Charlie turns three

Bryn, Auntie Erin, Charlie and Grant at the Casa

We left Mexico on January 22nd and spent two weeks or so in Denver.  Our AirBNB apartment was nice this time, and we stayed very busy. 

Charlie's family birthday was sweet--at home; and then his official party was at Casa Bonita, a Denver landmark.  Kind of  like Chucky Cheese on steroids.  It was loud and crazy,  and Larry got sick from the food. 

The cake:  ribbons, balloons and candles

Charlie and buddies loved it, of course, especially the guy in the gorilla suit.  We bought them "light sabers" which were sold there and they ran around bopping one another.  When the saber came home it was totally obnoxious, but thankfully broke within 24 hours.

Our own Star Wars hero

We flew into Denver with a huge snow storm, had an instrument landing which was perfect (on an ice encrusted tarmac).  It was scary, but it was amazing.  While there we had two more, very pretty snow storms. Both were beautiful and both melted within about 48 hours in bright sunshine.  

In between the snow storms, we had some lovely, almost spring like weather with temps in the 60's--but that's the way the weather is in Denver.

Larry, Bryn and  Grant went skiing one day while Sue and Erin kept Charlie.  With Erin along for the Birthday weekend, we had a nice family reunion.

Sue and Carole outside her new apartment

We flew back to Mexico City on February 6th and stayed there one day, visiting with our friend Carole, who just moved into a really great new place.  Her previous apartment, though very strategically situated, was dark and chilly; her new place is very sunny and charming.

Our return bus trip to San Miguel was peaceful and quiet, just the way we like it.

Larry and Carole inside her new apartment

Now that we are back, we are still teaching our English class at the library.  Mart and Bob (bless them!) did it for us while we were gone.  Getting back we had to prepare lessons again and that takes a while.  The class meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:00 pm for an hour.  We have about nine students who have stuck with it.  

The class make-up shifted quite a lot over the weeks we have been here, but settled into the nine who seem to make it regularly.  We have four young people and five adults. All are so sweet that the class is a lot of fun.  We think they are learning, but it is hard to tell. We've certainly learned a healthy respect for teachers--which we aren't.

We've been back in San Miguel for awhile now and have been trying to settle in here.  Here's one big difference:  in Denver we had to stock the apartment for a couple weeks and it cost over $300.  Here we did the same (although we did have some staples already) and it cost about $100 counting booze.  It is tempting to live here. 

But San Miguel isn't the real world.  Full of "retirees" like us, some have described it as an extended spring break weekend for seniors.  You are as likely to hear English as Spanish in some areas.  There is so much to see and do, sometimes we can't decide and sometimes we just have to stay home and rest.  It's inexpensive for us, but for the average Mexican, it can be very expensive. 

Most of the restaurants, and there a lot of them, are full of expats, because your average Mexican probably can't afford it and would not be interested in Thai, Indian or Italian food anyway. But you are still in Mexico, with all its charms and idiosyncrasies. The streets need repair; the paint on many buildings could be refreshed.  Beggars are to be found on most every block, but most Mexicans are working hard to make ends meet. Good paying jobs are hard to come, but the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well as exemplified by the number of food trucks and carts and many small stores and stalls.

Selling cascarones

This past weekend was the lead up to Lent.  A large number of people make "cascarones" and puppets and sell them in the Jardin. The cascarones are dyed like our Easter eggs, but they are hollowed out and the egg is replaced with confetti, then sealed with tape and tissue paper.  

You can buy 10 shells for five pesos (65 cents), and seemingly every child in San Miguel (and many an adult) buys a bag or two and chases friends and strangers around the plaza trying to crack an egg on someone else's head, while avoiding having it done to you.  

Using cascarones

It makes for a pretty riotous time, with lots of laughter and shrieks.  It is all really quite harmless, but fun to watch.  According to some Mexican friends, this seems to be the only place in Mexico that they celebrate Carneval like this.

