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Arriving in the state of Oaxaca, in the middle of the “day of the dead” celebrations - Mexico welcomed us with flowers, candles and traditional sweets to remember the ancestors.

On November 2nd, we started our stay with visits at graveyards, the panteons, where we got surprised and inspired by the Oaxacan way of remembering their dead. Colourful decorations on the tombstones - flowers, candles, and tapetes - images skillfully made of died sand with glitter - give the graveyard a cheerful and friendly vibe. The dead are visited by their families who get comfortable for the party, on top of the grave, to get the dead involved in the party. Who liked music while alive, gets to listen to their favorite tunes from under the earth, on the 2nd of November. Musicians are hired to play to the dead, while friends and family are eating and drinking, dancing and singing in the graveyard.

At the house of Mauricio Cervantes, an Oaxaca based artist, we set up an altar, typically installed in homes to respect the ancestors, and make offerings of food, Mezcal and incents. Smells of fresh flowers and burning incents escape from the house altars and immerse the streets of the city making walking around a special experience.

November 3rd Seasons of the Heart http://www.seasonsofmyheart.com/ is the name of the place in Rancho Aurora, a few kilometres out of the city of Oaxaca. We were welcomed by Suzanne, a former top-chef and founder of seasons of the heart to a friendly, big room and a glass of delicious tamarind water, heard about cooking, tastes and gardening, on the difficulties of facing and learned how to make the traditional Oaxacan cheese called quesillo.