayolica Pottery in Santa Rosa

We recently had the privilege of visiting a pottery workshop called Mayolica Santa Rosa, where a family business turns out breathtaking, intricate, handmade pottery lovingly created with dedicated fingers and devoted hearts.

The simple two-story cinderblock workshop occupies one side of the street in the ancient, dusty village of Santa Rosa, high on a mountain about 25 minutes northeast of Guanajuato. A huge showroom is across the street. (Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in the showroom, to prevent any thievery of their designs.)

It's not a place many tourists visit, especially Americans, and it's their loss. Javier Salazar, the wonderful manager of the Casa Estrella, where we are fortunate to be staying, generously drove us and another couple, Carolee and Gilberto, up to the village to see how pottery is made. The suites and apartments in Casa Estrella are filled with beautiful pieces from Mayolica Santa Rosa.

The sign over the door of the store

Visiting the Workrooms

The workshop is a high-ceilinged building with two large workrooms. In the front room is the giant kiln, as well as shelf upon shelf of unfinished pieces of pottery ready to be transformed into works of art. 

The big white box on the left is the oven

We were amazed as we watched one man hand-draw a stunning, detailed design onto a large pedestaled bowl. His name was Juan, and he was the only one entrusted to design the pieces.

The artist at work

Up the stairs and in the large back room, the Area de la Pintura (painting area), several painters painstakingly painted the colors within the lines of his design, carefully shading the pieces, which appeared pastel and bleached until after they were fired in the huge oven.

Before firing in the oven

The intensity of colors after firing

Mayolica Santa Rosa was founded in 1963, and is dedicated to the manufacture of Mayolica Ceramics, a porous type of ceramics that originated in Spain. It gets its name from Mallorca Island, which was on the trade route to Italy. All the pieces are turned and decorated by hand. The business is currently represented by the third generation of eight brothers.

Seen outside the door to the painting room

The sign outside the painting room says (in my bad Spanish translation): "Welcome to the Painting Area. Every piece that you admire and acquire is unique because each one carries part of the artist, since it is delivered with a feeling unique for its creation, with the best quality."

Visiting the Showroom

The entrance to the showroom

This fresco, outside the family's home next door,
is a great example of their work.

The sheer volume and quality of the pieces for sale in the massive, two-level showroom is absolutely breathtaking. There were plates and bowls, cups and saucers, pitchers and vases, fountains and pots, statues and urns, tiled frescoes, and more. The intricate designs were derived from life in Mexico: groups of fruit, flowers, village scenes, chickens and pigs, Frida Kahlos, and many, many Catrinas, the reverential, skeletal image of death in Mexico.

UPDATE, May 26

I just discovered several beautiful pieces of Mayolica pottery in our apartment, Casa Estrellita, at Casa Estrella. (Watch for a blog about the amazing art in our apartment!)

And I found this beautiful tile wall art by Mayolica Pottery in the fitness center at Casa Estrella. Enjoy!

The Herradura Tequila Express

(Even though we have moved on to Guanajuato, we still have a few blogs from our life in Tlaquepaque to post. Enjoy!)

Living in Tlaquepaque, we were less than 50 miles from the birthplace of tequila, the town of Tequila. So of course we had to visit and become acquainted with Mexico’s most famous alcoholic beverage!

What is Tequila, Anyway?

Tequila, a type of mescal made from the blue agave plant, was first made in the 16^th century. Mexican law states that tequila can only be produced in the Mexican state of Jalisco and in limited number in three other states. Tequila must be 40% alcohol (80 proof) in the US, but in Mexico it’s usually 38%.

There are over 100 distilleries producing over 900 brands of tequila, and many conduct tours and tastings at their haciendas.

We decided to splurge and signed up for a day trip on the Herradura Express, a special train leaving from Guadalajara to the Herradura Hacienda in Amatitan, a town adjacent to Tequila. There were three classes of seats on the train. We selected the middle-class ticket which cost $2400 MXN pesos each, or about $125.