We have had some fairly unusual weather these last couple of weeks, with a big rain storm last Thursday and then a chilly and gray weekend.  It is not supposed to rain this time of the year, but no one seems to have told Mother Nature.  But now finally, the sky has cleared and it is a bright and beautiful cloudless blue, and the temperature has warmed to near 80.  We are hoping that this means that Spring is here to stay. Hoping you are staying warm, and that Spring is not foo far away for you.

Day of the Kings and 2015 Begins

Full Moon; Tranquil San Miguel

Christmas is over and Day of the Kings has passed; friends have returned to the States, while others have arrived.  All the Holiday revelers (mostly chilangos from Mexico City) have gone home or back to work and school, and our sleepy little town--well not really--is back to normal.

It hardly seems possible that it can be 2015. As with the years before, however, we will quickly adjust and soon it will seem the norm.

Susie Packed To Go

Early New Year's day we said goodbye to our good friend, Susie Morgan, who returned to her home base of Boone, NC after spending a month here with us.

We miss Susie, especially our afternoon talks on the terrace, margaritas in hand, watching the sun set over the town.

After we saw her off in her airport van, we walked over to one of our favorite restaurants, Cumpanio, for a great New Year's Day brunch.  This restaurant/bakery serves delicious food and incredibly good baked goods--the croissants are as good as anything you might find in France (at least we think so), and their pies, cakes and cookies are the best in town.

Mart and Bob In Our Apartamento

Mart & Bob, longtime friends, who shared with us our trip to San Miguel last year, have returned.  We are  happy to have them here again; they are great traveling and touring companions and are always interested in exploring new things.

In addition, many evenings, the dominoes come out--and we are keeping a running score to see who is the 2015 champ!

One Set Of The Three Kings

 Christmas doesn't end here in San Miguel and all of Mexico, until the Day of the Kings (January 6).  We anxiously awaited the day, having heard that there was a nice parade and that the city provided gifts for the children.  The parade consisted of several flat bed trucks on which children were dressed as characters in Biblical stories.  Our favorite was "The Sacrifice of Isaac"--a little guy lay prone before a fake fire; all the while waving to the crowd as the truck passed.

We got sidelined by a King's Day celebration at a nearby church, attended by a couple of hundred people from the neighborhood.  It was interesting to watch, especially as the crowd headed by three men dressed as the kings waited outside of the church for the priest to come out and bless everyone with holy water.  Inside worshipers prayed the rosary as each king presented gifts to be placed on the altar.

Perched To See The Kings

Thinking that this was the town celebration we waited for the crowd to exit from the church--only to learn that this was not the official celebration but only a local happening.

The Official Three Kings

During our wait, we entertained ourselves, though, handing out chili lollipops to all of the kids (and an occasional adult) going in and out of the church.  That was fun and we quickly handed out the more than 150 suckers we had brought with us.

One Happy Family

Finally realizing that this was clearly not the official Three Kings Celebration, we decided to head to the Jardin to see what was happening there.  By the time we arrived, much of the action was over but we were still able to see the "official three kings" who were posing for pictures with excited kids and parents.

Meanwhile the Mayor (who, BTW, is very handsome) was distributing toys, giving giant plastic trucks to the boys and plastic baskets filled with plastic food to the little girls.  All the children dutifully lined up to receive their gifts.  Clearly, the boys got the better part of the deal.

We continue to meet and make new friends--that's one of the really nice things about San Miguel.  A few days before the Day of the Kings, we hosted Eddie and Elma at our apartment for dinner and dominoes.  They have a wonderful and interesting story.  Eddie was born in Nueva Leon, Mexico but went to the US when he was 14.  His father had abandoned the family and Eddie, after goat herding for his grandfather, left Mexico to support himself and his family.  He and Elma met picking tomatoes in the fields of the Central Valley of California.  She too was 14 and the daughter of migrant farm workers; when not in school, she and her siblings worked in the fields with their parents.

Eddie and Elma eventually married and raised three daughters, all of whom have graduated from college and have families and successful careers.  Eddie now supervises labor operations on the same large farm where they met 42 years ago; like us, they look forward to coming to San Miguel in the winter months, enjoying all the activities and interesting things going on in town.

