Mexico!

OK folks.... this is going to be a loooooong post. We packed a lot into a few days.



As I wrote about this past summer, Ilan and Patricia were married in August in a beautiful civil ceremony in New Jersey. A reception at Fran and Dov’s home followed, and we had a great time. But why have one party when you can have two…especially if most of your family and friends live in Mexico! So this weekend, we celebrated once again in Puebla with several of Ilan’s friends and many of Patricia’s family and friends.



Here comes the Bride!

Thursday

We left work a bit early and headed to BWI for our flight to Houston and then Mexico City. We got our luggage, cleared customs and boarded an Estrella Roja bus to Puebla. The ride was fantastic- with your ticket, you get a bottle of water and a bag of peanuts.

With our bus tickets!

Finally in Puebla.... David getting our luggage from the bus.

Two hours later, we pulled into the 4 Poniente station where Ilan and Patricia picked us up and drove us to Rocio’s house nearby. Once there, we were given a big room of our own with a private bathroom- it was very nice. We fell asleep in minutes.

Friday

In the morning, we were happy to see Rocio and meet her husband Jorge and their boys Emilio and Diego. It is Emilio’s birthday in a few days and he was going to have a party later that afternoon with all of his cousins. It was also good to see Adriana again and meet her husband Gaston and their boys Gaston and Emilio. We spent a little time chatting and getting to know everyone better. We also learned about what Gaston calls Vitamin T: Tacos, Tortas, Tamales and… Tequila!

We had a breakfast of fruit and quesadillas before taking a taxi to Patricia and Ilan who were staying at her mother’s home. We relaxed and caught up a bit with Dimpna, met up with Chiquis and met her husband Juan Carlos and their sons Rodrigo and Gerardo.

Chiquis and Juan Carlos took the boys to the birthday party and then returned to run errands and pick up several items from their favorite places around Puebla to bring back home to Durango. We joined them and got a great tour of the area and tried delicious dulces and tacos- but they were only tastes of what was to come. Our real lunch was an amazing two hour family extravaganza with Ilan & Patricia, Dimpna and Fran & Dov. Among the many dishes we had were an amazing mole poblano, huitlacoche, cactus soup, molotes, tequila (of course) and tons more!


Amazing mole poblano


tequila! (with traditional lemon and tomato juice accompaniments represents the Mexican flag)

Our late-afternoon lunch stretched into evening and we returned to Dimpna’s home for dessert and drinks with all of Patricia’s family before going out to yet another restaurant that evening to join all of the guests that had come from out of town for a festive gathering. Some ate diner, some (like us who had literally eaten all day long) just had cocktails- but good times were had by all. There were people from Paris, London and several from New York who had made the trip to celebrate with Ilan and Patricia. It was great to meet everyone.


dinner

enjoying our margaritas at the 'out of towner' dinner

Patrica and her mom

Saturday

I woke up early and joined Rocio and Adriana at the salon while David snoozed a bit at the house and then got some work done. I got a manicure while Rocio and Adriana had their hair done. Then we went home, got dressed, picked up Patricia’s bouquet and headed to Rancho El Pastor for the party!

Although it was a bit drizzly and chilly, everyone looked great and was in excellent spirits. We took family photos until the guests arrived at 1:30 PM for cocktail hour.


beautiful bride

Happy Bride and Groom


sisters and niece


catch that bouquet!


The Ehrlich men and their wives

The Groom and his family

surrounded by nephews and niece

Patricia with her sisters, sister in-law, mother and mother in-law

Ilan and his brother in-laws

with the moms

At around 3, the party really got started- Ilan and Patricia thanked everyone for coming and their mothers both spoke a few words as well. Then we ate, drank and danced the night away… the party went until midnight, it was a blast!


My excellent dance partner

David and Erin

Ruiz Family Photo

In our awesome luchador masks (we went to a real match later in this post)

He got the garter!

Smiley Fran and Dov

David and Paul and Tequila

Strike a pose!

the kids' table..... and David

Chiquis, Adriana, Ali and Fran

The tent where the wedding was held - beautiful

Dan and David ...not helping out Ilan at all

Fran and Dov glamour shot

Sunday

We went to Fran and Dov’s beautiful hotel, the Camino Real in the historic district of Puebla for a fantastic brunch. We were joined by Erin, Paul, Dan, Ilan and Patricia and we ate, toasted their happiness and laughed about the escapades of the night before.

