Felinni does San Miguel

Larry & Sue in front of city Christmas tree

Procession

We are told that San Miguel is a city of some 80,000 people; that's hard to believe.


We have not explored even a small fraction of the city, but in many ways for us, it seems like a small village.

Bike racers

We are a block from the main square (Jardin) and walk to the market, supermarket, public library, restaurants, and even a French-style bakery in less than 10 minutes.


When there is something happening in the Jardin, and there always seems that there is something, often involving music and dance, we can easily stroll there in two minutes or less; and if we are bored, too cold or too warm--we can go back to our place just as easily. What an easy life!

Just last night, around 10:00 p.m., we heard music and laughter in the street.  Stepping out our door, we were delighted to see Tuna Real, a band of strolling musicians, leading a group of fifty or so celebrants--all singing along with the band. We followed them to the Jardin--wishing we understood the Spanish language songs, but enjoying it tremendously anyway. Tuna seems to be the name for a type of band featuring mandolins and guitars.  They are often dressed in "renaissance style costumes" and entertain with beautifully executed traditional songs and dance.  Tuna Real is one of our favorites.

Dance demonstrations

This past weekend there was a three day music festival, a street theater production, a dance demonstration, the finale of a 1000 person bike race, a native Indian religious procession, and, of course, throngs of tourists who in turn attract street vendors and local artisans hawking their wares--much of it occurring simultaneously. The city also decided to finalize its Christmas decorating and to light the official city tree on Friday evening.

Street theater performers

Bob said it made him feel like he had stepped into a Felinni movie--and we all agreed!

Balloon vendor

One of our favorite recent activities has been the three day Festival de la Sierra.  While we did not appreciate every act, there was so much to listen and dance to.


In this video, you can see the fun of watching the "mojigangas" or large puppets dance to the music of the band and entertain the crowd.  Earlier we had thought the puppets  were called catrinas--but we have since learned that catrinas are the beautifully dressed female skeletons that you see on Day of the Dead celebrations.

Unfortunately, our time here in San Miguel has come to an end. San Miguel is such a great city, all four of us are sad about having to leave it. 

Return to El Charco

A collage of our experience in El Charco

El Charco Ingenio

This week we paid a return visit to one of our favorite places in San Miguel de Allende, El Charco Ingenio-- the Botanical Garden.

What a wonderful place! Our guide on a recent tour, Lorie Topinka, told us that the garden is only about twenty years old: very young for a botanical garden.

Despite that, the garden has grown and matured to become a remarkably beautiful and unique place, with hundreds of varieties of cacti, dessert plants such as mesquit and acacia, and wild flowers galore.



Centered around a hundred year old reservoir, the garden and preserve provides a habitat for many migratory waterfowl. It also includes a very, very deep, vertigo inducing gorge.

San Miguel is semi-arid and averages about 22 inches of rain annually, mostly during the period from June to October.  This year has been unusually wet, with the rainy season extending into November.

Thus the garden is a lot greener than usual, and some of the cacti and annuals are actually re-flowering. With Lorie as our guide, we explored parts of the garden we had not seen before and thoroughly enjoyed our two hour walk. Joining us for the walk were Mart & Bob Larson & their long time friend, Carol Reedy, who lives in Mexico City but came for a visit this week.

Celebrating Thanksgiving, a Birthday & our 43rd Anniversary

Larry, Sue, Carol, Bob & Mart at the Rosewood

This year, Thanksgiving coincided with our 43rd Wedding Anniversary. It was also Carol's birthday.  With no functioning oven, it was impossible to attempt to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, even if we had known how to find a turkey here in Mexico.

Still, we had a wonderfully celebratory day.  After our inspiring tour and walk in El Charco, we all came back to our house, rested, cleaned up and then headed out to the Rosewood Hotel--possibly the nicest hotel in San Miguel--for cocktails and sunset viewing.

Sunset at the Rosewood

 It was a mild evening, with just enough clouds to make the sunset interesting.  We talked and lingered for a couple of hours.  After awhile, Sue and I decided to order a round of Cuarenta y Tres (43) on the rocks for everyone, explaining how we had been introduced to this delicious banana liquor when we were young newlyweds in Spain in 1975.  It seemed only natural to celebrate our 43rd anniversary by introducing our friends to this tasty liquor.

View of SM from the Rosewood Terrace

Finishing our time at the Rosewood, Carol wanted to treat us all to dinner at one of her favorite San Miguel eateries, La Fenicia--a Lebanese restaurant.

Perhaps because it was Thanksgiving, we were the only clients in the restaurant--so we felt free to talk and laugh as loud as we wanted.  The food was wonderful, rivaling any Lebanese restaurants we have been to in the States or elsewhere.