We had met them briefly last year, but got to know them a little better this year.  Incidentally, Eddie is a great dominoes player, having learned to play in the "cantinas" when he was a very young boy.  Elma had never played but caught on quickly. Unfortunately for us, they have returned to the States.  Eddie is still working and needed to get back.

There never seems to be a dull time in San Miguel; there is always a concert, play, movie or street concert to sample and enjoy.  Making new friends and acquaintances seems to be so much easier here. We enjoyed the holidays--especially learning about the different Mexican customs and celebrations, but the town really was overrun by tourists during these last couple of weeks, so it was incredibly nice when it returned to normal after the 6th.

It was sad, however, to see the giant Christmas tree in the Jardin dismantled on January 7th and put away for another year.

A day in the life…or how it is in the "City of Fallen Women"

From our rooftop patio, under a red umbrella, taking in the warm breeze and gazing at the fantastic 17^th century San Francisco church’s dome and steeple, we can reflect on living in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) for a while.  This is a lovely place with which it is easy to fall in love after, say 24 hours.

It is called the City of Fallen Women because of the hazardous cobblestone streets, very narrow stone sidewalks and numerous holes in both which are never marked by orange cones or come with any warning.  Thus, many women you see have casts, braces, canes, etc.  You really have to watch your step.

To find negative things like that to say is kind of difficult.   SMA has been designated a World Heritage Cite by UNESCO and is quaint and photogenic.  It is often called “The Magical City” and it is.  The natives are very proud that Conde Nast voted it the best place in the world to visit last year, and this year several publications named it the best place to visit in Mexico. 

Magic, who can explain it?  Being here you feel happy.  Life is beautiful.  The pace is slow, the weather is fantastic, there are many cultural events to take part in, people are friendly (expats in particular) and the Mexicans are so very sweet and polite.  Even the beggar in front of our door, Rudolfo, wishes us a good day when we disturb him to go out or come in.  Of course having a beggar at your door takes some getting used to, but it’s all in the life here.  Live and let live.

Right next door to us is a green grocer with wonderful produce; very fresh and tasty.  We have to soak all fruits and vegetables in microdyne before cutting or eating them, but that is no big deal.  Next to the green grocer are the coffin makers—old men tapping away daily—who also sell handmade beeswax candles for about 50 US cents, which they carefully wrap in newspaper and scotch tape closed, stopping their work to do so.

Next to them is a small grocery store which has just about everything we might need:  dry goods, dairy, deli meats and cheeses, and household necessities:  It’s like having a huge pantry downstairs.  Prices there are pretty inexpensive—what we might pay $100 US for comes to, maybe, $40 US here.  And they take credit cards.

Next is a “carnitas” shop:  A tiny hole in the wall where a man roasts a small pig daily and sells the meat.  It is delicious!  After that a few "tiendas" selling watches, used TVs and other electronics, kids school supplies and another green grocer.  And last but not least, a great butcher shop. Around the corner is a small liquor store where, Mario, the owner always greets you with a big, warm smile and lots of advice about wine, tequila, etc.

Throughout SMA there are shops filled with colorful artisan crafts and clothes, objects made of tin, brass or silver, hand made jewelry, masks, antiques, etc.  Each one seems to beckon you to come in.  In addition there are many, many tiny restaurants and some huge ones, bakeries, candy stores, ice cream shops—all wafting out the most wonderful aromas. Life doesn’t get much more convenient in terms of food, drink and window-shopping (or wandering in to look at the variety of goods sold).

For entertainment, we check the daily listings in the local paper, Atencion, which has a pull-out section in English and Spanish listing the day’s offerings.  Normally you can choose from 15 or so activities:  from lectures, films, art gallery exhibits, museums, tours, language classes, music, dance presentations, spa offerings, exercise or yoga classes and on and on.  Also featured are restaurants, homes for sale, which are fun to look at, and volunteer opportunities.  What a cornucopia of stuff to choose from.  We sometimes exhaust ourselves doing too much.

Today we had a fun breakfast Christmas celebration with Larry’s language class.  The teacher had the students write notes about one another and it created a good feeling to hear each student read the nice things his fellow students (and teachers) said about him or her.  Better than exchanging gifts!

