We stayed in San Miguel de Allende, walked almost everywhere. San Miguel is a colonial-era city of 140,000, with an unusually high US and Canadian retiree population of 10%. It is located in the central highlands, 170 miles north of Mexico City, with an elevation of 6,234 feet. It has a large artist’s community, many galleries, and a well-known art and cultural center. The historic center of the town is dominated by the iconic and neo-gothic La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel and the adjacent Jardin Principal. To the far south of the historic center is Parque Juárez. The streets are narrow, hilly and cobblestone. Narrow sidewalks with frequent obstacles make walking an experience requiring concentration. The city is a World Heritage Site. |
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We took a day trip to Guanajuato, about an hour and a half away. Guanajuato with a population of 172,000 was the location where the War of Independence started. It’s origina started in the 16 th century with the discovery of silver. Silver mines can still be seen at the edge of the town. The center of the city is the Plaza de la Paz, also known as the Plaza Mayor. The Juarez Theater is located across from the San Diego Church in the city center. Many of the city’s thoroughfares are partially or fully underground with a large tunnel network. The historic center has numerous small plazas and colonial-era mansions, churches and civil constructions built using pink or green sandstone. It is also a World Heritage Site. |
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The Sunday Home and Garden tour was a visit to a most unusual home. Casa de Las Ranas & Chapel of Jimmy Ray. An eclectic house and garden of two American expats: artist Anado McLauchlin and his husband Richard Schultz. According to a LA Times reviewer, it is “the happiest house in San Miguel”. World travelers and this is reflected in the decor, which, they say, celebrates everyday life. They bought this property in 2001 and set about making it uniquely their own. Certainly nothing is ordinary and there’s lots of humor, such as the mosaic-covered arch topped by the painted skeleton of a cow’s head holding up a chandelier. The interior of the home is just as colorful as the garden. A purple fireplace dominates the living room and a wall in one of the bedrooms is painted in swirls of purple and orange. The kitchen is red. |
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Our casita, Casa Olharamia. Our residence for our stay in San Miguel. It was just about ten minutes north of the central Jardin in a quiet and secluded neighborhood. There was a large market just down the street on the way to the Jardin. We had our own private garden and terrace where we could relax with a glass of wine at the end of the day. |
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