 We Ubered to the train station, checked in and selected our seats. Even though we had been told the train had been sold out, we had four comfortable seats and a table to ourselves. There was a bar in our car, which was kept busy the whole day.

Carlos, our bartender

Tequila on the Train

We were immediately served water, juice and a box breakfast. But once the train left the station, at 10 in the morning, they switched to serving tequila-based drinks. I can’t even remember what they all were or how many we had, but the drinks were definitely flowing, including Margaritas, Tequila Sunrises, Horchatas (a Mexican rice-based vanilla drink), White Russians, a coffee-based drink called The Bull, and many more.

After about 90 minutes or so of traveling amid a breathtaking landscape, including fields upon fields of blue agave, we arrived in the tiny pueblo of Amatitan and transferred onto buses for the short ride to the Hacienda Herradura. We got into the English-language tour and were off.

The Tequila Volcano

Agave plants

The Tour

First stop was walking by some blue agave plants, which we learned take 8 years to mature to the point they could be used for tequila. Next, we watched a Jimador use a coa (a wooden-handled cutting blade) to strip the leaves from the plant to get to the heart, also called a pina because it resembles a pineapple, which is used in the distillation process. 

The Jimador with his coa chopping off
the leaves of the blue agave plant

We saw the row of ovens where the pinas are baked. Next, they are squeezed repeatedly to get the agave juice, which is distilled and then fermented in giant barrels. The pulp is removed and used for other things such as candy and even furniture. 

The ovens

A pile of pinas

Tasting

Next we walked through an ancient section of the facility that is no longer used, and led to a tasting cellar. Tasting glasses were neatly laid out on tables.

A bilingual talk was given on the “correct” way to drink tequila: Swish the glass in a circle to check out the “legs” of the liquid. Breath in the scent. Breath in through your nose, hold it, sip tequila onto your tongue. Swallow. Breath out through your nose. Finally, emit an “Ahhh” and empty your lungs. We started our tasting. To the best of my recollection, we tried 5. We could taste the differences, particularly the smoothness, between the various categories of tequila:

• “Blanco” or “plata” is a white spirit, unaged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels. It is used in cocktails.
• “Reposado” is aged two months to a year in oak barrels of any size
• “Añejo” aged one to  three years in small oak barrels
• “Extra Añejo” is aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels.

 Our favorite was reposado.

The Barrel Room

After the tasting, we were led into a huge room in which they kept empty barrels in which tequila had previously been aged. Herradura has a program where a restaurant or bar can come to the distillery and purchase an entire barrel for $10,000 USD. This yields 240 bottles at a per bottle price of $40. The distillery will then customize bottles of the tequila from  the barrel for the purchaser, and the purchaser gets to customize the top of the barrel.

Lunch … and more Tequila

By this time we were ravenous and finally made it to lunch, where we sat at a long table and they served us even more tequila. I sat next to a guy from St. Louis who had been doing work in Las Vegas and on a whim decided to fly down to Guadalajara for a few days. He knew a bit about tequila and told me to ask for a specific high-quality tequila. I did. It was the good stuff and very smooth. He was asking for them two glasses at a time. They served a delicious lunch of chicken, potatoes and vegetables, and we were entertained by a Mariachi band and some folkloric dancers.

Mariachi

Folkloric dancers

 Of course, we needed a souvenir, so we went to the tequila stand they had conveniently set up and purchased 950ml of one of the Reposados for about $25 USD. We had been told that they would engrave our bottle for us, but unfortunately, the engraver called in sick that day. That was probably a good thing; otherwise, it would have been difficult to part with the engraved bottle and we definitely don’t have room for it in the truck. (Later note: It does fit in the truck and we are saving it.)

The Trip Home

It was time to go, and we loaded onto the buses for the trip back to the train. Once on the train, the cocktails continued to flow until we arrived back in Guadalajara at around 8 PM. To our complete surprise, neither one of us were feeling any effects of the non-stop day of drinking, although there was one group on our train that was definitely loud and raucous on the ride back.

Cocktails on the trip home

All in all, we had a great day. It was pricey but the experience was worth it!