First news of this year's International Cervantino Festival (FIC) program

Tuesday was the day Guanajuato residents were waiting for - the announcement of this year's Cervantino which will run from October 12-30. The ambassadors of the invited countries Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland to Mexico were on the podium as was the governor of Nayarit , the invited state. This year's event has as an ecological theme "The Gifts of Nature" threading through some offerings.Believe me, the Swedish ambassador with her blonde hair and long lets stood out as much as Ayla did in the movie version of Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear.

I'm especially looking forward to the Mexico-US co-production of Daniel Catan's opera Il Postino, based on Skarmeta's popular novel about Pablo Neruda and his mailman. Russia will bring two standout events, the St. Petersburg Symphony and a theater troupe performing Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, with the director giving two public lectures as well. Miguel Rios will sing at the closing event at the Alhondiga.

As always there will be more jazz, dance, classical, pop and world music, and indoor and street theater from a host of countries than any one festival-goer can attend. Events at the Alhondiga are free (a season ticket for chairs at the front can be purchased) as are the art events, movies and street theater. Tickets for other events are for sale at the ticket office (taquilla) on the left side of Teatro Juarez and through Ticketmaster. Stay tuned for more information

And if you'll be making a first trip to Guanajuato, click on my recent article available by searching Rochelle Cashdan at www.redroom.com.

Big Tourist Weekend in Guanajuato, Easter and the 3 Days Before

North American and European tourists are few and far between this year but Mexican visitors keep coming to Guanajuato Today, the Thursday before Easter, it's traditional to visit seven churches, easy to do in this city. Just for starters, there's the Basilica, La Compania, San Diego, San Francisco, San Sebastiano, the Pardo, Valenciana (San Cayetano) -- well, that's seven already. Mellado and Cata are farther from the center but both are well worth visiting too and accessible by local bus. The people on the streets carrying little yellow flowers have just come from a church.

Weren't here for Day of the Kings, Jan 5-6?

See more of my photos of the eve when children send up their Want List to the three kings by balloon and  the Kings as they appeared on Guanajuato's main street the next day. At REDROOM, type my name in the search box and then click the third entry for my blog.

2010's Top 10: My most popular articles at www.associatedcontent.com

Mexican Fruits and Vegetables

Living with your Broken Arm

Understanding Iraq

Men Who Can't Love

Professional Interpreter Explains His Work

Best Months to Visit Guanajuato, Mexico

Healthy Eating on your Mexican Vacation

Buing Medications in Mexico

Native American Artists Talk about Their Work

John Updike Wrote More than "At the A&P"

International Cervantino Festival 2010 Keeping Me Busy

More to come but for starters here's a great link to clock to see 360 degree views of the places where the  Cervantino events take place.  My favorite so far, the view of the ex-hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera.


http://www.festivalcervantino.gob.mx/Public/MainVisitaVirtual

A 10th Coffeehouse and 2 teahouses in Guanajuato

El Cafetin, between the San Francisco Church and the Museo Iconografico has outdoor and indoor seating, bagels as well as coffee, and some evenings hosts literary events. For a list describing nine other coffeehouses, see my article at www.associatedcontent.com. The warm sunny weather now is perfect for walking around and sampling.

Two teahouses I like are El Lechon Ilustrado and La Vida sin Ti. You'll find El Lechon on Cantaritos, a callejon to the right of the San Roque church, opens at 1pm, closes around 10. Going uphill it's on the left, nearly to Positos. La Vida sin Ti is at the foot of Sangre de Cristo beneath the Bar Fly and serves food too. Opens in the morning, stays open until at least 10pm. Both places serve leaf tea.

Nearly the end of the fresh fig season

but you may still see a vendor with little piles of them across from Embajadoras Market. Delicious (wash before eating) and beautiful when you bite into them.

Guanajuato Book Fair Fights the Rain

A canvas cover protected the booksellers and their wares in Pastitos the past three weeks. At 6pm during the first two weeks, a live program was presented every night. Believe me, the spoken word comes alive when readers who seem like actors present it. One program was a tribute to writers who died during the year, including Miguel Delibes of Spain. After the program I found a used copy of his book Los Santos Inocentes. Delibes was new to me and now I am a fan. I hope to add at least one photo to this post but not tonight. Another hope: that the festival will repeat next year in a sunnier season.

More on Guanajuato Coffeehouses

Click the link

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2462896/nine_coffeehouses_in_guanajuato_mexico
to my article on this fragrant subject. And here are coffeehouses 10,11 and 12 -- Guanajuato's three branches of the Italian Coffee Company, a Mexican firm based in Puebla. Whether you're in Plaza San Fernando, Plaza Pozuelos (where Mega is the anchor store) or at the little plaza on Truco by Avenida Juarez, you'll find one.

