mmm-yoso!!!

Guanajuato (2022) - Museo Casa Diego Rivera and a Revisit to Mestizo

After doing a good bit of walking earlier in the day, we relaxed and took a short siesta. Upon getting up, we decided to head on out. Guanajuato was a fine place to stroll and just take in the different plazas. Like Plaza de Los Angeles.

We needed to grab something from Oxxo, so we went down the stairs onto busy Avenida Benito Juarez and enjoyed the colorful buildings on the street.

We had made very early dinner reservations with one stop in mind before our meal which was almost right across the street from the restaurant.

Artist Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato and though his family only lived there for a few years, the home he lived in has been made into a a museum.

  Since we had already visited La Casa Azul earlier on the trip, I thought a visit here would be a nice "bookend". The building's restoration and conversion to a museum was initiated by Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marin. As to how many children Diego Rivera had, well the numbers vary based on the source....

The museum is fairly small, but we enjoyed seeing the scope of Diego Rivera's work and the different styles he embraced from Cubism to Impressionism, to Post-Impressionism, and Muralism.

To be perfectly honest, before this trip, while I had read (and seen the movie) and seen the works of Frida Kahlo, I really did not know much about Diego Rivera.

Visiting Casa Azul, Museo Diego Rivera, and reading the various tales like how Leon Trotsky lived with the pair while in exile (Trotsky was assassinated in Coyoacán in 1940).

    According to this wonderful website Rivera feared for his life (it was uncovered in the 1990's that he was a informant for the US) and went the the American Embassy and ended up in San Francisco. During that time Frida and Diego got remarried and he lived out his life in Casa Azul.

Man, talk about real life being more interesting than fiction!

Museo Casa Diego Rivera
Positos 47
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

Even though Mestizo is basically a few buildings over from the museum, it was still a bit early, so we decided to drop off the stuff we got from Oxxo at the hotel. 

We noticed that the Basilica Guanajuato (full name - Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato) was open as we exited the hotel, so we decided to take a peek.

And then headed off to dinner. 

We had enjoyed our previous meal at Mestizo so much that we had made reservations for a follow-up dinner on our last night in the city.

Service was just as friendly this time around and we ordered our favorites from that earlier meal along with one addition.

We did notice something different on this visit. 

The flavors and presentation for the Tartar de Atun en Chile Viejo and the Chinchulines con Guacamole weren't quite as on the mark as on our previous visit.

We tried the Carpaccio de Pulpo con Xoconostle y Polvo de Chili Secos. Basically octopus with prickly pear and chili de arbol powder.

 As before the tortillas were up to the task though not outstanding. The pulpo was on the tougher end of things and we thought more citrus/sour tones were needed as well. We enjoyed the lemony-peppery-slightly anise tones of the epazote.

The one saving grace was that the Tuetano was just as wonderfully buttery and beefy as on the first visit.

So, while it seems that perhaps the "B" team was in charge on this evening, things ended on a high note for us.

Mestizo
Positos 69
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We then headed to La Clave Azul for a nightcap.

Since this was our last evening in Guanajuato and we had really enjoyed ourselves, we decided to do a little victory lap...starting with Jardin de la Union.

Where folks were out in full force.

We ran into the sweet gal selling cheesecake and we ended up paying for two and asked her to "pay it forward"! 

As we got back to the hotel we noticed an interesting "scene".....

Hmmm, this fella looks familiar, right?

There seems to always be something going on in Guanajuato!

We slept well, got up, packed, and had breakfast at the hotel. The Nopales con Huevo were quite good.

After breakfast, we checked out, and met our driver Aaron, who as always was right on time and got us to the airport. It was time to head on home......

But....I'm sure we'll be back someday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) - Breakfast at Santo Café

On our second full day in Guanajuato, we stretched our boundaries a bit and ended up going from the Southeast side of the city to the Northwest side.

While doing my research on Guanajuato, I noticed several posts on a charming looking café with seating on a bridge overlooking a cobbled street named Santo Café.  We had enjoyed walking in this wonderful city and even though it was a bit of "a truck" to the restaurant, we decided to head on over to Santo Café.

It was a pleasant walk, past places that were now familiar to us, Jardin de la Union, Teatro Juárez, and Templo de San Francisco.

We came across the street where Santo Café was located and walked up the stairs and crossed the bridge to the restaurant. It was fairly early and none of the three tables located on the bridge were taken.