After-wedding brunch with Dan, Ilan, Patricia, Paul, Erin and David

Family Photo: Ilan, Patricia, Ali and David with Fran and Dov

Ali in the Camino Real, Puebla

We all spent the afternoon together shopping and walking around Puebla, generally just enjoying the day. In the late afternoon, David and Dov watched a little football before we joined Fran and Dov at a restaurant adjacent to the zócalo, for yet another great dinner. We said farewell as they were leaving very early the next morning for New Jersey and we were heading to Mexico City.

hangin' in Puebla

touring a park in Puebla

Puebla market

Monday

We said goodbye and thank you to Jorge as he left for work and then goodbye to Adriana, Gaston and their boys as they left for Texas. Then Rocio took us to a fabulous place for breakfast. We had fresh squeezed orange juice, quesadilla of zucchini blossoms, mushrooms and cheese and delicious freshly made tortillas with salsa and onion- I can’t remember the name of the exact dish, but it was good!


delicioso!

Full and happy, Rocio then took us to see the Popocatépetl volcano and The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl (artificial mountain). It is the world's largest monument and largest Pre-Columbian pyramid by volume. Gradually covered by time, today the pyramid appears as natural hill with a church on top. The church was built by the Spanish in colonial times as it was easier to cover the pyramid than tear it down.


Pyramid of Cholula

Puebla's popo (in the distance behind me)

She then took us to the bus station. We said goodbye and another great big thank you and boarded our ride to Mexico City. David watched a movie with Nick Cage (and his awful toupee) called Bangkok Dangerous while I read and snoozed a bit.

We arrived in Mexico City, took a cab to our beautiful hotel, dropped off our bags (the room was not ready yet) and took a taxi to Mexico City’s zócalo, the Plaza de la Constitución. We took a tour of the nearby Palacio Nacional (National Palace) and learned a great deal about Mexican history and culture from Diego Rivera’s enormous murals along the main stairwell and the walls of the second floor. The largest mural depicts the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930. They were all painted between 1929 and 1935, jointly titled “The Epic of the Mexican People.” We also toured the botanical garden which was more like an enormous cactus garden- but very cool.


Mexico City’s busy zócalo


Part of the enormous Diego Rivera mural

We also visited The Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral )which is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. There are several smaller chapels throughout the cathedral and the impressive and beautiful Altar of Forgiveness and The Altar of the Kings.

Altar at the Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María

We returned back to our hotel, unpacked a bit, showered, relaxed for a while. Needing a break from the hot sauce- we decided to have a quiet dinner at China Grill Restaurant in our hotel. The meal was good and the drinks were spectacular- David had a Red Mojito and I had a French mojito.

Tuesday

We woke up early for our 7-hour guided tour to Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian site about an hour outside of Mexico City. is the most visited of Mexico’s archaeological sites The name Teōtīhuacān was given by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs centuries after the fall of the city. To the Aztecs, Teotihuacan was a holy place, where the sun, moon and universe were created and it means “birthplace of the gods.”

On the way there, we visited an obsidian workshop and learned about the agave plant and the production of tequila, pulque and mezcal.

A mature agave plant

Then we got to Teotihuacan. The city's broad central avenue, the Calle de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead) runs the length of the city North-South, and is surrounded by enormous ceremonial structures including the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (Temple of the Feathered Serpent) the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Along the Avenue of the Dead are many smaller platforms. Many believed they were tombs, inspiring the name of the avenue but today, scholars have established these were ceremonial platforms that were topped with temples.

We first toured The Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Located at the southern end of the Teotihuacan's Avenue of the Dead, it is a six-level pyramid whose outside edges are decorated with feathered serpent heads alternating with those of another snake-like creature, often identified as Tlaloc. More than two hundred sacrificial burials have been found at the pyramid, and are believed to be carried out as part of the dedication of the temple.

Heads of serpents and Tlaloc at the Temple of Quetzalcoatl

At an ancient Aztec dwelling- you can still see some original artwork

Pyramid of the Moon (left) Pyramid of the Sun (right)

We explored some ancient dwellings that had amazingly preserved artwork and got a better understanding for how the inhabitants lived in the 4th Century.

We climbed as high as they would let us go up on The Pyramid of the Moon and then we climbed to the very top of The Pyramid of the Sun which is the third largest Pyramid in the world (after the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt). It was quite a hike and the views were spectacular!

David atop the Pyramid of the Sun overlooking the Pyramid of the Moon


At the top the Pyramid of the Moon overlooking the Calle de los Muertos and ceremonial platforms


Pyramid of the Moon

We ended our day-trip with a visit to the the Basilica of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe). According to tradition, an image of the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously on the cloak of an indigenous peasant named Juan Diego in 1531. Her icon is on display in the Basilica of Guadalupe which is the most visited Catholic shrine, and after Mecca and the Vatican, it is the 3rd most visited religions site in the world.


