Meri's Play Place

One of the virgin images found in Guanajuato, Mexico is that of Our Lady of Guanajuato, patron saint of the city. Her statue resides in the basilica built between 1671 and 1696. This antique figure was a gift from King Charles I of Spain and his son, Phillip II of Spain during the colonial period. Image © 2010 Meri Arnett-Kremian It is thought to be the earliest piece of European religious art to arrive in the New World. Each year on August 9, there is a ceremony commemorating the statue's arrival  in Guanajuato  in 1557.   The statue is placed on a huge, lavishly decorated  lighted bier for closer inspection. A special Mass and Rosary are said.  Then men of the parish carry the statue outside for waiting throngs to see. Hymns are written for the ceremony and Aztec dancers perform. In the evening there are three hours of prayer, music and general adoration, culminating in a fireworks display. The next day an embroidered velvet mantilla is draped on ...

I love reflections,  especially ones where reversed images  of things outside  bounce off windows,  obscuring the view of what's inside but showing us a picture of something else entirely. There's something intriguing about the idea that  transparency  can both reveal and conceal. We usually think of revealing, seeing through to the interior, being an open book, when we think of "transparent." We don't usually think of mirroring, hiding, playing tricks with light. So here are three examples of this phenomenon, all in different parts of the world.  So what's your pleasure? Cathedrals? Narrow Venetian passages? Hot shops and making glass? Your answer may reflect who you are inside. (For more Weekend Reflections, click on the icon on the menu bar to the right). 

Today I'm celebrating Mexico and color and tasty food and fascinating customs like Dio de los Muertos. These images were taken 10 days ago in Guanajuato, where everyone was preparing for Day of the Dead. So I'll make a pitcher of margaritas from scratch and pour us each one so we can peek at my pictures. Come to think of it, with all the pictures I've taken, we'll need more than a single pitcher.

I didn't think a balloon was a good surface for reflections to bounce off, but I was wrong. Maybe balloons in Guanajuato are special.