SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

We are here. What a wonderful place - busy, full of music, people from all over the world. We were told there are 8,000 Americans and 4,000 Canadians and 2,000 otherex-pats. I believe it!

On the way here , I saw a sign for a Brazilian restaurant in the middle of nowhere. We were less than an hour away from San Miguel, so we stopped and made a new friend. Edgar owns the restaurant and it is a simple place with really delicious Brazilian style churrascaria or BBQ. The salad bar was below par and this is usually part of the meal but the meats were awesome. I was informed that Brazil had just won - a horrible game but they won. That called for some caipirinhas (the national sugar cane drink).


We arrived in town and easily drove the narrow streets because we are driving a tiny toy car we rented. Found the AQUI ES MEXICO hotel that Les booked for the first two nights. He wanted to be in the center of town and we are! At $50 a night, it is so quaint and the location spot on. Now, this means we have to listen to music all night long but we are in the back and it isn't too bad. Tomorrow we head to Quinta Loreto -we went and made the reservation today-it is close to the center but out of the way so you don't hear the noise.

View from the balcony of AQUI ES MEXICO hotel:









Stores are not allowed to post big signs, they must be tiny and discrete. Some stores are just little holes in the wall:







All doors must be wooden by law, and some of the knockers are interesting:












In the evening, we went on a city tour, 80pesos pp and one hour long, so worth it. Ours was in Spanish but there is a morning one in English.

















This was one place they showed us, built by Spaniards, this is where women come to wash clothes if they have no running water at home:







This morning was Sunday and I went to hunt for Mass - being that there are over 300 churches, it was a fun hunt. In one corner there are three churches one right next to the other. All have gold since this is gold and silver country. I have many more pictures that I will add later.















Does anyone know who this saint might be?

lots of sinners....you are so right.


more pics of churches:















Les and I in Allende Park







tony - we found Mamma Mia's but there are only young kids working and they did not recognize any of the musician's names that you mentioned. It was packed for breakfast!










Someone recommended CAFE DE LA PARROQUIA for breakfast and it was really quiet and delicious:























In town:






Yesterday morning I went on the house tour and wow..it was incredible. Here is little taste of what was a wonderful experience.







I met Liz Scotta, a teacher who comes to san Miguel every year and works with kids here teaching them painting, I bought her book and got it signed. If you have been here, this is a good buy because they are sketches of the town:






brilliant art with old books:











Saw this in the Biblioteca TIENDA:







The first house (Casa LaSenda) we went to took easily 30 minutes to get to, it is outside of town. the owner is a self proclaimed 60's ex-hippie who bought acres and acresof land and has made it 100% self sufficient. He is selling shares to this eco-villa for $50K. It is very beautiful:



























The second house was RANCHO GUAIANILLA and it is 21 acres and owned by the Zazula's. They bought the 17th century chapel from the State and built their home around it. It is so incredible to see the original paintings inside the capilla:























Having a huge wooden china cabinet with all the dishes displayed is traditional:











Steve is exceptionally open to sharing his home. He was an architect in NY and his wife a decorator and voila.


We were a big group (I thought) of 60 people on the tour. Numbers are up from being way down during the economic crisis. There used to be up to 800 people for this tour!







The last house we saw is actually a high end rental property and it lives up to its name- CASA DE LOS CHIQUEADOS. The rent for the pent house is $2200 a month. That's US!


















When I came back after the 4 hour tour, met up with Les and searched for the Thai Restaurant I had seen on the way in and found it. Les loves thai food and he ate Panang curry and it put him in a royal sweat, which is the idea:






Rod, the owner:








Here are some pics of AQUI ES MEXICO - truly a delightful hotel but you must book it online to get the good deal like we did at $50 a night- the regular price is $100:














domed tiled ceilings are art:

Very nice report as usual, Blanca.

Laura is an artist and we are planning a trip to SMA soon and your reports will be a guide for us

Have fun and regards to Les.

ex-next door neighbors just moved there, they tell me americans flocked there after WW2 to go to art schools on the GI bill and never left, don't know if thats true or not but what beautiful pictures!

thanks for your kind words all - keep it up ... I love the encouragement (((:

So, another day and the adventure continues. First order of business was to move to Quinta Loreto:


















Today our adventures took us to Ototonilco. It was such a surprise and a disappointment at the same time. Why? The Indians beg and sell outside the church. The selling I love, the begging breaks my heart.

