Good Times

A photo-journal about learnings, people and small adventures. By Alonso Mortera.

[goodtimesjournal]

Winter 2016

The Rote Platte Trail. Chur, Switzerland.

December 2016

[goodtimesjournal]

Winter 2016

The Rote Platte Trail. Chur, Switzerland.

December 2016

My good friend Bene opens a bottle of white wine at 1500m over the city of Chur. It’s freezing cold and after hiking two hours into the Rote Platte trail, you have to change your clothes completely or you will freeze by your own sweat. Our friend Reto is taking out from his bag a complete set for making fondue. He also starts opening a bottle of beer for every one of us and sharing chocolate goodies. By the end, after eating amazingly good and enjoying coffee in front of a fire, I must say that this was by far one of the best hiking experiences I ever had. 

Here is our adventure.

By Alonso Mortera.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

With 9km ahead of us, Bene starts the trail very excited. 

Our first stop. The sun was about to hide behind the Chur mountains and we were about one hour away from the top.

I’m not sure if these rocks are fossilized wood but they do look like.

Approaching into the end of the trail.

At the top, you find this small journal where people write comments about their adventures and stories.

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2016

Moving to Basel.

October 2016

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2016

Moving to Basel.

October 2016

For a quite long time and maybe since my very first travels, I have been pursuing opportunities to explore the way of living in different places, for now, I get to do it again and in a city abroad. For this new adventure, I ended up moving to Basel in Switzerland. It is actually a city of which I never visited before or knew much about it, but as far as I can tell, It is a city that has to offer many of the things I’m very interested in, especially in the architecture and design field.

Basel is relatively small. With an approximate of 175K inhabitants, it’s infrastructure is based on a city of millions. Great tram commuting, short walkable distances, and bike lanes all over the city are some of the things you can really take advantage from.

Here is a collection of photos from my latest discoveries and people I recently got to know. 

Thanks for reading, enjoy and visit soon! ;)

By Alonso Mortera.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Spalentor Gate. Back in the 1400, this was one of the entrances to the city.

Beautiful stone fountains can be found all around. They provide fresh water to the city.

Lokami Bar by Herzog & de Meuron, 2015.

School of Design Basel by Hermann Baur, 1961.

Library by Herzog & de Meuron, 1988.

Huckebein cafe.

Flore cafe.

Nomad Hotel by Buchner Brundler, 2009-2013.

Bene.

Jan. He is the owner of Design Collector, a vintage store in Basel. 

Caroline, Claudia & Bene.

Mathew.

Claudia & Bene.

Hostel by Buchner Brundler, 2010.

Roche Tower by Herzog & de Meuron, 2009-2011.

Elementary school.

Hydroelectric Power Plant by Hans Hofmann, 1955.

Basel suburbs, in the back Roche Tower.

Sports Centre by Herzog & de Meuron, 1993

Installation before demolishing by Atelier 5, 2017.

Museum of Culture by Herzog & de Meuron, 2008-2010.

[goodtimesjournal]

Summer 2016

Riviera Maya.

July 2016

[goodtimesjournal]

Summer 2016

Riviera Maya.

July 2016

Talking about going to the Riviera Maya took us about a year until we finally got it. For this trip, we marked two main destinations, one was Holbox island and the other was the little magic town of Bacalar. They both have totally different environments and ecosystems, so we wanted to experience that. In between, we made few stops that will bring us more adventure. We visited few beaches, walked through the jungle, swam in lakes and cenotes, walked trough small towns and yes we ate amazingly good. 

By Alonso Mortera.

Special thanks to Olga Borda for this wonderful adventure.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Beaches in Holbox are very calm, they mostly extend at a low level few hundred meters from the shore.

Our stay in Holbox was Casa Blatha. They have ecological systems running on their installations that allow them to save a good amount of energy and water. All rainwater is recollected and used for growing crops in their garden. 

Lovely details and materials around Casa Blatha.

These guys love to jump all over the place.

Their solar heater for all water is basically made out containers and a glass box so heat from the sun is trapped warming up the water inside the small container.

The garden is pretty much a big orchard of crops used for the kitchen. 

Our friend Jeremías from Córdoba, Argentina enjoying a cup of mate tea. He’s been traveling quite a lot around México until he decided to stay in Holbox in search for more adventures.

Xcacel.

Arriving at the town of Bacalar. The lake can be seen from far. Bacalar is another town declared as "Pueblo Mágico" inside México.

Dock view from La Playita restaurant.

