This morning I wanted to hit first the museum that was actually Miguel Hidalgo's home. It was in this place where the insurgents would meet for their "Literary Meetings" and where the plot of the insurrection would be hatched. But, first another fulfilling breakfast to fortify us for the day was in order. After our meal we went to the plaza across the street for a rest. While there my wife wandered off the read plaques on the various objects erected in the plaza.

I don't know what it is about me seeing strange things like when in Zacatecas and the old man and his child partner coming into the church to enact a scene from a loony-bin (and the dog, don't forget the dog). These things always seem to happen when I am sitting resting in Mexico trying to center myself for a day of tromping about town or write notes. While I was thinking about what I was going to write at the end of the day, another crazy man appeared.

This guy was making no noise whatsoever. He came running from across the street where we ate breakfast and shot like a rocket between the parked cars. He was a Mexican man who was alternately running and leaping through the air (like Michael Jordan) all the while thrashing the air with his red cap as though a swarm of hornets was chasing him. There was nothing chasing him. He ran past my wife, who was copying down a monument marker's info, and she saw nothing. He was leaping with the skill of a ballet dancer on too much caffeine (or something worse). The man ran toward the church running, leaping, and thrashing but making no noise. The locals just watched as though this was some form of local morning entertainment and perhaps it was, I wondered. Sigh.

Miguel Hidalgo's home is magnificently preserved. While the museum of Mexican independence needs some work, this building is so nice I could picture us moving in there to take up residence immediately. Except the wife would have to learn how to cook in the Spanish colonial kitchen and on the original colonial stoves. I could see her doing it, though.

The home-museum was full of other items of that time period which Hidalgo may or may not have used or worn. There was an extensive collection of his letters and declarations, some which might have been originals, that neither of could read. The script was from colonial Spanish and was in Castilian. We could make some of it out but it was beyond our present Spanish proficiency.

I was awestruck that this was the home in which Miguel Hidalgo not only entertained those of his educated class equals but those indigenous we also invited into his home. This was heartening to me. I could of sat for hours trying to imagine the life that took place in this colonial home.

Off the picturesque courtyard, is a large room that was a storehouse of grains. It is there that the parishioners would bring their offerings to the church and from which it would be distributed. This is now a large exhibition room with several artifacts from the colonial period. The original front doors to Hidalgo's home are displayed on the far wall. There is also a statue of Hidalgo standing in a conqueror's pose and wearing what looks like a bed sheet wrapped around him. This same statute is located in the main plaza on in bronze. He looks like a Roman statesman or someone wrapped up in a sheet. We wondered if Hidalgo would have found this amusing.

Also, off the courtyard is the house's dining room and kitchen. A wall separates the two with two serving portals with little wooden, swinging doors on the portals. I assumed the food would be cooked without the dinner guests watching and when seated, the cooks would pass the food through the portals for more servants to take the table. Old colonial style living-It was lovely.

After another brief repast of cold coffees mixed with chocolate syrup, and topped off with whipped cream, we headed on our planned foot trek through the east part of town. Dolores Hidalgo is so small and a well planned city that you would do this walkabout in a few hour's time. We began at the corner of Hidalgo and Michoacan and walked two blocks south to Tabasco. At the corner of Tabasco and Durango we found a very cute, pink chapel that seemed the size of someone's living room. It was locked as is all the churches in town when mass is not being conducted. This is different from Guanajuato.

Heading back to the central plaza we walked on Durango to the street called Guanajuato and then on to the plaza. On Guanajuato street, between Sonora and Veracruz was a huge market set up that reminded me of the weekend market in Guanajuato in the Embajadoras barrio. This had the blue tarp covered kiosks full of candies, shoes, souvenirs, jewelry, and, of course, pottery and ceramics. Speaking of pottery, during this walk we found houses whose facades were composed of the most beguiling blue and white talavera tiles. I thought that a very nice touch.

We made it back to the plaza whereupon we fell greedily upon someone selling the most decadent chocolate cake. Ice cream, which was what we wanted, had to wait for another time. The cake did us in. We needed to lay down.