The church (Santuario) is beyond anything one can imagine except the Cathedrals in Rome. But, oddly enough, there is not one thing to see or do besides the see the church. Not one hotel, not one restaurant, When we went to see what is supposed to be the largest tree on Earth called Arbol de Tuly, it was a long ride and when we got there, just like today, the tree was indescribably huge and a site. Atotonilco, for me, was the same. But enough of this .... look at how gorgeous the paintings are:










If you look carefully at the third step, notice that it is very worn from all the visitors over the years.













pure gold:










These are painted onto the front doors- on the left is is Jesus arguing with the doctors and on the right is St. John:







Patience shows a person getting ready to hit another one- Peace, right?







I bought some of these for the kids:







and I bought them from Maria:









This is me praying for everyone's souls:

Welcome back! Lets touch bases tomorrow! On the agenda is toy museum, allende museum and ???




But finishing up today, June 30, 2014 with Blanca one year older ((((:


The second adventure was going to La Gruta. We drove and got lost, for whatever reason, we looked and looked and could not see the entrance. Found it on try three. So .... not as relaxing a beginning as it should have been.

The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful and almost an oasis with the exuberance of lush plants!

If we could go back in time, I would have insisted on taking a cab out for $12 dollars or $140 pesos, have the driver wait while you take 20 minutes to look at Atotonilco and then have him return to San Miguel and drop you off at La Gruta, which is on the way. Then spend the day at La Gruta, relaxing and dining at their restaurant. I was told there are many buses heading back for 15 pesos, you simply flag them down

Enough blabla - check it out:

THE ROAD IS WAY TO THE RIGHT OF THIS SIGN:







PAYING UP








WALKWAYS:













MY LUNCH:








LES'S ENMOLADO CHICKEN:









WE GOT TO WATCH THE FRANCE VS. NIGERIA GAME:






THE BIG POOL:







THE SMALLER HOTTER TUB IN THE BACK:







THE SPA MASSAGE ROOM:









BAR/GAMEROOM:






Upon returning, we went for a walk and visited the cultural center:






The murals were amazing:








The architecture very reminiscent of Europe:











This door is right off the Plaza Allende, part of the Banamex Museum bldg:







So, we came back to the hotel, relaxed a bit and then we went hunting for dinner, finally deciding on Mamma Mia since so many recommended it. It was so fun! Live Cuban band (we bought their CD), nice ambiance and delicious food! Had a Baja red wine that was smoooooooth. And that ends our day today. Time for bed!

Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Blanca!

Great photos, Blanca. Such wonderful memories. The Bellas Artes (and The Instituto) is where I took many art classes. You probably noticed that it is located in a convent. While the quad is now a school, the convent still exists in part of it. The nuns wear purple and white habits. Daily, they ring the bell that you can see from the quad. Once in awhile they get playful and can be seen swinging from the rope.

Once I attended a concert by The Kronos Quartet, right there in the center of the quad. What a great setting.

The Instituto is the main art school in San Miguel. It is accredited by a major university in The U.S, (I believe it is The University of Minnesota but I am not sure...can't remember). The Instituto was the main draw for students, teachers and retirees during the early '80s while I was there.

I am so sorry you didn't have enough time to find the musicians I mentioned in my post on your other San Miguel de Allende string. San Miguel had a profound effect on my life. I will re-post my post of that string because I don't think many people read it; it was toward the tail end of that string:

I lived there for several years in the early '80s. Had a studio gallery with my then woman, Glenna Rabasa, a great oil painter and sculptor. I did stained and fused glass. (We later moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and opened the Hardwick/Rabasa Gallery right behind The Oldest House and The Oldest Church, across the street from The Pink Adobe Restaurant).

In San Miguel, we had a home on the property called "Happy Valley". Even the locals called it that, in English. The property was beautiful! It ran uphill, was tree covered and had pathways that wended their way throughout. It was the setting for many group shows with local artists, both Mexican and Gringo. The work hung from trees and dotted the paths.

The home was a beautiful old adobe tannery. All of the rooms were connected and descended downhill. None of the rooms had doorways in between. You had to go out one and descend or ascend to enter the next one. At the very bottom was the bathroom complete with toilet and shower. It was formerly a chapel and still has the cross above the entrance; talk about a religious experience...

