It was an early start on Thursday, to be on site for John, Owen and Mari's talk at 9am. We beat most of the exhibitors in, hopping over brooms and vacuums and the cleaners got the site ready for visitors. This was the calm before the excited schoolchildren storm, arriving coach load by coach load, and buying books, mobbing authors, buying more books. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm in the 9am talk, and a full room at a time I was told was 'too early for most Mexicans!'
Later that day we manage to get out to Mercado Libertad (known locally as Mercado San Juan de Dios): 'Guadalajarans claim that it's the largest indoor market in the world' says my Rough Guide to Mexico. It is pretty big, with around 2,800 stalls - a sprawling maze of narrow lanes of stalls selling leather goods, clothes, tequila, shot glasses, handbags, ukuleles, all kinds of street food and birds in cages from roosters to songbirds. We come up for air and wander outside for some food – I opt for Sopa Azteca – a visit to a cash machine and a quick art fix for me at Plaza Tapatia where Alejandro Colunga's hall of mirrors bronze figures form quirky chairs and benches. Then we use our FIL passes to slip back inside the adjacent Hospicio Cabanas to see David Shrigley's exhibition and the Orozco murals from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to The Man of Fire.
Revived, fed and watered, we head back in the market, although I've not a lot of spare cash to flash, I do buy myself a shawl and some trinkets for xmas for himself and a few friends.
Later that day we manage to get out to Mercado Libertad (known locally as Mercado San Juan de Dios): 'Guadalajarans claim that it's the largest indoor market in the world' says my Rough Guide to Mexico. It is pretty big, with around 2,800 stalls - a sprawling maze of narrow lanes of stalls selling leather goods, clothes, tequila, shot glasses, handbags, ukuleles, all kinds of street food and birds in cages from roosters to songbirds. We come up for air and wander outside for some food – I opt for Sopa Azteca – a visit to a cash machine and a quick art fix for me at Plaza Tapatia where Alejandro Colunga's hall of mirrors bronze figures form quirky chairs and benches. Then we use our FIL passes to slip back inside the adjacent Hospicio Cabanas to see David Shrigley's exhibition and the Orozco murals from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to The Man of Fire.
Revived, fed and watered, we head back in the market, although I've not a lot of spare cash to flash, I do buy myself a shawl and some trinkets for xmas for himself and a few friends.
and then we head back to FIL
The Wonder of the Short Story: Tessa Hadley, Irvine Welsh, John Burnside
The post-talk author mob
Jenny Walford (Culture group) and Rebecca at dinner in a nearby place where the food is lovely, swoon and the boys are all drinking clamato; a bloody Mary type drink involving clam broth and beer.
Mabli (left)
The film crew make friends again after pretending to hate each other during their rival teams football match on the telly
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