Queretaro’s landscape and climate might not seem like ideal growing conditions with its summer hail storms, but if you look around the world, some of the best wines come from semi-arid climates and high elevations. Queretaro wineries plant their vineyards between 6200-7000 ft elevation which leads to hot days and cool nights. This drastic swing…
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a favorite holiday of the Mexican people. While death is a somber experience in many parts of the world, the Mexicans have created a 3-day celebration filled with music, laughter, and of course, food. If you are planning a trip to Mexico in the future,…
Vendimias have been celebrated for thousands of years marking the end of the grape harvest and all the dedication to the vines for the past year. These huge parties were a way to make work fun with food, laughter and music. Today, instead of grape stomping with our feet, we use machines to separate and…
Movies about Mexico seem to be centered around the cartel,depressing living conditions, and gun violence. (Can we say stereotype?) It’sno wonder Americans believe it’s “dangerous” to go to Mexico. One of ourfavorite movies, Once Upon a Time in Mexico has all that and more. It’s a story of love, revenge, strategic political crap, and witty…
Amealco de Bonfil is one of the oldest towns in the state of Queretaro and is one of the newest on the list of pueblos magicos. Founded in 1538, Amealco de Bonfil is a place of history and tradition, agriculture and waterfalls. Amealco de Bonfil is located a few minutes from the state border of…
The historical area of Queretaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site studded with beautiful architecture and monuments. Queretaro has grown from an agricultural region to the birthplace of the Independence movement, and helped shape Mexico into what it is today. The museums of Quertaro are an easy way to learn about the history and…
Santa Rosa Jauregui is known for the best carnitas in the country, but there’s so much more to this little town. While Queretaro caters to tourists and big businesses, Santa Rosa Jauregui is where we get our real Mexican experience. This is a real working town with all the Mexican charm you’ve read about in…
It’s one thing to SEE a tradition in another culture, it’s a whole other world to be a part of it. Living in Mexico has allowed us to get to know our neighbors and learn about Mexican traditions and culture. One of those traditions is Las Posadas. Posadas is Spanish for lodging or accommodation. This…
Experiencing Christmas in another country is always exhilarating. What will be similar? What will be different? This is our first Christmas in Queretaro, Mexico. Lights shaped as Christmas trees and stars hang from the lamp posts. Stores are draped in garlands of poinsettias and sparkling lights, and Christmas music blares out of every doorway and…
We did quite a bit of research before selecting the greater Queretaro area to relocate to. One thing we did not look into was what are the local food specialties? Call it dumb luck but we were fortunate enough to stumble onto some fairly remarkable local delicacies, most notably carnitas and barbacoa. Carnitas Santa Rosa…
Did you know that Mexico produces and supplies 45% of the world’s avocados? And did you know that Mexico grows 14 varieties of mangoes? One of the highlights of traveling around the world is visiting local markets. Now that we live in Queretaro, the Mercado La Cruz isn’t a tourist attraction for us. It truly…
Chocolate was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, but the indigenous people of Mexico have been consuming chocolate for thousands of years. The Europeans went crazy for this natural caffeine source, and began experimenting with adding sugar, milk and cocoa butter to transform the drink into a solid form that could be eaten. While some may…