Saturday, February 4, 2012

Day 13 – Moriela to Zitacuaro


We slept a bit late and got up for an 8AM brekky in the hotel restaurant. With our free breakfast coupons we could order what has become a broken record, but not a bad one, eggs plus ?. Mine was eggs and chorizo this morning. We ate out in the patio area adjacent to the hotel's inner open square and fountain. This morning the patio heaters were going to take the chill off.

Finishing, we readied for some wandering and shopping before the noon departure. Jim, Tom, Don,Ken and I were on a mission looking for a rear tire, size 4.10X18, for Don's bike. We got some directions from a coffee shop manager after we found an ATM for Don and Ken, for a bike shop about 5 blocks away. Once we got there, Ken found a pet store and went to buy a collar and leash for Arrow, while the rest of us continued to the bike shop, which turned out to be a salvage yard. We communicated what we were after thru broken Spanish and pictures in a bike magazine on the counter. Unfortunately he had nothing quite that big and recommended the Honda dealer about 6 Km away.


We returned to the hotel and the hotel courtier helped find directions for taking a cab. Ken & Don got a cab and were on their way.


Jim, Tom and I wandered through the town square and the small shops along the way. We even found a bank with a motorcycle display inside. Kind of interesting. Maybe you get a free bike for opening an account. You youngsters prolly don't know that banks used to give free gifts for a new account. Anyway, we continued wandering for awhile, Tom and I trying to find some Rolaids for occasional needs, but found only Pepto tablets.

Centuries old cathedrals...

Woners to behold..


How'd you like to be the monkey who changes the lights..
Not me..



Shops on the left, in front of the cathedral, on the right

Ken and Don, deciphering the ATM machine..


Town square on the left, and..


in the middle, serene..


except fot the gringo turistas.
 Back to the hotel by 11:30, gather our riding gear and head to the lobby and meet the valet for the 4 block walk to their parking area, gather the bikes and truck up, and ride back to the hotel valet parking area to load up the luggage that we'd assembled in the lobby earlier.

Loaded up, we made our way East out of Morelia. Much, much easier than the night before.



A beautiful and historic cathedral along the way to Zitacuaro
 Most of the day was through some small villages and some mountain roads until Zitacuaro. Into the city, through the city and out into the countryside to the absolutamente gorgeous Rancho San Cayetano.


Our transporters parked in front of the dining room...
 We arrived around 3:30ish and got into our rustic rooms, with fireplaces.




Roger assured us we wouldn't need an all night fireplace vigil like El Salto, so all was good. We were immediately greeted by the owner's three Labs; Choc, Latta and Pasha. As you might surmise, Choco(male)(female) and Latta were chocolate. Pasha is a black female.

The three pups, at home in our room...

We did a bit of wandering with the cameras, but it was getting dark, so we relaxed under the veranda with a Negra Modela and waited for dinner at 7:30 our time. Jim and some of the others purchased a jar, or more, of the rancho's home made jams and whipped honey.

Here is a full photo tour of this fabulously groomed rancho..



A river runs through it(actually down a steep trail below)

We made our way aprt way down..

The patio in back of the cocina(kitchen)

A rose garden my Mom could really love!!

Rows of groomed blackberries, under cover from spring rains
 
The back side of the owner's home



Pablo and Lisette's charming home


Family fruit orchard behind their home

A nicely trained fig tree...


Chaca surveying his domain





Chaca and Latte doing what Lab's do best


and Jim, trying to take control, in vain..



The Dining Room at night and..

The entry way for the soon to be, fabulous meal..

Pasha, patrolling for someone to play with..

What a life, always someone new to visit..
  
Kenny, with a friend for life..


Wow, 2 days and she's already learned to heel...
 
La Cocina, some amazing meals com from here..



In such a beuatiful setting, it'd be hard not to cook well..

 Dinner was a wonderful Cauliflower broth soup with scallions and carrots, Veal Paprika(the chef, Lisette, is the owner's wife and French, so maybe the recipe is in Julia's The Art of french Cooking) with a cous cous croquet and crepes for dessert. The wine was one that the owner, Pablo suggested. It was a Baja wine from L. A. Cetto and was a Nebbiolo, 2007. It's not one I was familiar with, an Italian grape that appears to have an extensive planting in the northern wine region of Baja, CA. An absolutely fabulous meal.
Dinner by the fire..



Can't get more ready than this...

A new friend who met us earlier outside and described
the monarch sanctuary she and her husband had been
to earlier. As she was leaving, I asked, "so what part of
Canada are you from?" She replied "Eh?" with a laugh..
The owners are Pablo, who was born and raised in Mexico City, and Lisette, who is French, with a wonderfully warm personality. They are“retired” and appear to be in their mid 60s. The grounds of this fabulous resort rancho are immaculate, with several acres of grass, a large rose garden, many citrus trees(mainly mandarins), a large section of covered blackberry vines, fabulous workers quarters, and many other biological features. Roger asked Pablo(kiddingly I'm sure), about the possibility of buying the rancho and Pablo said he'd have to stand in line. It would probably be one of the finest properties in Ranch California if it were plopped down there. After ordering a box lunch for tomorrow's trip to the Monarch preserve, we settled in for a nice winter's nap.

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