Have you petted an itzcointli?

If you drop into Iik, the shop that sells Guatemalan purses and more in front of the San Francisco church, you can see Mezcalito, their Izcointle dog. Mezcalito is a direct descendant of the dogs here in Mexico long before the Spaniards came. The only parts of his body with hair are the crest on his head and the tuft at the end of his tail. He's a friendly, intelligent dog as his playmate knows.

May a Month of Religious Processions

All during May, unions, guilds, societies will wend their way toward the Basilica just before twilight, at 6:30 or 7. The other photo was taken the same evening of a group going the other way toward their neighborhood church. And the photo of the sky is a reminder to look up. I've lived in Guanajuato nearly eleven years and this was the first time I realized I could see one of the muses on the Teatro Juarez roof and the statue of the Pipila on the ridge at the same time.

Alert along Paseo de la Presa at night

A year and a half ago a friend and I were robbed by two young men with pistols near the foot of the privada (dead end street, but in this case there is a stairway that goes up a rock slope to the Panoramica) where I live. I thought at the time we had been careless to be out after midnight.

Then two weeks ago, on December 17 of this year, I was assaulted on the stairway between the poorly-lighted privada and my house, again after dark but much earlier at 8:30pm. This was an ugly event, with the man violating me with his hand as well as robbing me. Not only that, when he disappeared, he came back a minute later to throw me to the ground again and repeat his behavior. After the second attack, while I was considering what to do without my keys, I saw him walk calmly down to the main street .

A couple of minutes later, I went down to the abarrotes (little grocery store) where someone phoned the police and the person who had a copy of my key. At my request, the police called an ambulance to check my shoulder, which was hurting. Turned out I will have what's called a painful shoulder for a long time, but nothing was broken. I will also have to have some expensive dental work because of damage to the bone beneath a tooth.

Needless to say, this time I have already started packing up to move to a better lighted neighborhood near a bus stop.

Young violinist to play at Iconografico Thurs, Oct 8

Teenager Elena Makhnev, who already has a distinguished track record (see below), will be playing Brahms Hungarian Dance #5 and other works this Thursday. Concerts at the Iconografico are gratis, with the doors closing promptly at the starting time.

ELENA MAKHNEV Nació en 1993. Realizo sus estudios musicales a la edad de 6 años bajo la dirección de su padre Stanislav Makhnev, Integrante de la orquesta sinfónica de la universidad de Guanajuato. Durante su trayectoria musical ha realizado diferentes conciertos a acompañada de talentosos pianista. Obtuvo el premio de niña talento por televisa san ángel, abrió ruta teletón para el crip de Irapuato. Como solista empezó a los 9 años ejecutando el concierto de Vivaldi, acompañada por la camerana juvenil bajo la dirección Mario Rodríguez Taboada ,a los 10 años toco el concierto de Bach en la menor con dicha camerana , participo en el concurso nacional de violín realizado por el conservatorio de Música de la UNAM. Hermilo Novelo, logrando el tercer lugar a nivel nacional a los 11 años fue aceptada en la Escuela Central de la Música del Conservatorio de Tchaikovsky de Moscú, Rusia. Donde aun realiza sus estudios, bajo la distinguida maestra Natalia Tatisheva. Participo en la temporada X11 OTOÑO –INVIERNO 2006 como solista con el concierto para violín F. Mendelsonh OP.64 en Mi menor con los tres movimiento a acompañada por la orquesta juvenil del estado de México dirigida por Mario Rodríguez taboada. Ha realizado diferentes concierto en los municipios Guanajuato, Celaya, león, Irapuato, san miguel allende actualmente en julio saldrá a Francia donde dará un ciclo de concierto como master class actualmente es patrocinada por el FONDO- NACIONAL de la cultura y las artes de México CONACULTA-FONCA.

Huitlachoche -- The Time Is Now

We've had several heavy rains in Guanajuato recently so I wasn't surprised that Sunday I saw huitlacoche sold being sold by a sidewalk vendor. This is the grey-black fungus that grows on corn on the cob in the rainy season. If you don't say yuck to mushrooms, it's worth a try, either at home or from the quesadilla and gordita seller at the foot of the Alameda. The huitlacoche and remaining corn kernels are cut from the cob, then sauteed in a tomato, garlic, onion mixture that has been prepared first. I wish I'd taken a photo before I sat down to eat. You can buy huitlachoche on the cob near Mercado Hidalgo, along the street leading into Calle Alondiga, and sometimes from women selling outside the Embajadoras Market.