Virgin Mary of Guadalupe


The Basillica

That night, we met up with Patrick and Grace to see the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (Worldwide Wrestling Council). Among the fighters were the World Heavyweight Champion: Último Guerrero, World Super Lightweight Champion: Máscara Dorada and the Mexican National Trios Champions: Mascara Dorada, Stuka, Jr. and Metro. All of it is choreographed and planned-out but still very fun. Unfortunately we were not allowed to bring in our cameras.


Patrick and David's late night snack after wrestling


masks for sale


t-shirts for sale

Wednesday

In the morning we walked through Chapultepec Park and toured the Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Anthropological Museum). With its archaeological artifacts from the ancient cultures including Olmec, Mexica, Maya, Aztec and others, it was a very impressive place! We only had about three hours so we hit the highlights. We saw the Piedra del Sol (the Aztec Sun Stone) which is one of Mexico's most known and loved symbols as well as a famous obsidian vessel carved in the shape of a monkey which made David very happy.


National Anthropological Museum


Aztec Sun Stone (you don't get a sense for how big this thing is from the photo- it's huge!)


butterfly mask


obsidian monkey urn

On the way back to the hotel we stopped in for a quick bite at taco place MariCruz had recommended. We had high expectation coming from a local and Los Panchos did not disappoint. They were and excellent last meal in Mexico.


Adios Mexico!

We finished up, picked up our bags from the hotel and went to the airport. Two flights later we were back home in Maryland. Boy was jerry glad to see us walk in the door. We had such a great trip, I have a feeling we will be returning to Mexico soon!

As I said above.... this is a LONG post. If I left something or someone out- I apologize. We saw and did a lot of things…. all of them amazing. I do however, want to take a minute and thank Rocio and Jorge one more time. They not only welcomed us into their beautiful home, but treated us like family during our stay (which, I guess we are now). Their generosity, thoughtfulness, caring and genuine warmth made our trip feel like we had been family for years. It truly put us at ease and we are so grateful for their hospitality. Rocio and Jorge, we hope you and the boys come to DC soon, hopefully it won't be too long before we see you again.

Let it snow...

Well, it has been snowing for about 21 hours now and I am good and stir-crazy. I'd say we easily have a good 15-20 inches on the ground by now. I went outside to snap a few pictures before the light was all gone and the snow easily came up to the middle of my shins.

Here are a few pictures of our development from this afternoon.


our parking lot/condo development


My footsteps next to David's car (his is the one on the right)


David's car


my car- you can hardly see it!




our lamp next to our condo- looks like it's wearing a hat


sign for our condo


a view of our balcony from the parking lot


walkway from our condo to the parking lot

***UPDATE***

So last night at around 7 PM, the snow began to taper off and we started to dig out the cars. It was quite a task and we lasted a few hours before we were exhausted and gave up.


David begins to dig out

In the morning, we started to dig out again, but the condo association brought in a plow and a bobcat to clear away the remaining snow.

After we had cleared off the snow from the top and behind the cars (no easy feat) all we had to do was back out of our spots and the bobcat obliterated any remaining snow. Lemme tell you, it was worth every single penny in condo fees we've paid all year!


the bobcat cleaning away the snow from the lot


the snow is practically up to my hips!


Finally- the cars emerge. Great work David!

After coming back inside, we warmed up with some delicious Williams Sonoma hot chocolate. My favorite!


It takes a little while to prepare, but is sooooo worth it!

So we survived Snowpocalypse 2009 relatively unscathed. We spent a lot of time by the fireplace watching tv and catching up on household chores. It was kind of nice. (Says the girl who took photos while her husband shoveled)

Hangin' with the Grandparents, playing some Wii

For my Grandpa Don's birthday this year, my dad and Aunt Meri got him a Wii. The thought was that since the games require movement, they would keep Grandpa active and entertained during his recuperation from having his pacemaker replaced.

So this weekend, David and I went to Florida for a Hanukkah visit and hooked up the system for them. After a few minutes of instruction, Grandma and Grandpa were playing like pros.


David gives a quick introduction to Wii Sports

First we tried Tennis, which was fun but a little hard to coordinate. Then we discovered bowling which everyone loved


Grandpa Don bowling


Grandma Rona, Wii Bowling Champ!


Here are two videos from our day of Wii Sports.






Grandpa Bowling

Later on, Grandpa and David were feeling adventurous, so they tried out the baseball game. Below is a picture of David pitching the ball to Grandpa who is at bat.


