Guadalajara Trip - Day 3
Tlaquepaque
After our first two days of exploring Guadalajara’s historic district and the town of Tequila, as well as experiencing an amazing tequileria, we had a relaxing morning and breakfast at our hotel. Pancho and Mafer met us with two vans and we all headed out for a short drive to Tlaquepaque for a day of shopping and eating.
Tlaquepaque is an older town known for its great artists. Over the years Guadalajara grew around this town, but without altering its artistic identity. In the center of town streets have been closed so pedestrians can walk freely wandering into the many boutique shops and restaurants. What we immediately noticed about this town was that it didn’t have the typical mass-produced Souvenirs, instead, we found the work of fine artists at very good prices. We even saw many of the artists working on their next piece. Many of us found things we just couldn’t resist – from jewelry to cowboy boots; clothes and one-of-a-kind pieces of art or pottery. We broke up our time here with an amazing lunch at Cielito Lindo, a must stop if you are ever in the area. The setting is gorgeous with a courtyard that is home to a magnificent tree, a fountain, and numerous sculptures. The staff was warm and welcoming, service was excellent and the food incredible. The cocktails were also very good. Full and ready to walk off lunch, we went back out to finish any shopping we still had left to do. Unfortunately, I never did find the cross I liked the most, a reminder: if you love it, buy it and don’t wait.
After hours of exploration, shopping and eating, we headed back to the hotel for a much-needed siesta. Dinner for most of us was an Argentinian steak house, Cortazar Parrilla de Autor. Our group broke into 4 larger tables and dinner was served family style. The first course was steak carpaccio served with delicious brown bread. The next two courses were two different cuts of steak, cooked to perfection and served with amazing grilled vegetables. Wine flowed freely to wash down this incredible meal. The restaurant was comfortable, with an open kitchen that added to the atmosphere, and the staff were so friendly, it made you feel like you were grilling at a friend’s house. We followed up dinner by returning to the hotel and closing down the small bar.
A couple of our group opted to attend the Guadalajara Philharmonic (OFJ) in the gorgeous theater near the Plaza Liberacion, in the historic district. They raved about their evening, saying the theater was beautiful, the music incredible and the conductor was pure entertainer. They thought it was one of the highlights of their trip. If you are visiting Guadalajara it would be worthwhile to check out the entertainment schedule.
On many nights there is also music in the squares, with families out enjoying the evening. This night that didn’t happen because the city was having its annual Christmas parade and Santa was arriving! The streets were lined with families anxiously awaiting the festivities.