Four Tasty Treats

Although sometimes this blog suggests that my Guanajuato life consists mainly of eating, that isn't true. It's just that I like to head visitors in Guanajuato to places where I think they'll eat well.
First on my list today is Truco 7, an old standby on calle Truco between the Jardin and Plaza de la Paz. Their comida is nothing special but I love (not too strong a word) their chicken sandwich, a roll filled with breast meat complemented by tomato, avocado, and a chile, removable if you're so inclined. Truco is very pleasant evenings and late mornings, the latter a popular time with university people wanting a cuppa.

Another Mexican restaurant I like is El Cerro de las Ranas on the right side of Juan Valle going toward Positos and the tunnel. It is becoming increasingly popular with Guanajuatenses so I recommend arriving before three. Dark green walls, high ceiling, efficient service for a meal that often goes beyond the usual Guanajuato restaurant fare. Today I started with chicken soup containing pieces of chicken instead of carrots and chayote, a memorable three color salad of layers of beet, jicama and carrot, a large torta of acelgas or chard in guajillo sauce (a mild tasty pepper) and as the postre, a small buñuelo or elephant ear. Agua de fruta or natural included. 40 pesos.

Four my birthday, I ordered a French chocolate cake from Veronique at La Midi in San Fernando plaza and shared it with friends. There's no need to order a whole cake though. You can cut whatever you-sized slice you want and pay by the weight.

At 6pm, I went to an art opening at the Olga Costa Museum in the white-walled gallery with white marble floors across from the older part of the museum. The paintings and installation by three Spanish women show to advantage there. They will remain for about a month. Yes, along with the interesting art there was finger-food for the occasion, antojitos from Corcho d'baco, which now has a new semi-upscale salad restaurant in a building with several galleries and shops in the Campanero (on the way to Sangre de Cristo from the main street). You order upstairs but can eat your salad in the patio if you like.

Children Take to the Streets in Guanajuato

Walking the Guanajauto streets brings unexpected rewards, like accompanying an Estudiantina made up of secondaria students from Monterrey. I was so taken with their music that when they stopped at Plaza Allend I ran ahead to Cafe Tal and brought the leader a cup of Tal coffee.

One morning about a week later, I came uon a parade down Paseo de la Presa, young students holding colorful banners with messages (in Spanish) like "Save the Planet" and "Love and Peace." They tied up traffic along this main street for almost half an hour but ni modo.

New shop with bright purses from Guatemala

I was in the center of town today when I bumped into my friends Ana and Mike. Ana, who is from Guatemala, told me they had just been in a new shop featuring articles from her home country. I wasn't long in going to see if I might be able to buy a neck pouch there. The shop is across from Templo San Fernando between Sopeña and the bottom of the Campanero, meaning a five minute walk at most from the Jardin. Lots of well'made bright colored woven shoulder strap bags, in fact many kinds of purses, other woven items and, yes, neck pouches. Owners Gisell Iriorte and Cesar Rodriguez, whose roots are Pure'pecha, have named the shop IRETERI but all the goods are from Mexico's southern neighbor.

!Picante! Spring Writing Workshop for Beginning Writers

Mark Johanngsmeir and I will be offering The !Picante! Writing Workshop for beginning writers who want to spice up a blog or the story that lurks within. Participants can look forward to heightening skills and confidence in a supportive setting.

The four session workshop will be held February 19, 24,26 and March 4 from 11:30-1:00pm upstairs at the Pinguis Restaurant in the center of town. Price: 400 pesos, non-refundable. Register with either Mark (731-2638) or Rochelle (731-0291).

Mark is a former pastor who has a flair for writing memoir. Rochelle writes short fiction and articles in English for a Guanajuato magazine. They are both active members of La Lectura, a a bi-cultural reading group of local writers.

Embajadoras Market Reopens

Up the steps as before, but now under a lofty roof so that the space is much brighter and cooler. You'll see most of your favorite vendors eventually although on this first weekend some of the old familiar faces were missing. I went with my shopping bag and without my camera. For me a successful expedition. Besides the fruits and vegetables I went for, I came home with a look-like-new pair of light blue pants and a rose-colored merino wool sweater.

Guanajuato's Monthly Reading Gang

More than a year ago Dianne Romain and Sterling Bennett started a monthly bilingual reading group for local writers in English or Spanish. The group, more of a network, meets monthly the third Sunday at 6pm in the big room off the patio at the Embajadoras Hotel. Anyone wanting to read original work is welcome, with a seven-minute max. You can see a half-dozen of my poems by clicking the purple word poems, then clicking poets and typing in my name.