 

 

Toy Museum

Pancho Villa & other revolutionarios are heros

Friday morning, we said goodbye to Carol, but we are looking forward to seeing her when we are in Mexico City the week of December 8th--she has promised to be our own private tour guide to the city she loves the best.

In the afternoon, we decided to visit the Toy Museum, or the Museo la Esquina, based on recommendations from some friends we have met here in San Miguel.

Tiny circus

We were so very glad we did.  It is located in a 300 hundred year old house, that has been beautifully restored and renovated to accommodate the extraordinary collection of Mexican handmade toys, the fruit of fifty years of collecting by a local teacher, Angelica Tijerina.

Caballeros that move with a clip-clop sound

In room after room, we marveled at the amazing craftsmanship and creativity the toy makers showed both in design and in the materials they used to make the toys.  Some were made of clay, others of straw, tin, fabric, or wood and most were intricately put together, often painted in a kind of pointillist manner.  Also, we thought about the incredible patience and love it took to make each one.

Lots of Frida dolls

With Mexico's growing prosperity and the availability of cheap imports from China and elsewhere, many of these toys are no longer made (we see a lot of cheap, plastic toys in the tiendas).  The knowledge, skill and patience to make them is probably a thing of the past.  We hope not--perhaps people in the countryside retain the skills and desire.


We took some photos of the house and toys--but as is so often the case, they really don't do justice to the reality.

Every day there seems to be something new and wonderful to discover and experience here in San Miguel--there's not enough time or energy to see and do everything!

En El Jardin

Saturday night in El Jardin

 As we are just half a block fom El Jardin, San Miguel's central plaza, we often can be found there--passing through on our way to or from some event, or more likely just taking an hour or so to relax and enjoy the ever changing scene. Our favorite time is late afternoon or early evening.

One of the many mariachi bands

Weekends, the Jardin is invariably packed with visitors and locals.  Couples stroll hand in hand, families sit and watch their children running and playing, and foreigners like us just gaze in admiration at the wonderful, changing scene.  Ice cream is the food of choice for all--morning, noon or night. We love it when the mariachi bands are out in force--usually on weekend nights but often throughout the week as well.

Bob, Larry & Sue--afternoon in the Jardin

 A couple of days ago, after enjoying a late pizza lunch at La Grotto restaurant, we all decided to stop in the Jardin on our way back to the house, so we chose a strategic viewing bench and sat down.

After a few moments, we were approached by a small group of Mexican high school students visiting from the nearby city of Guanajuato. They were in San Miguel to practice their English--as there are so many expats here. 

Soon others from their class joined them, and we ended up having some 50 kids and their teachers with us all  laughing at our Spanish and their English.  Some could barely tell us their names while a few could actually have a simple conversation.

Visiting Guanajuato students in the Jardin

It was so much fun visiting and laughing with them, and they were delighted to pose for a group picture.

After the students left us, we continued to linger--the sun was setting, the air was cool, and it was relaxing and invigorating at the same time just to sit and people watch.

Not long after the students left, we were approached by an elderly couple who were strolling through the park, serenading and passing the hat. 

He played the guitar, she the tambourine, and they both sang.  At our request they chose a Norteno ballad--Norteno music is traditional Mexican music originating in the north of Mexico--thus the name.  Below is a short video of part of their performance; hope it can be heard!

 

Bird Watching Again

Countryside vista

Last weekend we participated in an Audubon in Mexico sponsored excursion to a nearby hacienda for birdwatching and a gourmet lunch. 

The birders in the group were disappointed with the scarcity of the bird life, but it was fun for the rest of us to walk through the countryside which is so different from what we are used to--mesquite and cactus, grasses and high desert wildflowers. 

We liked this rock

It is hard to imagine how beautiful the countryside is.  San Miguel residents tell us that it is so much greener than normal this fall because of the extra long and very wet rainy season that now has lasted more than six weeks longer than normal.

Some of the wildflowers

We have been told that it seldom rains after the middle of October, but we have have had numerous thunderstorms since we arrived on November 1st, including a really thunder rocking, gully washer one night.

One of the hotel "portales."

After the birdwatching walk, we were driven to a nearby 17th century hacienda, Las Trancas, that has recently been renovated as a luxury hotel.

One of the luxury suites

The hacienda gardens

The renovation has been done with taste and a good budget, so the rooms are extraordinarily lovely and rent for $300 to $500 a night.

 

At the Tuesday Market

 

Sue & Mart at the Market

Another fun outing was going to the very big "Tuesday Market".  Located just outside of town, it is a huge outdoor market covering several acres and featuring produce and and an incredible array of other merchandise--clothes (new and used), hardware, furniture, electronics, toys, etc. Both couples bought a bunuelos maker (a kind of fried pastry often served at Christmas time in Latin America).

