On Sunday, after we checked out of our hotel, we drove to the historic center of Puebla. Alejandro's sister had asked him to buy some of the traditional candies for which Puebla is famous. So we parked the car at a parking lot near the city center and walked to a pedestrian street which is commonly referred to as "Calle de Dulces" (Candy Street). The street is lined with candy shops.
The stores are filled with an enormous variety of candies and cookies. Many of the recipes originated in the convents which abounded in Puebla in the colonial era... most notably the Convent of Santa Clara.
Alejandro bought several kinds of goodies, however he did not buy any of Puebla's most famous candy... "camotes", a confection made from sweet potatoes. Neither he nor I are big fans of "camotes".
Most of the candy shops also sell typical handicrafts of Puebla, especially the Talavera pottery for which the city is also famous. I saw something that I did not expect to see this time of year, a clay figurine of the type used in Nativity scenes. This old shepherd in a wide brimmed hat is seated on a tree trunk (a real piece of wood) and is holding a lamb. A flock of five sheep is included. I bought it, and it will be another addition to my traditional Mexican Nativity scene next Christmas.
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