A Day in Santiago de Querétaro

There’s no denying it. I’m a fille de joie for a good, sloppy, tamale. It’s almost 8 a.m., and the line is growing behind me on Tamal Street, as the locals call it, on the outskirts of the historic center in the city of Querétaro, Mexico. Every morning, you can expect a long line by the time the first tiny restaurant opens its window for service. After two dreadful cups of instant coffee while writing at my hotel desk during the early morning hours, I nearly salivate as I patiently wait in line for highquality Oaxacanstyle tamales for only $1 each. After breakfast, I decide to take a stroll, allowing my ears to guide me. I hear her before I see her. As a musician myself, I love a good street musician. Busking in a busy area takes a certain level of courage for us creative types. I have a great deal of respect for those bold enough to grab their weapon of choice and intentionally sit in the trenches to potentially get their sensitive egos obliterated by pedestrians that are in too much of a rush, or too involved in their own conversation, to even notice that the sweet melodies reaching their ears are the result of the dedicated practice of an artist exposing their soul to the world.

I make my way through the busy promenade and arrive onto the scene to the most unexpected street performance. The artist is sings into the microphone with her left hand while gently rocking her baby to sleep in a stroller with her right. Her daughter dances around, extending a panama hat to bystanders, collecting tips for her mother, in sync to the rhythm of the accompanying music played from a speaker. I drop money into the straw hat. How could I not?

Just north of Mexico City, Querétaro is quite a distance from the nearest ocean. You won’t find beach resorts here, nor the typical tourist crowd. But what it lacks in coastline, Querétaro makes up for in beautiful mountain ranges and spring-like weather year-round. It’s situated in one of Mexico’s famous wine regions, and there is an international airport, so you are only a short, direct flight away from the U.S.

This very modern, developed city has become a magnet for retiring expats and young snowbirds from the U.S. and Canada. The sprawling city looks and feels much like an extension of the U.S., specifically Texas; H-E-B, Walmart, Office Max, Costco and Buffalo Wild Wings are all here.

Yet, the historic center is everything you want in a Mexican city: passionate soccer fans, lively music, gorgeous architecture, safety, super clean streets, good tequila and a mixture of incredible food drawn from all over the country.

Farther outside the city are excellent hiking and camping opportunities, and only an hour outside the city, you can find some magical towns. The town of Tequisquiapan is literally termed one of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágico. This small but enchanting place is along Mexico’s Wine and Cheese Route and hosts bullfights and flamenco, keeping Spanish tradition. Similarly, San Miguel de Allende, also a Pueblo Mágico, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I feel like I have been transported back to Spain as I meander through the center of Santiago de Querétaro. Lively people laugh outside cafes and bars sitting under patio umbrellas, large cobblestone promenades stretch in every direction, and Spanish colonial-style buildings remind me of Granada or La Latina neighborhood in Madrid.

Later, I find a cozy mezcal bar with live music where I am served fried grasshoppers with a michelada, a salient reminder of my true location. The weather is perfect, even as the sun disappears into the clear evening sky. A waitress brings me a shot of mezcal for free and says she wants to practice her English. I could get used to this. Maybe I’ll extend my stay awhile longer.

Trevor Davis, former cidermaker and working musician from Frederick, is a writer, content creator and cultural traveler. Follow his adventures at roguevagabond.com.

Links Bridge Featured Artist: Rosemary Gallick — through April 9. Links Bridge will continue displaying the works of local artists in its Tasting Room, where wine lovers can enjoy art, and artists can enjoy wine. Rosemary Gallick is a professional artist living in Northern Virginia, and this exhibit will present iconic portraits rendered in a pop-art style. Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. linksbridgevineyards.com.

”Garden of the Soul” — through April 14, Tatem Arts Center, Hood College, 410 Hood College Drive, Frederick. Works by Erin Daniels that explore legacy, lineage and a sense of place as expressed through botanical watercolors. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers

Exhibitions — through April 23, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This juried exhibition features 95 pieces of art and photography from artists who live in the Quad-State area. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

“Life Size” and “Under the Same Sky” — through April 30. “Life Size,” by Julie Maynard, is an exhibit of life-size collaged figures. “Under the Same Sky,” by Karen Peacock, features mixed-media work that explores our country’s ever-changing skies. TAG/ The Artists Gallery, 501 N. Market St., Frederick. 301-228-9860, theartistsgalleryfrederick.com.