Our favorite vendor

Our favorite vendor was an older woman whose display was so very carefully set out.  She had a lovely, serene and beautiful face and it was quite clear that she was very proud of her produce and her display area.

And her display

We were told the market had "everything", and, indeed, it did--including telephone poles and solar heating devices.  As usual, we had a really good time both experiencing the market and seeing all the people shopping.

Nirvana, Mexican style

Last Wednesday was a cold, raw day and we stayed inside much of the day, catching a showing of "The Blues Brothers" in the afternoon and then a jazz concert in the evening--these last two events are part of the San Miguel de Allende Jazz and Blues Festival.

Thursday, however, was  sunny and warmer, and as all of us were healthier and had more energy,  so we decided to go further afield.  We had read about the thermal springs outside of town and decided to check them out.

Stepping out of our front door, we flagged down the first taxi to come along and asked him to take us to the Nirvana Restaurant, which we had heard was great and near the baths.

Felipe, our cab driver, didn't know exactly where the restaurant was located, but he was more than willing to help us find it.

About ten miles outside of town, we came across a turn sign for the Restaurant and Resort Hotel.  The road, mostly dirt and holes, was in pretty bad shape, but we persevered and after a couple of more miles we arrived at our destination--a lovely green oasis. Felipe dropped us off, and offered to pick us up later if we called him.

Nirvana doesn't have any thermal pools, but does offer a lovely outdoor restaurant set in a wonderful garden with views of the countryside.

Casita at Hotel Nirvana

We were seated, ordered drinks and were happy just to relax and admire the garden. It was a lovely, peaceful afternoon.  After eating, we explored the grounds looking for the hotel which signs told us adjoined the restaurant.  But where, we wondered?  We found it--small casitas built into the cliff just below the restaurant.
We checked out each one, about nine total, and thought it would be fun to stay there, but probably would cost more than we could afford.

Altar in Atotonilco Sanctuary

As promised, Felipe, our taxi driver came back to pick us up.  He was very excited to show us a small village nearby, Atotonilco.



The sanctuary there is very old and famous and attracts thousands of pilgrims each year to pray at its shrine of the Virgin Mary . 

Ancient Baptismal Font

We enjoyed exploring it--seeing the beautiful altar, baptismal font and interesting frescoes throughout.





It was a wonderful day and just what the doctor ordered to get us all back into shape health wise.  The hot springs/thermal baths could wait for another day.

One of the many frescoes

Fighting a cold--San Miguel style

It has been a pretty quiet time for us here in San Miguel.  Still enjoying the house and when we have the energy, very much enjoying SMA, its many attractions and events, but for much of the last week or so we have been sick.  Both of us have had the most enervating cold ever.

Mart & Bob Larson: Great Traveling Companions

Larry thought he was on the road to recovery as we prepared to leave Denver, but Sue began to feel the first symptoms on the plane, and since we have been in Mexico, the cold has run its full course in both of us, including coughing so much to keep us awake most of the night.

We are traveling with Mart & Bob and their friend, Carol,  long time Mexican resident, was able to get a doctor's name and number for us.

Dr. Gardillo speaks English and German as well as Spanish and has a wonderful manner.  His staff and clients call him Dr. Ricardo.  With his help, Sue seems to be making  a good, if not swift, recovery.  He also is the first doctor we have consulted that seems to be making some progress dealing with the ear infection that has been dogging her since last March.  We are much impressed with Mexican medicine and doctors, especially compared with American physicians and clinics. Unfortunately, our friend Bob now has come down with the illness-- he immediately saw "Dr. Ricardo" and we can only hope his bout will milder and more shortlived.

When not dealing with illnesses, we have managed to find the grocery store, the liquor store, and the central market.  The grocery store stocks a lot of American products and has a full line of organic and gluten free products.

Sunset from our rooftop terrace

The market vegetables all seem a little bit fresher and lovelier than those we find at home. The only drawback is that all of the vegetables have to be washed in an antiseptic bath before they can be cooked or eaten raw. You have to be careful not to take an inadvertent bite out of an apple or casually peel an orange to pop into your mouth. Fortunately both the grocery store and market are only a five to ten minute walk from our house, because we seem to need to visit one or the other almost every day.

Although Sue has stayed mostly at home, the other three of us have had enough energy to take a couple of notable tours.  Our first was an Audubon walk through El Charco Jardin Botanico.  We loved this garden and nature preserve when we were here last fall, and it was a delight to visit again.  It is a lot greener this year than last--they have had an incredibly wet rainy season this year, but the biggest difference was walking through it with a group of birders.

Birding in El Charco Botanical Garden

Arriving at the Garden at the appointed time we found four Audubon guides--each armed with their "scopes" and fully outfitted head to toe in their REI "bird watcher uniforms."  After introductions, we were handed a photocopied list of birds that have been spotted in and around San Miguel and then along with some 10 other novices, we started out following our guides to the first lookout point.

