Residents of Izamal, a small, tidy and charming town near Merida, are very, very fond of yellow (as the photos, below, prove).  So much so that Izamal is known in Mexico as “the yellow town” since so many building are painted yellow to match the central church,  Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua.

You can see why Izamal has earned Pueblo Magico status.

The church and Izamal itself have been important pilgrimage sites since the 1500s thanks, in part, to a spate of “miraculous” healings which were simultaneously attributed to the basilica’s Virgin Mary statue and to the Mayan god of healing, Itzam Na, to which the Mayans built their own pilgrimage shrine in Izamal. The town and it’s church remain important and even Pope John Paul II paid a visit in 1993.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

Inside the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Pual II visited in 1993.

In 2002 Izamal was named a Pueblo Magico, joining a select group of Mexican towns which the government has deemed architecturally and culturally important.

In addition to the overall charm and yellowness of the palce, Izamal is also home to Mayan ruins just steps from the main plaza. The main pyramid to Sun God Kinch Kak Mo is enormous with a base that sprawls over two acres with 10 levels of construction on top of it which some archaeologists consider to be the highest Mayan structure in the Yucatan. The view from the top was certainly impressive.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

In Veracruz State, just inland from the Costa Esmeralda, lies a big surprise. Delicate terracotta roof tiles, muted colors, planned gardens, real bread. Why? Because the town of Jicaltepec has a uniquely French history.

A new boutique hotel brings the area’s French flavor to life, but we’ll get into that a little later in this post.

The main way to reach the French Mex town of Jicaltepec is to take a small ferry across the Rio Bobos.

Mexico’s French Connection started in the early 1800s when French men and women began fleeing the Dijon and Champlitte areas in search of work when the wine making industry there started to fail.  After a countryman arrived in Jicaltepec and told everyone back home how wonderful the area was hundreds of Frenchmen flocked to what was then remote Mexico.

The problem was, that first guy was lying. The truth was that work was scarce but mosquitoes were plentiful. Unfortunately, once the Frenchmen arrived they didn’t have the money to return to France. The ones that didn’t die of disease or homesickness stuck it out and slowly created lives for themselves, melding French traditions with Mexican culture.

The French brought these elegant tiled roofs (and real bread!) to Jicaltepec when they began settling here in Veracruz State in the early 1800s.

Lourdes Capitaine Drouaillet is descended from French immigrants who settled in Jicoltepec in Veracruz State. She now runs a museum full of pieces of the area's French past.

There are two museums in the area and they both commemorate the French heritage of the place. By far, the best one is run by Lourdes Capitaine Drouaillet out in Jicaltepec.

Lourdes is descended from French immigrants and she has a passion for preserving and telling the story of the French in this part of Mexico. Over the years she has amassed a lovely collection that runs the gamut from personal junk to true French finds and even some impressive pieces of indigenous pottery that pre-date the arrival of the French.

But it’s really Lourdes herself who brings the French legacy to life, coming perilously close to tears as she explains who her ancestors were, why they came here, how they lived and how French culture has impacted this spot in Mexico. And she does it in a mix of Spanish and  French (what do you call that? Frenish? Spench?).

We told you this place as a big surprise.

A plaque in a museum dedicated to preserving artifacts which document Jicaltepec's unusual French heritage.

Adding to the happy brew of French and Mexican culture in the area is Maison Couturier, a new boutique hotel that opened in neighboring San Rafael. Run by a Frenchwoman but owned by Grupo Habita, one of the most progressive Mexican hotel groups, the place is a French country farmhouse, only it’s in Mexico. Check out our complete profile of Maison Couturier for iTraveliShop here.

The hotel can arrange a trip out to spend some time with Lourdes, but we promise you’ll find it very hard to leave the hotel. It’s addictive. The style, the pace, the dogs. And we’ve got the photos to prove it….

Arriving at Maison Couturier is like arriving at a French farmhouse, not a boutique hotel in Mexico.

One of a pair of resident Jack Russells at Maison Couturier greets guests (aka, new playmates).

Sure they serve tequilla at the hotel bar, but in every other way it's chicly French.

Here's the thing about French style: it's so easy and natural that even an unmade (antique) bed (with exquisite linen sheets) looks elegant.

The antiqued phone is fully functional and the classic lamp shade was made by Mexican craftsmen copying French designs.

A wonderfully European bathroom. And how refreshing to see icy blue towels instead of plain old white ones.

The polished concrete pool at Maison Coutrurier was inspired by watering troughs. The chairs were imported from France.

Pierre and Pillipe, Maison Couturier's resident Jack Russell Terriers, keep the hotel's guests smiling.

General manager Marie Ann Zaluda runs Maison Couturier with plenty of French flair.

We love these Mexican limes in such an otherwise French-looking setting on the grounds of Maison Couturier boutique hotel.

A perfect example of how Mexican and French styles mix at Maison Couturier.

Mexico’s Fat Tuesday (Martes Gorda?) celebrations may not be as huge or as raucous or as naked as some, however, the annual Mardi Gras parade here in Ajijic did have its moments… 

…like this paper mache bull going after parading (intentionally bad) drag queens.
 

Male paraders traditionally dress up like old men or gaudy women. Sometimes it's hard to tell which look they were going for.

A guy with a long stick with a hook on the end of it had to follow Miss Mariposa and move the many low-hanging power lines out of the way so this her particularly tall float could safely pass.

What’s a parade with banda and some bovine love? 

Paraders can choose to give bystanders a face full of flour or a face full of confetti. Either way, squealing and chasing ensues.

A Mardi Gras moment during the parade in Ajijic, Mexico.

Superheroes and Supercharros mingle during Ajijic’s Mardi Gras parade.
 

This tiny white burro is a fixture of Ajijic and the fancy pedicure isn't just for Mardi Gras. Its owner paints its hooves a different color every week or so.

The "ladies" of Mardi Gras in Ajijic.