Puebla ... mole poblano, Volkswagen factory, telavera (ceramics) and the Popo Vulcano towering nearby. My 2nd Mexican outing led to this charming, cramped city, 2 hours drive from Mexico City. It took my neighbourly friend Alexandra and myself a good 20 minutes to find the turn-off to the fancy design hotel La Purificadora (spacy, alla fresca, glass staircases, great breakfast, location somewhat odd next to a shopping centre-cinema complex with a lovely garden).

We tried out a restaurant recommended to me (La Conjura, not exciting), came upon a lovely museum, which luckily was still open due to the ¨noche de los museos¨ and joined the crowds on the zocalo (main square). We had a very decent dinner with the obligatory mole poblano in an inner courtyard restaurant, whose walls were covered in naive paintings.

It was Buen Fin weekend (which has become a shopping weekend due to nation-wide discounts), so the next day´s pleasure of finding the Uriarte Ceramics Store was much enhanced. It´s quite a hike, though still in what is called the centro historic. You are well rewarded after spotting the fabulous tiled facade and entering into an interior courtyard with tile-covered walls and a display of their wonderful pottery (I was in heaven).

Because the Museo Bello y Gonzalez was closed - and because Puebla is charming - I shall go there again!