Bettie Awards Exhibition — through April 30. View artworks created by local youth selected as 2023 Bettie Award Winners. Visitors can vote for their favorite artwork throughout the duration of the exhibition. The artwork receiving the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

”Angry Women Done Swallowing Our Words” — through April 30, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Featuring the work of Kristan Ryan. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7689 or visit frederickuu.org.

”Strands of Time” — through April 30, Locals Farm Market’s Artist in the House Gallery, 19929 Fisher Ave., Poolesville. Works by Susan Due Pearcy. A selection of her work over 50 years of art making. Visit localsfarmmarket.com for hours.

”Native Plants and Pollinators” — through April 30, The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., Hagerstown City Park. Valley Art Association members exhibit. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. valleyartassoc.org or 301-797-2867.

Cowork Frederick Artist of the Month: Julie Jenkins — through April 30 at Cowork Frederick, 122 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Julie Jenkins creates realistic paintings on wood, acrylic, metal and recycled slate. Her art focuses on landscapes, nature and everyday joys. 240-772-1295, coworkfrederickfoundation.org/julie-jenkins-apr23.

“Mechanical Components: The Seen But UnSeen” — through April 30. Using inspiration from industrial manufacturing and mechanical components, Gillian Collins develops a style that combines realism and abstraction with the abstract

LAST CHANCE TO SEE ‘A PAIR OF PAIRS’

The King Street Gallery at Montgomery College presents “A Pair of Pairs,” an exhibition of works by Michael Kellner, Alexandra Robinson, Dave Kube and Janet Olney, which runs through April 7. This exhibition explores artistic partnerships by presenting a pair of artists working in pairs. “Checks and Balances” is an ongoing, mail art project by Alexandra Robinson (Austin, Texas), and Michael Kellner (Columbus, Ohio) that began in 2015. Dave Kube (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) and Janet Olney (Baltimore) met in 2017 at the Vermont Studio Center, and their collaborative exhibition explores the potential of disruption to create an opening or surge in their creative practices. Viewing rupture through the lens of experimentation, Kube and Olney break from previous ways of making and allow disruption to be a space for innovation. The gallery is located at 930 King St., Silver Spring. Shown here, a piece by Kellner and Robinson.

expressionism of geometric shapes to facilitate a contemplation of our most basic technological advancements. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. delaplaine.org.

“Re_Source Art” — through April 30. With an unconventional harmony between academic and neofolk sculpting methods, this exhibition from Nadya Steare is a series of sculptures addressing the urgency of the global waste crisis and plastic pollution. Inspired by the Zero-Waste Movement, a trend to maintain a more sustainable lifestyle, this series was created entirely out of discarded, found and donated materials. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. delaplaine.org.

Emerging Artists Exhibition — through April 30. Works in a variety of media. This annual juried exhibition highlights adult artists at the outset of their creative endeavors. Juror Rachel Hsu is an interdisciplinary artist who works with visual art, language and poetry. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. delaplaine.org.

”What a Wonderful World” — through April 30, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Featuring the work of mother-daughter duo Arden McElroy and Jill Hossler. Both artists draw inspiration from nature for their work, particularly landscapes and seascapes, from places they’ve visited or dreamed about. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

”Structures 2023” — through May 5, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolors, mixed media, acrylic, photography, and wood carvings from some of Frederick’s talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460 or frederickhealth.org.

“Comfort” — through July 1. An interactive multimedia show of art related to coffee and tea and an exploration of the rituals and personal connections surrounding those drinks. FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. frederickartscouncil.org.

