Monday 20 December

Today we visit the church of La Soledad and, a short walk away, the Tamayo Museum.

La Virgen de la Soledad (the Virgin of Solitude) is the patron saint of Oaxaca and you see her triangular form all over the city.

The legend says that in 1620 a mule train discovered a strange mule in its midst. The animal would not move, and when prodded, it fell over and died. The statue of the Virgin was discovered in its pack, whereupon a shrine was built on the spot to commemorate the miracle.

The current church, with its distinctive red-trimmed domes, was built in 1690. The original Virgin is displayed inside, clothed in rich velvet robes and adorned with gold and pearls.

The Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art contains the personal collection of this well-known 20th century Oaxacan painter. Tamayo designed the museum in a 17th century colonial home which he divided into five galleries, each a different color.

Although the pieces of each ancient culture are grouped together, they are presented as art rather than archaeology. We find many of the pieces stunningly beautiful.

GOOD FOOD
We eat both lunch and dinner at La Olla, a health-conscious restaurant that prides itself on its locally grown produce (washed in purifed water), fresh-roasted coffee, and home-baked bread and desserts.

The highlight of dinner is the flaming crepes dessert. First, all the lights in the restaurant are turned off, which causes quite a stir among the other diners. Then orange liqueur is dribbled down the spiral-cut rind of an orange and set aflame. Check out the video on the right.