The other evening we strolled through the streets with a  “posada”:  A flat bed truck with children portraying Mary, Joseph and an angel in a palm strewn setting.  Behind the truck strolled musicians playing the same song over and over and over with small children behind them singing the song over and over and over.  Then came the group of adults completing the procession.  

From some rooftops people threw bags of candy.  The posada represents Mary and Joseph looking for an inn (posada).  It finally comes to a stop at one of the churches in town, which is prepared to serve hot chocolate and have huge piñatas for the kids to burst.

During the day a couple days ago, there was a procession of heavily feathered, Aztec-dressed Indians dancing rhythmically to the beat of several drums.  Brightly dressed and masked people followed, each with a long robe and a big tall hat.  Who knows what they were to represent, but it was colorful and interesting.

Music is almost always in the air, from mariachis to what they call "estudiantinas" or tunas—bands consisting of mostly stringed instruments  (not as blaring as the mariachis) who play and sing wonderful Mexican folk music. Last night we stumbled across our favorite group, Tuna Real, serenading a bridal party.  We have not seen them as much this year as last, but when we do, we always enjoy them.

We attended a lecture about Mexican music where the teacher went through each decade since the 40’s enumerating the changes in musical styles.  The traditional has now been replaced for the young by US music since it is so ubiquitous.  Kind of sad.

Another lecture we found interesting was about migrating monarch butterflies which winter in a small town close to SMA, some of them coming all the way from Canada, and all of them female.  We learned that the males die immediately after mating with the female who soon lays 200-400 eggs and then takes off. 

This afternoon we plan to see a movie in the “Pocket Theater” which serves a drink (alcoholic or non) and a small bag of popcorn with each ticket.  Tonight we will go to the local performing arts theater and listen to a Cuban quartet.

A stroll through the Jardin, or central plaza, is always a treat morning, noon or night to see families enjoying themselves:  kids often chasing pigeons, parents often buying plastic toys for toddlers to pull around, young people smooching, and old people (like us) resting.  Sometimes there is dancing in the gazebo in the center of the park.  Always there is someone or some groups playing music of some kind.  It is a great place to relax and people watch. This time of the year, there is a beautiful "nacimiento" or manger scene with live sheep and goats.

As the bells chime now, it reminds us of the primary sound in SMA.  Bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells.  (E.A. Poe must have been here.)  With over 36 Catholic churches and a few monasteries, someone, somewhere is very often calling people to prayer or chiming the time of day.  Religion is very important here and people are very respectful of the church.

We went to the central market the other day and found a huge, flower filled altar-like tribute to the two most recent popes.  As people walked by, even tiny children, they would stop, bow their heads and make the sign of the cross.

Well, you may be able to get a feel for SMA.  It is surely worth a visit and we would love to show it to you.  Our friend, Susie Morgan, has been here since the beginning of December and has said, “You know, coming here I felt like I was coming home.”  It is that kind of a place!

"Fleece" Navidad to all of our friends & family.  

Mexico City Weekend

Lost in an Oz of Penises

At the end of November, we returned to Mexico City for a fun-filled and busy weekend in the Mexican capital.  Getting there involves a four hour bus ride, but fortunately bus travel in Mexico can be very comfortable in a first class bus, with reclining seats and a video to while away the time.

During our last visit, we found a hotel, El Ejecutivo, that was comfortable, affordable and just a five minute walk from our friend Carole's apartment--a recommendation for those thinking of visiting the DF.

Carole had wanted us to come early enough on Friday, to be able to visit the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum.  She had visited it earlier,  and intrigued by an exhibit, "Infinite Obsession", featuring a Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, she wanted to make sure we saw it.  We are so glad we were able to do so.

Kusama was born in Japan in 1929 but by the mid-sixties was finding the Japanese art world and culture restrictive and anti-feminist, so she moved to the United States where she felt the climate and art world were more open and welcoming. (One of our favorite quotes from the author is "discovering polka dots was so freein

Carole & Sue

Much of Kusama's art is focused on the naked human body, and she uses the penis in a lot of her works.  It sounds strange and is hard to describe, but in person it can be amusing, thought provoking, and certainly makes you smile.

