Puebla, Mexico

When my brother called to say he was getting married...in Puebla, Mexico...it seemed like a good reason to visit this city a few hours from Mexico City! I immediately checked the NYTimes to see if they had some advice since I usually start with the 36 Hours series when planning a trip. They had an article on Puebla so I took their advice and booked 3 nights at La Purificadora. The hotel, housed in an 18th century ice factory, was a terrific mix of modern boutique with charm and character.

The historic center of Puebla has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and was beautiful to wander through. We shopped in the markets for elaborately painted ceramics and colorful shawls, then found a cafe in the center square and people watched while sipping a mojito.

Most of our meals were shared with our new extended family but we did manage to squeeze in a delicious lunch at our hotel of chiles en nogada, a local specialty.
La Purificadora has a gorgeous lobby open to the sky with a gigantic firepit and exposed stone walls. The dramatic open air stairs to the lobby provided a perfect backdrop for pictures! And just outside the lobby was a sculpture park with plenty of benches and green grass.

The wedding occupied most of our short time in Puebla but gave us just enough time in this beautiful city to know we definitely want to return!