Our stay in Bacalar was in Lulu La Bruja. Their place is very cozy and at night they have really chill music. The view to the lake during mornings is spectacular.

Lake of Bacalar. It is well known as the lake of seven colors because of the white sandy bottom that gives the effect of having so many shades of blue. It is actually the second largest natural body of water in México.

Our friend Nicolás from Argentina took us on a small trip on his sailboat around the lake. He’s been traveling for few years from South America to México. He decided to stay in Bacalar for now.

Nicolás’s Volkswagen. 

[goodtimesjournal]

Winter 2016

Pre-winery season & local discoveries, Parras de La Fuente.

February 2016

[goodtimesjournal]

Winter 2016

Pre-winery season & local discoveries, Parras de La Fuente.

February 2016

Great discoveries can be found if determination is part of your plan. On this road trip, we had the pleasure to enjoy and get to know ancestral places where food and freshness are treated carefully. I personally learned about how the legacy from a local place can keep up for generations making it better and up to date. From the hidden spots of the town in General Cepeda to its own crops grown by Casa Madero, great discoveries can be found in these beautiful lands of Coahuila.

By Alonso Mortera.

Thanks to Olga Borda, Catalina Santos and Alfonso Gutierrez. Special thanks to Rodolfo M. Peralta for the tour through beautiful Casa Madero.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Located in the town of General Cepeda at the very top lies “El Castillito”. The home of the owner of Villa de Patos ancestral lands.

Typical for its castle shape and Villa de Patos’s products main brand symbol, the house can be seen from far away.

Original vernacular architecture. Wood beams and sticks work as a structure to the roof system and not just decoration.

Olga and me. The vegetation around the house is taking over the walls.

Quick stop between General Cepeda and Parras de la Fuente. This particular road between both towns has exceptional landscapes.

Old wine barrels at Casa Madero in Parras de La Fuente. They are now part of the museum as exhibition only.

Inside Casa Madero’s main dining room. Our friend Rodolfo who is the sous chef showed us around the main areas of the old hacienda.

Beautiful tiles give the kitchen a night theme.

The main backyard. Weddings and events are hosted by Casa Madero.

Plenty rosemary for use in the kitchen. 

Most of the year a variety of vegetables are planted in order to get fresh ingredients used by the kitchen of Casa Madero.

Cilantro.  

Our guide and good friend Chef Rodolfo M. Peralta.

Several other seeds like basil, thyme, carrots and onions are planted in their orchard.

Oranges at their perfect timing for picking.

A collection of some of Coahuila’s region plants.

Seen from the roof top of the hacienda, wine plantations can be seen along the extensive lands of Casa Madero.

Lines of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 2009. 

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2015

Mapimí, Durango.

October 2015

[goodtimesjournal]

 Fall 2015

Mapimí, Durango.

October 2015

Great for a weekend trip. It took us about four to six hours from Monterrey to get there. Along our route, we got to know these amazing sand dunes called Dunas de Bilbao and perhaps our best attraction was the old mine wooden bridge, Puente de Ojuela. Mapimí is relatively a small town but it holds a great amount of history because of its involvement with mining activity. In 2010, Mapimí was declared World Heritage by UNESCO and two years later, in 2012 it was declared as Pueblo Mágico. 

By Alonso Mortera.

Special thanks to my friend Fernando Molina for being a great companion along this trip.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Dunas de Bilbao. Close to the community of Viesca which it is also a Pueblo Mágico.

The historic center of Mapimí is about four hundred years old. At one of the corners, we found one of the Estelas which marks the path of Miguel Hidalgo’s independence route to the north of México.

House of Cura Miguel Hidalgo. Here is where Miguel Hidalgo stayed for four days on his way to Chihuahua just before being killed. 

Santiago Apostol temple. Construction from the 18th-century.

Ojuela Bridge. Completed in 1898, it is to these days the only survival and functional structure of the mining settlement of Ojuela. 

Ojuela is now a ghost town as a result of ending the mining activity. These are ruins of the miner’s houses.

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2015

Southeast of Coahuila.

September 2015

[goodtimesjournal]

Summer 2015

Southeast of Coahuila.

September 2015

I always found joy in hearing old stories of places with great history. Stories that are about what happened there or what was about to become or who was here. Just outside the city of Saltillo in any random highway, you can find historical places like what used to be a battlefield, old haciendas & small towns. Of course, it’s always better to do a small research before going into the field. You’ll be impressed by the amount of history these lands have. These lands are some of the valleys of the southeast inside the state of Coahuila.

By Alonso Mortera.

