Waterside treasures

Waterside treasures
Mexico
Magazine: September 2007

In the Michoacán region, the atmosphere of past times may be found in the islands on the lake, some only reachable by boat.
Janitzo island is the biggest, while Pacada is on low ground. Other villages lie on the banks of the lake and further inland: like Tzintzuntzan, capital at the time of the Spanish conquest, Uruapan, famous for the cultivation of avocados, Santa Maria del Cobre, known for copper working, and Tupátaro, with its magnifi cent golden “retablo” hidden inside a fi fteenth century temple dedicated to Nuestro Señor Santiago.

For shops and museum
Pueblear means to wander from one village to another at a relaxing pace.
It is a way to get to know the traditions and culture of the territory, passed down from the teachings of Don Vasco de Quiroga, known as “Tata Vasco”, father Vasco, who in contrast to his bloody predecessor, also an inspector for the Spanish Crown, decided to don a bishop’s robes and help the local population.
He built schools, hospitals and markets, which are still today a distinguishing feature of the towns of this region: in the shops of Santa Clara we can watch copper being worked by hammer, in preparation for the annual summer market in August; like the silver and textile fair in Pátzcuaro, which also boasts the production of “maque”, a wood lacquer made with natural powders, infl uenced by trade with the Philippines.
The village of Tocuaro is instead known for its colourful masks, Tzintzuntzan for wood and Quiroga for straw weaving and products made from maize dough.

Aguacate on a plate
The Urupan region, about 120 kilometres from Morelia and 60 from Pátzcuaro, is the principal world producer of what is known as “the green gold of Mexico”, the oily fruit with the delicate velvety fl avour which we know as the avocado.
This area is the perfect location for its planting and growth.
There are numerous dishes which may be prepared from the avocado, from varieties of guacamole - ranging from the classic to the “rojo” (red) to one made with “tomate verde” (green tomatoes) – to salads often combining it with pineapple, fl avoured cheeses like Roquefort, and eggs. In main courses, the avocado is often found with rice, meat or fi sh.
A typical dish of the Pátzcuaro region is “pescado blanco”, which is “rebosado”, meaning whisked in eggs and fl our and then fried, despite being a fi sh in danger of extinction.

City of wonders
The capital of this region, which has the Pacifi c to one side and plunges into the least known depths of Mexico on the other, is Morelia.
Bearing the proud title of a Heritage of Humanity city, it boasts a “casco antiguo”, historic centre, still almost intact and showing us how life was centuries ago.
Morelia, which is a living monument to how the concept of evangelisation penetrated this land, is today above all an important university town, and enjoys a particularly young atmosphere which seems to lighten up even the baroque Mexican tablerado style of the Cathedral, dominated by two towers, one bearing a stone cross and the other an iron one, to remind of the dual human and divine nature of Jesus Christ.
Opposite we fi nd the imposing Government Building, whose internal courtyard is decorated with murals depicting the history of the region.

The Urupan region is the world’s largest producer of avocados. Known as “the green gold of Mexico”, this fruit is omnipresent in local cuisine