I was also the trumpet player and doubled on Latin Percussion, in a band called "Los Downbeats". We played Straight Ahead Jazz and Salsa. The patrons danced on the big Refectory tables. Oh, that woman in the red dress .... This was at Mama Mia's which Geoff mentioned earlier.

Look up the saxophone player, Salamon. Also, find Bobby Kapp, a drummer and singer. They were in the band and are still playing there in town. Tell them "Hello" for me. Say hello to Carlos and Blanca, the owners, if they are still there. Also say hello to Luis Gazca, a very good trumpet player who now lives and performs in SMA. I knew him in San Francisco in the '60s and later in Mulege a few years ago. Caution; he will talk your head off.
Doc Severinsen, bandleader of The Johnny Carson Show(whom I do not know) is now living there too.

Of course, sit in The Jardine (the central plaza) and listen to the cacophony of all the birds, traffic, church bells and people.

I was last there 10 years ago, so my information is dated.

Well, Blanca ---

Vandenberg is correct which means you just have to plan another trip to that area! So many wonderful places.

Soulpatch has picked one of the greatest places in Mexico to settle in --- at least for now.

lol… Bakersfield is the unofficial armpit of California. Just sayin'.

Quote:

Originally posted by Feathers Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca Never been to Bakersfield...... lol… Bakersfield is the unofficial armpit of California. Just sayin'.

not according to TW and buck owens!

What a day, I ran the ipad battery down completely, I took over 100 photos. I even had to open up another photobucket account. Here is just a glimpse of this wonderful day.



BREAKFAST WAS AT THE CASA ROSADA HOTEL. BEAUTIFUL.















































Here is a pic of a most unusual house:






the ladies on the left:







the ladies on the right:






AND MY FAVORITE, THE TOP











I WENT TO CHECK OUT THE ALLENDE MUSEUM. IT IS REALLY AMAZING SINCE IT SITS AND HAS ALWAYS SAT, IN FRONT OF THE GOTHIC CHURCH:



THE VIEW FROM THE FRONT DOOR







INSIDE





NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE ROOMS,WOULD NOT WANT TO SPOIL IT ANYWAYS:












THIS MORNING WAS SPENT AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN. PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY!


























I WENT TO THE CRAFT MARKET,HUGE, WHICH IS LITERALLY NEXT DOOR TO THE QUINTA LORETO





























FOR A REAL CHANGE OF PACE, WE DECIDED TO SPLURGE AND WENT TO THE ROOFTOP OF THE 5 STAR ROSEWOOD HOTEL. IT IS SIMPLE ELEGANCE AND THE VIEW....SEE FOR YOURSELF:


















NOTICE THE BAJA STYLE LOBSTER!








AT SOME POINT DURING THE DAY WE WALKED BY THESE ADS:

and that folks, wraps it up for San Miguel de Allende. The very end of the day was spent meeting up with the soulpatch family, a very interesting encounter since he knows my sister and her husband so well! He also studied Portuguese for a day with my best Brazilian friend in San Diego.


Tomorrow we head for Taxco and I heard today from a New Zealander that she has gone there five times since she loves it so much. Music to my ears.

To end this portion of the trip, I want to post some of my favorite random pictures:



This is a very popular door knocker and we found one for La Bocana!



























What do you suppose she is thinking about?



















rooftop garden







notice how Mexico is spelled, which explains the pronunciation in Spanish Meh he co:








this cactus is called the creeping devil and I would love to have one! Native to Mexico:







odd, odd, odd







Where the heck is MOM ????? but isn't she just the cutest?








found this in a VERY expensive Mata Ortiz store....



lizards






snakes













This is a mockup of the Atotonilco church we went to:







love the design on these doors, surely Moorish influence:






















father and son, dad sells the crafts that his son makes:







this was something else! My lemonade had a frozen lemon in the ice at the ROSEWOOD HOTEL











NOTICE HOW THE TREES ARE ALL GROWING TOGETHER










THIS IS THE GARDEN IN FRONT OF THE QUINTA LORETO....BIRDS SING ALL DAY LONG AND IT IS INSPIRATIONAL TO WAKE UP TO

















HASTA TAXCO EVERYONE!