“The Hot Button” — through August, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

“C’est l’art” — April 7 to 30. Featuring work by Michael Hyman, Susan Washington, Dana Ellyn and Al Code, this exhibition challenges the perception of what’s art and its effect on the public. Through an eclectic mix of style, mediums and simplicity, each piece reflects a broad critique of art culture and deliberation of purpose. Opening reception from 4 to 8 p.m. April 14. Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. bethesda.org/bethesda/ gallery-b, 301-215-7990.

”Miniature Worlds” — April 17 through May 19, Rosemary and Thyme Gallery, Frederick 50+ Community Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick. Featuring works by local artist Kunie Stabley. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 301-600-3525, dmarkowitz@frederickcountymd. gov or tinyurl.com/50-center.

The line between professional theater and community theater couldn’t be clearer. Actors who perform in the former are paid, while actors in the latter are not. The theatergoing public tends to assume there’s a great difference in quality between these two types of live entertainment, but Frederick is fortunate enough to have the Other Voices Theatre company, where instead of standing on opposite sides of a line, professional and community theater enjoy a direct complementary relationship with each other.

In addition to its community theater, which produces regular shows cast through open auditions, OVT runs what executive director Donna Grim calls a “pre-professional” theatrical dance company for children ages 8 to 18.

For the past 20 years, the dance school side has staged a unique annual production at the Weinberg Center that gives “the dance company students a vehicle so they can experience what it is like to be in a professional production,” Grim said. For most of the company’s history, that production has been a re-worked version of the “Alice in Wonderland” story that placed seasoned actors — both professional and veteran amateurs — in the lead speaking roles and cast students in a wide array of supporting dance ensemble roles.

A few years ago, Grim decided she wanted to do something different, so she partnered with fellow playwright Steve Steele to write a new musical

These distinguished artists have been champions of their instruments for decades, and will present a program of music from the Renaissance & Baroque periods, Celtic & Swedish folk tunes, and original compositions. Individually award-winning, they musically partner with ease for a stunning performance that is sure to please.

If You Go

The Virginius Island and Hall’s Island trails wind through riparian forest, past mill, turbine and waterworks ruins and the site of John Hall’s Rifle Works. These trails offer great opportunities to see the Shenandoah River, spring wildflowers, birds and river wildlife. The trail is open during daylight hours. Closed from sunset to sunrise. This easy hike is up to 2 miles round trip (approximately one hour). This trail system connects with the following trails at the river access parking area: Loudoun Heights, Visitor Center to Lower Town trail and the Camp Hill and Appalachian Trails. From the Lower Town Shuttle Stop: Walk under the railroad trestle, then turn right along the Shenandoah River. Cross the wooden footbridge to Virginius Island. The trail system meanders through the forest with many connectors between the river and Shenandoah Street up to Shoreline Drive. Drinking water is available in Lower Town. Beverages and reusable water bottles may be purchased from the Harpers Ferry Park Association Bookshop or local businesses. Restrooms are available in Lower Town next to the Bookshop and train station.

— National Park Service

BY ERIK ANDERSON Special to The News-Post

ne of my favorite things about traveling abroad is how it often opens new perspectives on places back home, where I enjoy deep familiarity. I’ve been blessed to discover that experiencing the new often sparks a renewal of the old. Towns and landscapes that I had long taken for granted come alive again in my mind when I encounter surprising connections during visits to far-away lands.

A very unexpected renewal came to me in May 2019 when my wife and I were on a honeymoon adventure in England. Thanks to a friend who had been living in the area for a while, we discovered the charming town of Bury St. Edmunds.

Today, the bustling little community in the Suffolk region northeast of London boasts a population of about 40,000, but it traces its origins to a very small farming village that grew up around a Benedictine monastery in the seventh century A.D. Its curious name, which sounds delightfully quirky to my American ears, comes from the town becoming the final resting place of Edmund the Martyr, a ninth-century king of the East Angles.

I didn’t fully appreciate why at first, but walking through this English town kept taking my mind back to Virginius Island, that little green strip of land immediately adjacent to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, that juts out into the Shenandoah River.

On the surface, that connection doesn’t make sense, as the two locales are completely different in both geography and history. Virginius Island hasn’t even been a town since it was abandoned in the 1930s, and the nearby towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar have a combined population of only about 1,600.