Playing Baseball




David and Grandpa Don get the hang of Wii Baseball

We also spent time this weekend with David's Grandma Sara and Grandpa Joe in Fort Lauderdale, as well as my Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Paul in Delray Beach. We showed Sara and Joe how to Skype and they saw their Great Grandson Benjamin live for the first time. It was a very nice weekend and as always, it was great to spend time with our grandparents.

Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

As most of you know, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. There are no services to attend, you can wear jeans and the only obligations are eating and drinking. This is my kind of holiday!

This year my dad planned another ambitious and delicious menu:

First Course included a smoked salmon and caper deviled egg accompanied by a homemade gravlox on rye bread points.

Second Course was my Dad's often-requested pumpkin and black bean soup.

Third Course was a garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette and cracked pepper dressing.

Main Course consisted of:
Turkey (duh)
Sourdough, chestnut and apple stuffing
Lamb kabobs on a bed of orzo
Fried plantains
Crispy kale and cranberries
Cranberry compote with ginger and applejack
Glazed carrots
Roasted brussel sprouts
Herb and roasted garlic mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy
Sweet potato pie
Corn bread
Homemade bread & butter pickles as well as pickled quail eggs and pickled corn
(there was probably more on the table, apologies to dad if I left something out)

Desserts included blueberry pie (made from berries my dad and Leslie had picked this summer!) as well as brandied peaches, fruit, apple pie, chocolate cake and so much more!!

But before I get too far, I must to go back a few hours and post a picture of what I woke up to on Thursday morning. It's barely 7 AM and here is my dad already performing 'surgery' of one of the birds.



A short while later, David and Brian joined him in the kitchen. Here they are making stuffing. These guys peeled, chopped, sauteed, seared, sliced and diced for HOURS.


The cooks: Dad, David and Brian making stuffing.

You may be wondering... all these men in the kitchen, what did you do, Ali? Well, I watched the parade, set the table and took pictures. It's hard work but someone has to do it. True story.

So at around 3 PM, family and friends started to arrive.


Devaki, Neha and Mallika


Uncle Al and Virginia


Brian, G&G Felder, me, G&G Koles and David


With Dov, Fran and Patricia

Then it was dinner time!! I have no idea how he did it, but my dad managed to prepare all of this amazing food in two days and fit 19 people in his apartment!


Here is my dad carving up one of the birds. Seriously, the man could teach a Master Class on turkey carving. He's got mad skills.


Quick photo of the whole table before we started dinner


David and me excited to eat!


With Grandpa Don and Grandma Rona


David, Brian and me with G&G Felder


Grandma Ruth (sorta) Grandpa Paul, Brian, Mom and me


Patricia and Fran


Neha, Mallika, Devaki, Dad and Leslie


Dad and Brian


Fran, Ilan and Patricia


Devaki, Brian and Mallika


Attack of the killer turkey!!!!


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!


Dad and David enjoying a well-deserved scotch after a long day of cooking and entertaining around 11 PM.

Congratulations to Kathy and Chad!!!

Earlier this week, Kathy and Chad became the very proud parents of Colin Edward Sullivan. At 8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches, Colin was born at 4:50 PM on November 19, 2009.



Visiting Kathy and fam at the hospital that night. She was a total rockstar throughout her 8 hour delivery and is already a fantastic mommy.



Colin had so many visitors!



Everyone went home this weekend and is doing great! Congratulations to Kathy and Chad!!!

Like a Skyline Is Etched in His Head

Today, The New York Times published an article about Stephen Wiltshire. CBS featured him this morning as well. I can't believe I have never heard of this guy before today, but I am glad I have now. Stephen is currently drawing a panorama of New York City from memory in a gallery at the Pratt Institute's Juliana Curran Terian Design Center.

Stephen is from London and is autistic. Mute until the age of 3, he spoke his first words when he was 5 -- asking for paper and a pen. He has drawn panoramas of eight major cities, usually after brief flyovers. The New York panorama will be his ninth and, he says, his last.



When Stephen was young, his parents sent him to a special school in the UK. Before long his teachers got him speaking and then they discovered that Stephen has a truly remarkable ability. He can look at a city or a building just for a brief moment and then recreate everything about that building or city right down to the number of floors it has and the number of windows. He has traveled all over the world creating these cityscape's and right now he is completing his 8th and what he says final one - New York City.


Watch CBS News Videos Online





Below is a clip of him recreating the New York cityscape live. A truly incredible talent.



Webcam chat at Ustream

His website is a little overwhelmed right now, but I'm sure it will calm down in a few days.