We were intrigued by a number of installations in the exhibit, especially one in which she used mirrors and strings of small, spherical lights to create a sense of the infinite. The lights cycle through a range of colors that changes the effect and affect on the viewer. Like we said, hard to describe, but very interesting to experience.  If you have the opportunity to see Kusama's art, don't pass it up.

Saturday was devoted to the New York Metropolitan Opera's "Opera in Cinema" presentation; Carol and we are big fans of the "Live in HD" broadcasts. When we are in Denver, we try not to miss one.  There are several venues across Mexico City offering the operas, but Carol prefers the Auditoria Nacional, a huge venue that can seat more than 10,000 spectators. One of the best reasons to see the opera at the Auditoria Nacional is that each performance is preceded by a lecture by Sergio Vela;  we have attended two of his lectures and Carol and Fernando (a friend of hers who writes reviews for Auditoria National) do not miss them.  Erudite and knowledgeable about opera and music in general, his lectures add a whole new dimension to the performance.  Fortunately, his Spanish is so clear that, even for us, the lectures are worthwhile.

For this performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", the auditorium was about 1/3 filled.  We all enjoyed the performance--comfortable seats, giant screen with easy to read subtitles, and great sound. Intermissions are punctuated with interviews with the principal singers or a look backstage, adding to the overall impact of the performance.

These broadcasts really make opera accessible and affordable, and the Met is of course one of the world's great opera companies.

Our Sunday was completely different but equally diverting.  Carol and Fernando are aficionados of the Corrida, or Bullfight; they attend almost all of them offered in the Plaza de Mexico, the world's largest bullfight ring, and invited us to accompany them.

We know little of the sport and ritual and would not probably attend on our own, but going with Carol and Fernando makes it a real cultural and educational outing. Bullfighting is, of course, a controversial activity and many are adamantly opposed to the sport. But it is also a sport, rich in cultural history; and watching the matadors or toreros risk their lives in a one-on-one match with a 500 pound bull is intriguing and often thrilling spectacle.

On this Sunday afternoon, we watched the inaugural appearance of a 20-year old Mexican man whose father and grandfather before him had been matadors--he was awarded an ear for his skill, bravery and ability to control the bull, a nice and hopefully propitious start to a long career.

The other matadors were a Spaniard and a Mexican, both veterans. The Spaniard was awarded two ears--at the insistence of the crowd--after his third bout--his first two bulls having proved to be not very good fighters. We enjoyed our afternoon at the bullring; and were among very few gringos in attendance.

Sue, Carole & Fernando

We are so very thankful that our trips to Mexico have enabled us to meet and get to know our now good friend, Carole Reedy.  Mart & Bob, who have known Carole for more than 40 years introduced us last year, but we feel like we have been friends forever.

She is a wonderful host and tour guide.  She loves Mexico and especially Mexico City--so much so that she became a Mexican citizen last year.  She is always up for a visit from friends and even friends of friends. Her birthday and our 44th wedding anniversary coincided with our visit this time; it was a great way to celebrate and reconnect.  Thanks Carole!!!!!

After our wonderful afternoon at the Corrida, we finished up our day at a new restaurant on Reforma, El Diez.  una parilla argentina, or Argentine Grill, we feasted on an incredibly delicious arrachera (marinated flank steak), french fries or papas fritas, and a great, but inexpensive bottle of Malbec. Highly recommended for meat lovers. A perfect ending to a perfect day and weekend.

Return to San Miguel de Allende

Dia de Muertos

 We are back in San Miguel de Allende and are planning to stay for the next several months.  The transition, except for a snafu with our checked bags that was rectified after three days, has been pretty seamless and trouble free.

Day of Dead display 

We arrived on Saturday, November 1 (Dia de Muertos.)  Seeing all of the adults dressed up like skeletons going to a masked ball and the children in their "Halloween" costumes was fun, but it seemed to lack of the spontaneity and levity we remember from last year. Others have commented on the same to us.  We are fearful it is being taken over by the ex-pats and other foreigners.