 Our guides made sure that each of us had binoculars, loaning a pair if we came "unarmed." The binoculars help to see the birds that the guides point out, but the really astounding thing is seeing the birds through the powerful scopes once the guides have located them--it was truly an eye-opening experience and made the two hour tour fun and educational. The three of us had a great time--even laughing at ourselves as we tried to determine if the "widgen" we had just looked at is considered a duck, plover or a wading bird--we certainly had no idea. All four of us have signed up for an Audubon sponsored tour next Saturday, on an old hacienda half an hour outside of town--we know it's going to be lots of fun.

The other tour was a house and garden tour sponsored by SMA's Biblioteca Publica, a library started and run by the expat community that, in addition to serving as a library and expat community center, provides a wonderful outreach service to the children of San Miguel.  Proceeds from the weekly tours and their many other services, go to the library's children's fund. This past Sunday's tour featured two houses, one in town and the other about ten miles away in the community of Atotonilco.

Living room area in town house

Garden &  featured cacti

 The town house has been built in the last ten years or so and is very spare and modern, utilizing a lot of concrete and bare walls. For me (Larry), the best part of the house were the outdoor spaces, featuring some extraordinary planting of cacti and offering great views of San Miguel and environs. The house really resonated with Bob and his modern aestethic for clean, spare design.

One of the rooftop terraces in the town house

The second house was located in Atotonilco; like San Miguel, it is a world heritage site and is home to a beautiful 18th century church (Sanctuary) that draws worshipers and pilgrims from all over Mexico, especially on Sundays like the day we visited. Because of the large number of pilgrims, each Sunday also sees the tiny little community come alive with a market selling food, religious objects, and lots of other things like jewelry and pottery.

View of the Sanctuary from the house

Atotonilco market

 Two artists have been renovating and expanding their Atotonilco house for the last ten years.  Starting with what were some stables and outbuildings of a nearby hacienda, they have created a beautiful mansion and garden.

Another incredible garden with pool

Every bedroom has its own private and luxurious bathroom.  Every room seems to have its own theme and design features. The entire house is done with great style and taste.

The gardens have been carefully created, again featuring cactus and other indigenous plants, but also more flowering plants and greenery than in the town house.

Great outdoor living space

All of us really liked the country mansion and could easily envision living there--had we only the two million or so dollars that it would take to purchase it--it is on the market, should anyone be interested.

The return bus ride to San Miguel gave us the opportunity to see more of the surrounding countryside--evidently the entire area is in the throws of real estate development--we passed a number of planned communities with homes selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.  It means more prosperity for the town and region, but also change that could "kill the goose that laid the golden egg".

P.S. (from Sue):  I've been sick, so Larry went out and found another squeeze:

Return to San Miguel De Allende

Bob in the LR at Casa Sollano

Our trip from Denver was uneventful, and the airport shuttle dropped us off right at the front door of our home for the next six weeks, Casa Sollano, in San Miguel de Allende. Of all of the places in Mexico we visited last year, San Miguel was our favorite and our first few days of return have been a delight.

As advertised, the house is a large colonial, more than 200 years old, and  not more than two blocks from the central plaza (El Jardin) and the parish church (La Parroquia.)

View of the Parroquia
from our terrace

One of the bedrooms

Except for the church bells, which we have quickly come to love and look forward to, it is remarkably quiet and serene. Perhaps most exciting for us is our friends, Mart & Bob Larson, have decide to join us for the next seven weeks in Mexico!We are looking forward to lots of new adventures.

Sue & Mart on the patio

With a large living area,  a central patio, three bedrooms, three baths, and a fantastic upstairs terrace, there is plenty of opportunity both for visiting and for private contemplation (or naps).

The best part of the house has to be the rooftop terrace with a great view of the Parroquia--which sits on the town's main square.

Tea on the Terrace

Arriving on November 1st,  in the midst of the three day celebration of   "Dia de Los Muertos" or Day of the Dead, was an extra added treat.

Dia de Los Muertos celebrants

The first night, there was a parade of ghouls & goblins that passed just outside of our house.  Young and old, Mexicans and Gringos--all seem to be into celebrating and dressing up.

The most fun is seeing all the women in their beautiful dresses & hats--and their faces painted as skeletons.

Large decorated muneca or doll.

The town is mobbed with tourists--seemingly mostly Mexicans. The decorations are quite elaborate & interesting--many of them honoring dead family members or notable Mexicans and San Miguelito.

We are settling in, exploring the city, enjoying our rented house and deciding what to do and what to see during the next few weeks.

Three caballeros

More young ladies

The Jardin with the Parroquia in the background

One of our favorites

Parade of children & large puppets (Las Caritas)

Las Catrinas

More parade participants