Now part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the island was settled in the early 1800s by a group of entrepreneurs who took advantage of the river’s waterpower to raise up a small industrial town there. It was a collection of factories, rather than institutional religion, that formed the center of life. As well as hosting a sawmill, machine shop, iron foundry, gristmill, oil mill, cotton mill and tannery, the island had a small group of houses for its dozens of workers and their families. Although it mounted a strong recovery from considerable damage in the wake of the Civil War, the island was eventually abandoned after three big flooding events left the factories in ruins. All of this history kept coming back to me as my wife and I explored the oldest parts of Bury (as the locals call it) and learned its unique history. The religious center of the town had become a sprawling stone abbey and shrine dedicated to St. Edmund by the 14th century, when it was sacked by riotous townspeople who opposed tariffs exacted by the monks. After having been rebuilt, the abbey was destroyed again in the 16th century when King Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of Monasteries as part of his separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church.

As we walked through the abbey ruins, which are now part of a public garden park in the center of town, I found space for a few moments of quiet contemplation to put my finger on why I kept having flashbacks to Virginius Island.

Although factories and monasteries could hardly be more different from each other in terms of underlying ideologies and outputs, they both require large, impressive buildings that leave behind intriguing ruins long after they’ve been abandoned. Even on this score, Virginius and Bury are quite different. The abbey ruins take the form of towering heaps of crumbling flintstone, whereas most of the factory ruins on Virginius are solid foundation walls made from large stones sunken into the ground. `w

But in these two separate cases, the ruins serve similar functions. They both call to mind a paradox of civilizations that is continually repeated throughout history the world over. Monumental human endeavors always meet some kind of end, but almost always leave a lasting impact on the human life that reemerges beyond that end. In other words, major human institutions always come to an end, but in some sense, they never end.

This was the aspect of Virginius Island that I had been under-appreciating before our trip to Bury. I knew the history and had spent a good deal of time hiking around the island. The large grassy clearing around the old cotton mill ruins on the riverbank is a perfect spot to have a picnic and take in the lushness of the surrounding mountains. The natural beauty of the area really struck me, but I hadn’t felt the full historical weight of those ruins.

I think because Bury was still a busy town, it was easy to see that the abbey continued to be a source of identity and pride for the people who lived there long after its dissolution. The signs are everywhere.

As we were driving into town, we saw a modern statue of St. Edmund, the patron of the abbey’s shrine, in the midst of his martyrdom, bound by rope and shot through with arrows.

The large stone gate structure leading to the abbey grounds still stands in its perfect medieval condition, indicating that the town’s people have provided it with regular maintenance over many centuries.

The town’s remaining medieval churches are also very well-preserved. If you wander in at various times throughout the day, you will encounter knowledgeable docents who cheerfully tell visitors about the historic churches and their relationship to the old abbey.

This experience in Bury made me take a harder look at the lasting legacy of the ruins on Virginius. The island itself is uninhabited, but the recent industrial history there is felt throughout the region.

The men who built the factories were among the first to recognize the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers for its economic potential. While the rivers no longer power industry, they have never stopped powering the local economy.

As an important crossroads of the C&O Canal and Appalachian Trail, the beautiful river junction draws hikers and day-trippers into Harpers Ferry businesses. River touring companies thrive by offering kayaking and tubing packages to thousands of annual visitors. And the factories themselves remain an important, if sometimes neglected, part of local identity. The whole area is known for its Civil War history, especially John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory on the Potomac side of Harpers Ferry. That history is the primary draw for the national park that surrounds the river confluence, but that history may not have existed without the factories of Virginius, which provided important supplies to the armory.

To honor this heritage, the national park has exhibits with old water-powered equipment on display in Harpers Ferry’s lower town. But if you really want to immerse your senses and imagination in the history that got us to where we are today, I recommend hiking out to those old colossal stone ruins and letting your mind fall back in time.

Erik Anderson is a freelance writer in Frederick who cares about few things more than the history of his community. Email him at erikanderson07@gmail. com.