John agreed to sit on a bench at Mercado de Artesanías El Parián (El Parián Handicraft Market)
in Puebla de Zaragoza.
El Parián has 112 stands selling handcrafts from various parts of Mexico.
The market is a big tourist draw and can be very busy during open hours.
This includes various kinds of pottery, regional and traditional clothing, leather goods, wood items, jewelry and copper work.
Handcrafts from Puebla state dominate, including Talavera pottery, silver from Amozoc, amate paper from Pahuatlán and traditional candies such as camotes.
The buildings originally were always a market, called El Parian, which opened in 1760 and operated until the end of the 19th century.
By 1801, it was a major stop and market for caravans bringing goods from Veracruz, Oaxaca, La Costa Chica of Guerrero and Mexico City.
Its demise came with the construction of the railroads, devolving into a flea market and market for cheap goods..
In 1961, the market was revamped to its current use moving street vendors off the main plaza into kiosks.
