Querétaro

Last weekend was a long weekend for 20 November, Día de la Revolución.  So I went to visit a friend in Querétaro in the central lowlands.  Querétaro is lovely.  It was interesting to see the city as it is far more Europeanized than other places that I have seen in Mexico.  It’s got large, paved pedestrian zones and a range of galleries, bars, shops, stands, etc that reminds me of many small European cities and in contrast to much of what I have seen of Mexico, and in particular Cholula.  

Also, the weather was fabulous!  Here’s to skirts, bare legs and shoulders, and sandals in late November!

We took the weekend at an easy pace and mostly wandered around without a really specific aim.  Which was just what I needed!  

Querétaro does have an impressive and highly photogenic aqueduct.  

We went to see an historic house, the Casa de la Zacatecana, home of a dastardly crime…perhaps, or maybe not…in the 18^th century.  Despite zealous reenactments on a video that I’m guessing was a school project done at the local university, it’s not clear to me that an actual crime was committed, aside from the death of the mistress of the house, that may not have taken place in the house at all.  But there are rumors of a lot of crimes!  Murder! Adultery! Betrayal! More murder! Revenge! Abandonment!  Jealously! Cover-ups!  Murder! 

The house has the obligatory Virgen de Guadalupe.

And a fabulous ceiling.

And the aptly named Sala de los Cristos.  I’ll let you translate that one yourself.  Here’s a hint:

It also has a ton of large colonial churches.  

They’ve got gold in the New World!

And this patriotic one.  I have never seen a flag that large that wasn’t in a car lot.  Well, I guess we saw an enormous one in Oaxaca, so that’s a lie.  But I think I can reliably say that I have not seen one that large inside ever.

I found this diorama amusing – that’s right bishops!  In Querétaro anyone can go to hell!  So keep that in mind!  At least, that’s how I read it?

This clock is famous.  I don’t understand why.  But it is.  So now you’ve seen it.  

Also, it was a long weekend to commemorate the Revolution, as I mentioned.  So we went to the museum that had a great exhibit on Mexican history.  Did you know that Mexico was an Empire with an Emperor for three years, 1821-1824? 

It had some less inspiring museology when it came to prehistory.

Really?  I know the French have their charms, but their exhibit design is high on the list of things to not emulate.  But, hey, if you were looking for a souvenir, it appears they’re for the taking…