We spent the night in Toluca, the capital of the state of Mexico.  I was impressed by two things: the cold (I hadn’t brought enough warm clothes) and the botanical gardens, which are in a former covered market.  The market's windows have been replaced by an incredible stained glass mural.  The plants are varied, well labeled, and include a medicinal section.  Nearby is the town of Metepec, which is the home to the principal artisans of the “árbol de la vida” ceramic creations.  I found Metepec to be much more charming than Toluca, and wished we had spent the night in the smaller city (now a suburb of Toluca).  

A new cultural activity: lawn-sweeping

Although I have heard it said that US lawns all look (too) pristine, I thought our ex-landlady’s request that we sweep the dead blossoms off our lawn was taking “too pristine” to a whole new level.  However, sweeping the lawn is not such an abnormal things here, as I’ve observed.  Regina was more than happy to participate in a new cultural activity.