Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sue paper), Fire as candles, and Water. Flowers signified eternal life with God. Candles lit
the way for the soul's return. Water, symbol of purity, also quenched the soul's thirst. Copal
cleansed the area from bad spirits. Pan de muerto represented the bodies of the departed.
Wednesday we were free until 2 p.m. We then met in St. Paul's Hall for a lecture by Fred
Stresen-Reuter, an historian, who gave us a detailed and informative lecture on the simil-
arities of Catholicism and Aztec beliefs and how they melded in the Day of the Dead cere-
mony.
After his presentation, we walked to the Panteón, San Miguel's cemetery, which was fes-
tooned with a field of flowers. Graves were decorated with golden marigolds, as our altar
had been the previous evening. It was a time of joy and sadness.
Later that evening we gathered for our farewell dinner. Troubadours in 16
th
-century cos-
tume, a “tuna” in Spanish, entertained us outdoors in the patio-garden, under the veranda.
For
information
about
next
year's
Inside
San
Miguel
de
Allende,
email:
