Tag Archives: san miguel de allende

Springtime in SMA

You know how when you keep returning to the same spot in the world you discover new and interesting things about it? Nick and I are experiencing this now in San Miguel de Allende. This is our third trip back and our longest stay (5 weeks) and it has really allowed us to settle in, explore new neighbourhoods and get a sense of the community.

The city is nestled high in the mountains in Central Mexico, about 3.5 hours north of Mexico City. The closest airports are Leon and Queretero with both about 1.5hrs away in either direction. It sits at 6200 feet above sea level which makes you a little breathless when you first arrive and the air is dry and arid. The climate is mild, it reminds me of summer on the West Coast of Canada. Hot days and cool evenings. It’s a great temperature for me, I don’t have to work around the heat of the day to get out hiking or biking like on the coast.

There is a very high expat population here, estimated to be about 70,000 people in a city of roughly 180,000. That number impacts everything, both good and bad. On the one hand, it’s expensive, housing, food, restaurants, etc. On the other hand, there are amenities here that can be difficult to source or rely on when on the coast. The internet is reliable, the city is very clean, and the influx of expats has created a vibrant arts community. There are also numerous groups that are forever working towards improving the lives of the locals. Scholarship funds, animal welfare, cooperative support, etc. And despite the influx of foreigners, one can easily find spectacular traditional Mexican restaurants. Little holes in the wall serving up comida corrida with the TV blasting novelas in the background.

Our first 2 trips here we explored the main tourist areas known as the Centro. This time we are going further afield. Getting out of the city more into more traditional Mexican neighborhoods and finding little gems of local markets, cheap eats, and beautiful views.

We went out to a local winery a couple weeks ago with our new friends Rick and Franklin for Sunday brunch. It’s called El Pavo Real de Campo and it also has accommodations available for weekend getaway’s. The owner said most guests come from Mexico City or Leon. The winery is fairly new, only a couple years old and while it was lovely, I think in a few years once the gardens mature it will be amazing. The tasting room is also beautiful and they offer salsa lessons and dancing on every second Friday.

Then last Wednesday, we went to Sunset Theatre which was so much fun. This couple built an amphitheatre in their backyard and they host bands to come and play. The cover is 600 pesos per person and you bring your own food and drink. The cover is for the band and the staff they hire for clean up, etc. The view is amazing and faces west for the sunset. The sun goes down over the mountains and just lights the sky on fire.

Candelaria is also happening now which is the kick off to spring in SMA as well as a religious festival. It runs for 14 days and there are events everyday in Benito Juarez Park. The park also hosts the biggest plant sale I have ever seen. Every kind of plant you can imagine like succulents, annuals, tropical palms that would cost a million dollars at home, fruit trees, herbs, etc. It is a wonder to your senses to stroll through. I wanted to buy so many plants but of course I just keep repeating the mantra of I can’t fit anything more on my bike!

We are 3 weeks into our house sit with one more to go. It’s been nice to settle in to one place for a while and have an office to work out of. The cats are easy to care for and we have been cooking a lot. The house is located high on the hill about a 20 min walk from the Centro. It’s steep enough that you only do the trek once a day as the trek home is daunting.

We also did a day trip to Guanajuato but I’ll save that for another post!

San Miguel de Allende (SMA)

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We arrived here on November 30th for our first house sitting gig. It was for 11 days taking care of 2 cats and a dog. It was a great experience and we had such fun with the animals. We managed to find another sit and moved into the historical Centro for another 4 days. This current house is beautiful with lots of light and its fully decked out for the holidays.

Our view from the current house sit. I may never leave!

We had been in SMA before about 9 years ago with the kids but it was a quick 2 day trip and we just skimmed the sites. It’s wonderful to be back however the weather is unseasonably cold and we are not prepared for it. We had to buy Nick a scarf and a sweater and sneakers for me. Houses here are not built for this cold weather and most have open air windows. Needless to say, on the chilliest days we would head to a coffee shop.

We found Nicks favourite panaderia from 9 years ago and also the place where we stayed when a kind man named Jen took us in when couldn’t find a hotel. Unfortunately, we couldn’t track Jen down and it appears he has moved away.

SMA has a large expat community and is renowned for the artists who settle here from Mexico and beyond. The city was founded in the 1500’s and the core is historically protected with cobbled streets and beautiful architecture. Nick has spent much of his time wandering around town, through galleries and finding inspiration at every turn. I had been working from coffeehouses in town as they are warmer than the house and there appears to be a sizeable remote worker base here as well.

We have been out for a couple rides into the countryside; one out towards Querétaro which we cut short due to rain and the traffic was very heavy and it didn’t feel particularly safe. The other ride was great, we did about 40km on a backroad out to a small town called Atotonilco which is known as a pilgrimage town. There is a sanctuary built in the 1740’s and it is known as the Sistine Chapel of Mexico. It’s is spectacular, every inch of the place is painted in a Mexican baroque style of religious scenes. During Holy Week there are between 15,000 to 20,000 people that arrive to make the pilgrimage from the Sanctuary to the church in SMA.

A market on the highway. We tried an indigenous meat, blue tortilla dish. It was delicious!

They essentially blocked the highway and set up a market.

Delicious lunch in the street; we had a chicken mole that was to die for.

It’s nice to be settled in a city. We walk a lot; before work, on my lunch and then again in the evening usually to the square to people watch and listen to the mariachi’s. We have made a few friends and it is nice to see familiar faces around town. It is a very hilly city though and at every turn you are faced with steep climbs and many stairs. It’s a very clean place though and the upkeep must be enormous. We even saw a city worker hand weeding a cobble road!

This is our last few days here and we head to Mexico City on Sunday to meet up with the kids on Monday. We are both very excited to see them and explore that city together. We do get one more SMA experience in the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe which started last night at 11pm with fireworks that went until 2am. It’s now 8am and the festival is in full swing again. We are located a couple blocks from the square and the bangs sound like cannons going off. I expect a few sleepless nights…

San Miguel de Allende

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This is a city of artists, writers and a lot of ex pats. We were told about 15000 live there year round. Our approach into the city was a bit chaotic plus I was struggling with airbnb and a reservation we had. Needless to say, our first impression was not a good one.

Our plan was to stop for lunch somewhere with wifi and confirm the address of our place in Queretero but by the time we got settled it was too late in the day to get back on the road. So we now had the problem of finding a place for one night in San Miguel. We were feeling road weary and grumpy. We popped into a little cafe called Cafe Oso Azul for some homemade yogurt and granola for the kids and a coffee for me. We must have been there for some time as the owner approached to see if we needed help.
We explained our predicament and after a few minutes he graciously took us to his apartment and that was where we stayed for the night. What a lovely man, his name is Jen, he his Danish and has been living there for 18 years. His apartment was great, just down the street from the main market.
In San Miguel we walked and walked and walked. The city is hilly, the jardins numerous and the churches are gorgeous. We bought a BBQ chicken, some tortillas and had a great feast. In the evening we went to the square for a wander, G bought a hat from the hat man and mariachi bands were playing everywhere. The hat man first started trying to sell Nick a hat and when Nick asked for a specific one, he dropped all his wares and said he’d be right back. So there we were with all his stuff in the middle of the plaza. When he was coming back Nick pretended to be selling them yelling,”sombreros, barato, barato”. It was pretty funny.
The kids remember the tacos and a parade that we decided to join. A group of people were singing, all dressed in baroque style, following first a burro, then a man who had a costume on of a paper mâché woman that stood about 10 feet in the air. Then there was an older couple walking together and then the rest of the parade. We walked down a few streets to an entrance to a restaurant where everyone started to chant for them to kiss. “Beso, Beso”. We still don’t know what it was about but it was fun. By then it was almost 11pm and although the streets were still busy with people strolling, we called it a night.
The morning brought a beautiful sunrise and we went up on the roof to feel the cool mountain air and drink coffee. A lot of life exists on the roofs in Mexico. Firstly, it is where all laundry is hung, it is also where the dogs and cats tend to hang out. We watched the merchants waking up the city, opening their stores and having a chat with the passersby. We also watched a hot air balloon floating over the city. Very cool, I never realized how loud the fire is or how big the flame is. I think I would like to try that.
We went to a gallery and artists studio on the outside of town called Fabrica de la Aurora, it is a massive old textile mill that now houses artists from the area. We could have spent hours there, we spoke with a few artists themselves, looked at a wide range of styles and I almost bought a painting from a local artist named Azuela. The painting was very vibrant and depicted typical rural life in the area around San Miguel. I felt rushed so I passed on it but I’m now kicking myself.
There are only a few inland towns that I can see myself living in and San Miguel is one if them. Everyone was so friendly and it just has a really good vibe about it.