Our Apartment

View from our Terrace

 Before leaving San Miguel last year, we searched for a place for our stay this year, and we feel fortunate that we found a great one-bedroom apartment right in the heart of town.  Our rent covers all utilities, cable and Internet, and weekly cleaning so we feel it is a good bargain at $742/month. There is a small grocery store, two green grocers, a butcher, and a liquor store within half a block of us.

Small but very comfortable, the apartment includes a living/dining room, kitchen on the first floor and the bedroom and terrace on the second floor. Though  small, we do have room for visitors and there is an open invitation.  Winter nights can be chilly, but most days are bright & sunny with incredibly crystalline blue skis.

Larry at the Biblioteca

There is much to see and do in town, and in the two weeks we have been here, we feel like we have done and seen a lot, although many might think it is a rather leisurely existence.  Larry has signed up for a Spanish language conversation class for an hour each day; Sue is studying on her own for now but is keeping her options open.

Monday nights we are attending a Spanish language lecture series offered by a local language teacher, Javier.  He is very knowledgeable about Mexican history, culture and current events, and he speaks so very clearly and precisely that we both are enjoying this learning opportunity.

We have signed up to tutor some teenagers in English three days a week, at the Biblioteca Publica (a library founded by the expat community some sixty years ago and dedicated to serving the entire San Miguel community.) Our first class will be later this week--wish us luck!

Gil Gutierrez & Friends

 There are so many restaurants that we almost certainly will never be able to sample all of them.  We have returned to some we remembered fondly from last year, like Hecho en Mexico and our favorite Pizzeria.

Last Friday, at the invitation of our friends, John & Martha Birney, we dined at Mi Casa--a restaurant located in the Instituto de Allende and featuring the music of guitarist Gil Gutierrez.  He was joined by some Cuban musicians, and it was a truly memorable and delightful evening. We hope to return regularly.

Organic Market

Other activities have included visiting the Saturday Organic Market and participating in the Audubon Society of Mexico's monthly bird walks.  The latter was great fun.  It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the walk took us along the banks of the river Loja.

Bird Walk

Along the River, Loja

Our expert guides are armed with binoculars and "scopes" that make seeing the birds a lot easier--we spotted a number of exotic species, at least for us, including Vermillion Flycatchers, Phoebes, Keskakees, Cara-Caras,  several variety of egrets as well as mourning doves, warblers, kingfishers, jays, and ravens.

We joined the Society and look forward to their monthly "walks." It was especially nice to have an opportunity to see the countryside outside of town.

Weekend at the Jardin

San Miguel, in addition to a lot of US and Canadian expats, attracts a lot of Mexican tourists from Mexico City and other larger nearby cities like Queretaro, Guanajuato, and Leon.

On weekends, the Jardin, or main plaza, is filled with people--milling around, looking at the Parroquia and other local sites, eating at one of the many restaurants on or near the square, and buying souvenirs and other gimgaws.

Music is a big part of the experience, and at any one time, there might be two or three competing Mariachi bands or singing groups playing or performing.

One thing that we have enjoyed this time is the friendliness of the expat community.  The local Mexicans are almost uniformly polite and helpful, but without a thorough mastery of the language or some other intro to the community, it is hard to integrate--but perhaps with time.

Barbara on her Terrace

The expat community, on the other hand, seems to be very friendly and welcoming.  Already we have met and socialized with a number of individuals and couples.

Attending a play or concert or dining at a local eatery is not unusual to get involved in an extended conversation with the strangers seated next to you.  It is always great fun to exchange stories about how and why you have come to San Miguel.

The Language School, El Liceo, has been another great outlet and a way to meet others.  Last Saturday evening, we were invited to the home of one of Larry's classmates, Barbara and her husband, Dave.

Last year, while on a vacation to Mexico, they visited San Miguel and within three days bought a beautiful home just outside "El Centro" or downtown, and decided to settle there permanently.   They returned home to Seattle,  sold their condo, retired from their jobs, and now are making a new life for themselves here in this lovely Mexican city. It's an easy life with great weather, an interesting culture, and a cost of living probably half of what one experiences in the USA.