Thanks to Diego Licea and Fernanda Zetina. Special thanks to Fernando Molina for being our guide on this great road trip.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Just outside Saltillo, what it used to be a battlefield lies a small monument announcing the battle of Angostura. Our friend Fernando (right) taking our attention with his interesting stories.

The monument can barely be spotted from the highway. 

Small monuments called “Estelas” can be found in several towns where Miguel Hidalgo (México´s independence leader) stayed on his route up to the north. Here in the small town of Agua Nueva lies one of these important monuments.

Agua Nueva’s original train station. After several years serving as a train station for the public and commerce in general, the building was adapted as a library. We don’t know for sure when it closed. Now lies a great piece of architecture.

Interior slab system made with steel beams and planks of wood.

Huachichil’s temple main entrance. Construction finished in 1911.

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2014

Autumn Dinner Party.

November 2014

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2014

Autumn Dinner Party.

November 2014

There is nothing better than spending good quality time with your friends at home. I guess everybody must enjoy that. Two good friends got together to have people over and share some delicious goods. From setting up the table and preparing delicious meals, here is how they ended up doing it. 

By Alonso Mortera.

Special thanks to Rebeca Inés and Carlos Von Bertrab for a great evening full of great company and delicious food.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Rebeca and Carlos. The hosts.

Delicious bacon sandwiches made by Rebeca.

Home goodies from Rebeca’s house.

The terrace.

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2014

Saltillo.

November 2014

[goodtimesjournal]

Fall 2014

Saltillo.

November 2014

I discovered Saltillo after being invited by a close friend to go for a weekend trip. Being a fan of history and culture, I didn’t expect to find so many in this city. My passion for documenting always led me to discover new spots but sometimes you still need to reach out people to get even further. In this trip we were lucky to meet great people, people that were kind enough in sharing their place and their stories. Here is my trip to the city of Saltillo.

By Alonso Mortera.

Thanks to Fernando Molina and Rodolfo M. Peralta. Special thanks to Norma Rodriguez and Rancho El Morillo for hosting us and showing us your beautiful place.

Photography by Alonso Mortera.

Cathedral Santiago Apóstol. The temple is facing into the main downtown plaza. It started as a local church. As the city expanded it became the state’s Cathedral. 

Baroque details presented along the facade.

Walking right next to the Alameda. We were looking at the same palm trees from the old picture taken in the 20′s.

Acuña street. Looking at what it used to be the first gas station of Saltillo.

When Saltillo was founded in 1577 it was mostly military population, this side of the city belonged to a small community local Indians, later on, few groups of Tlaxcaltecas Indians that were living in Tlaxcala were asked to move up here and grow the Indian community of Saltillo. This temple which is called Templo de San Esteban was their temple and this side of the city of Saltillo was actually a town called San Esteban de la Nueva Tlaxcala. 

Casa Purcell. Belonged to Irish born and businessman Don Guillermo Purcell who became the first banker of the city. The house was built in 1905. It is now a museum about the history of the Purcell Family. You will see it right away by its Neogothic Victorian architecture style from the facade.

Stopped by for lunch at La Puerta Al Cielo. 

Flor y Canela coffee shop.

Museo del Zarape.

Museo del Zarape. The Zarape was brought to Saltillo by the arrival of Tlaxcaltecas bringing all their techniques.

The Saltillo’s zarape has its unique elements that differs zarapes from other parts of México. In this case, the flower is a main element of distinction.

Iglesia de San Juan Nepomuceno. It used to be a colonial temple owned by the Jesuitas. Later on, it became a 19th-century church with eclectic architecture elements. Next to this church there are several buildings that used to be the school for the Jesuitas. Francisco I. Madero and Garza Sada used to study there. It is now the Museo de las Aves.

Rancho El Morillo. It started as a hacienda called San Nicolás de Los Berros. The hotel started a business as a touristic spot for Saltillo in 1934 but the original hacienda was built in the 18th century. 

At breakfast with Norma Rodriguez. She is one of the family owners of the property. She’s still running the hotel along with her sisters and cousins. It was very interesting listening to her stories from the ranch and her family.

Norma showed us around El Morillo. They have their own orchard of fruits like apples and peaches. Back in the 60′s, they started to make their own products like jellies. They still produce and sell them to the clients.

One of Norma’s sisters. She runs a candy factory in her house by the hotel.

San Nicolás de Los Berros chapel. The old hacienda’s original chapel. It was built somewhere at the beginning of the 20th-century.

[goodtimesjournal]

Summer 2014

Café Don Emilio, Montemorelos.

August 2014