Hasta San Miguel

Today's my last day in San Miguel. It may very well be my last day ever in San Miguel. The city is losing some of it's charm, although I'm certain that the cold weather we've experienced this trip has much to do with that or me. Here I stand in the courtyard of the casita on 52 Quebrada. This afternoon I'll go to a panel discussion with Barbara Kingsolver. Pam won't make it because she is sick. this time it is a bad cold....perhaps the flu although we're crossing our fingers and saying our prayers for it not to be! I'll post a few pix from 'around town' and catch you next time from Iowa.

Hasta luego mis amigos y familia,

Nancy

La Parrioquia

I wonder how many times this same photo has been taken. It's the Parrioqua Church taken from the pation at El Instituto Allende. I bet I personally have photographed it a dozen times, but it is still an awesome site every single time!

At the Instituto Allende

Pam and I ended up at the Instituto Allende this afternoon after a bit of wandering and shopping. this is an old old art school that now has little boutique shops around the outer perimeter.

More Around Town

In most of the city the Police drive cars just like they do in the States, but around the jardin - the central park - they ride horseback and add the the picturesque look of this colonial city.

Taking Lily to Starbucks

Lily and I took a jog this morning (and I do call it a jog because she takes off up the street like she's running for her life and it's all I can do to hang on!) and we ended up at San Miguel's very own "Starbucks" - the courtyard where Sultan and I spent so many mornings last Spring. Check out Lily's reaction to tasting the cream cheese from my bagel. She's a cutey-patooty and gets LOTS of attention around town. a group of German tourists stopped us on our way back to the casita to ask I they could take her pictures. Shes' a shining STAR that Lily Coi!

I'm missing Norm and - can you believe it?!?1 - missing Iowa. It must be time to go home :-)

con mucho carina,

~Nancy

~ Nancy

Not Lost Just Wandering

While walking back from casa de Los Angeles this morning I became 'lost' and found this beautiful graffitti on a wall. This was in a neighbor at the edge of town. I've seen other graffitti around town - more and more with each returning visit - but never any quite as nicely done as this. Oh! And I wasn't truly 'lost'....merely "wandering. I finially wandered my way back to civilization and caught a taxi only to learn that i had been walking AWAY from town and our casita, not toward it ! Oh the adventures that I have!

vida la grande en San Miguel,

~ Nancy

Lily & the Horse with No name

Lily and I went for a tromp this morning and along the way we smelled (that would be Lily) and snapped (that would be me taking pics) everything we saw. We came across this horse which I dubbed the "horse with no name," chatted with a few gringos in the park and managed to get lost or a bit (yes, I STILL can get lost down here even though this is something like my 12th visit!) It was a good morning. Pam rested. She's feeling a bit poorly, but we hope she'll be brand new by tomorrow.

Egg Day Gone

The color and joy of Egg day has passed. This morning there wasn't any evidence it had ever happened. All the eggshells, confetti, and crepe paper flowers swept up overnight by the magical night street sweepers. It was like it never happened.

Today was a very quiet day. Pam is not feeling well and spent all day on the couch. If she isn't better tomorrow we may consider changing our plans and go home early.

I took Lily for a walk, meet a friend for lunch and spent the rest of the day reading and taking care of my little sister. Boy, there is nothing worse than being sick away from home. So, please send her your love, prayers and most positive thoughts for a better tomorrow....on so many levels.

love,

Nancy

Wild & Crazy

It was wild and crazy at Harrys Bistro last night as the gringos of San Miguel put their own twist on Marti Gras/Egg Day, celebrating with the "Seventh Annual Bikini Contest." Now keep in mind that the average gringo age down herre is probably something like 75....it was slim pickins for a 'beauty,' but it ended in a tie between one very attractive 22 year-old (must have just been visiting) and an unbelievable 87 year-old! Ah San Miguel you are one wild and crazy town. BTW, Pam and I refrained from participating in the catwalk ,but we did get our picture taken with the 500 pound gorilla in the room :-) Another great day in San Miguel!

Paz,

Pam & Nancy

Saturday Night in San Miguel

Nothing like a band in the park to get the grown-ups going. the kids are high on 'eEg Day' already although I don't hink it officially starts until tomorrow. We got BASHED several times in the heads with their confetti filled eggs, but it was okay.....we bashed a few kid too! :-)

Living large in San Miguel.

big love,

Pam & Nancy

Egg Day

San Miguel is busy today preparing for EGG DAY which will happen tomorrow. Egg Day is a wild-n-crazy annual event or the children that kicks off Lent and gives the lilttle ones a full day of bashing confetti filled eggs over each other, and unsuspecting gringas, heads! It's all in fun and I can't wait for tomorrow to walk up to the jrdin and watch the action. Who knows.....maybe I'll buy some of those crazy eggs and bash a few headds myself :-)

Paz,

Nancy

All in a Days Work

Pam snapped this photo as we passed through the park this morning. A women tending her garden - what a universal theme!

Candeleiria Continues

Even though Candeleira was officially last weekend Parque Juarez continues to be filled with flowers and everything you could need to put your graden in place. Pam & Nancy' s morning began with breakfast of tortilla soup (Hey it sounded good....and it TASTED good too!) then we we were off to the Mirador (overlook) above San Miguel for photos and a nice downhill walk home via the park. Now it's readin-n-restin until tonight when who knows what sort of trouble to wild girls from Benton City might get into...... on a Friday night..... in san Miguel de Allende!

con mucho carina,

Pam & Nancy

El Ten Ten Pie

El Ten Ten Pie is slang for 'a little piece', it also means 'foot' but I'm guessing the name of this cafe was going for the former as it's a great place to stop in the afternoon for a little piece of food (snack or , as in our cases - MILKSHAKES! ) I took Erin on a whirlwind tour of the town trying to help her establish her bearings before we turn her over to the Casa folks this evening. I think she's feeling pretty amazed and a little bit over-whelmed, but I also know it will all come together for her and she is going to have an amazing experience here in San Miguel.

First stop: El Banco for pesos and we were ready! Next stop coffee for me and tortilla soup for Erin, plus escadota quesadillas for the two of us to share. YUM! (escadota we discovered was 'chives,' but it was fun ordering an unknown and learning we liked it. Next it was down the street and around the corner to an Internet Cafe because we hadn't been able to get the wireless to work at the penthouse then El Bibliocoteco, the library, to sign up for Spanish-English conversions next Tuesday - to practice our Spanish and help others with their English. We completed the circle of the city retuning to 50 Quebrada to hook up with Pam then out again for a stop at El Ten Ten Pie for a milkshake before visiting Parque Juarez to see what was left of the flowers of Candelariaia. Three very tired ladies returned to the casa for rest, plus one very tired little pooch, before out dinner date tonight with the staff from Casa de Los Angeles. I am in envy of Erin and the experience that lies before her. I too must reutn to San Miguel sometime for a month or more to read to little ones and helping in whatever way I might.

con mucho carino,

~ Nancy

Regreso a San Miguel - Return to San Miguel

Here I go again - off to meet my little, Pam, in San Miguel de Allende, my "Mexican home." It truly does seem like that - "home," I mean - so familiar and friendly. I've lost track of how many visits I've made, but then some folks go to Texas or Florida every winter - Me? I prefer San Miguel de Allende! If you'd like to follow along on this 2010 adventure just check this site now and then. ....I'll be a shutterbug and , of course, I'll be writing!

con mucho carina,

~ Nancy