We placed our order and took one of the tables on the bridge. The Missus got a Cortado ($32/MX - $1.55/US) and I got an Americano ($30/MX - $1.50/US) which were decent.

We got the Chilaquiles Verdes agrega dos Huevos ($117/MX - $5.80/US) to share, which ended up being more than enough for the Missus and I.

The eggs were perfectly done, crisp edges, runny yolk. The chips maintained a good crispness, the queso wasn't intrusive, and the Missus loved the tangy, mildly spicy green sauce. The beans were creamy and earthy. A decent breakfast that would hold us until dinner.

And for some reason, we enjoyed the view. A few folks even waved at us as they passed!

Santo Cafe
Del Campanero 4
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

From here, we decided to head on out to of all places a cemetery. One of the most visited placed in Guanajuato is the Museo de las Momias, the mummy museum. The Missus wasn't interested in visiting, though during our walking tour, Susana mentioned that the cemetery where the mummies were found was actually next door to the museum. We decided to get some steps in and visit the cemetery.

So we headed on out.

One interesting tidbit about Guanajuato. Miguel Cervantes is quite popular here and Don Quixote even more so.

There's even the La Casa del Quijote, the Don Quixote Museum.

 There's a Cervantes Festival in Guanajuato. And the Wikipedia page on the festival also mentions some of the background of why Cervantes is such a big part of the city.

Walking past Teatro Juárez and Iglesia de San Diego during the day provides a different view of things. At night, this is a bustling, lively area of the city and it's easy to miss things.

Like the two statues below. The one on the left is called "La Giganta". The one on the right is of a Rondalla Singer.

From the center of town we made our way Northwest, past Mercado Hidalgo, then up the one of the hills that surround the town. Right past the Mummy Museum is Panteón Municipal Santa Paula, the cemetery.

Which was quite large.....

It was in this cemetery that the mummies for the museum were found. Apparently, there was a "burial tax" that had to be paid for perpetual burial. When taxes were not paid, the bodies were disinterred and stored in a nearby building. The environment of Guanajuato is conducive to mummification.

While walking amongst the graves we noticed this pooch.....

Who seemed to be on a mission. So we followed.....

Apparently, this pup has a favorite spot in the cemetery where it just went and took a nap.

All in all, an interesting visit.

From here we headed back into town.

Down the colorful streets of Guanajuato.

It was time for a nice siesta. So we could enjoy our last afternoon and evening in this colorful city.

Guanajuato (2022) - La Table de Andrée and La Clave Azul

After our walking tour and lunch at La Vela, we did a bit of shopping, then returned to our room for a short nap. Soon enough it as dinner time. On the evening we had dinner at Mestizo, there was a restaurant we noticed across the street named La Table de Andrée. It was a French restaurant....in Guanajuato......we looked over the menu and decided why not? After our dinner we strolled over and made dinner reservations.

We had early reservations and were the first customers in the restaurant. The staff was really friendly and accommodating.

The Missus got a glass of wine which She enjoyed and we placed our order.

The baguette was interesting; it was super light almost like banh mi.

The amuse was bacon wrapped dates.....not a bad start.

We ordered the Pate de Cerdo al Cognac - pork pate.

This was not bad; porky, slightly sweet, boozy-winey, nicely chilled and moist, a bit on the crumbly side. It went well with the whole grain mustard which added a bit of pungent-spice. The portion size was quite generous as well.

The Missus got the Camarones a la Persillada - shrimp with parsley sauce.

The shrimp was a tad overcooked and the risotto was on the hard side. The sauce was nicely flavored though.

I went with the Hachis Parmentier, a classic French dish that uses leftover Beef Stew topped with mashed potato and baked.

This version used a very flavorful leftover Beef Bourguignon, super tender and beefy, and I believe there was come chorizo as well in this. It was topped with buttery mashed potatoes and cheese which was nicely broiled adding a wonderful texture to things. his was quite good!

The Missus enjoyed Her dessert.

Overall, the dinner was better than we thought it would be. I'm thinking that being a college town, there might be a diverse clientele......as we noticed some French speakers, a German couple among the other customers.

La Table de Andrée
Positos 66
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

After dinner we decided to head on over to the bar Susana recommended and we were glad we did.

    It was somewhat divey, the bartender was super friendly, the decor was quirky and eclectic. The music was what I often call the Unites States' greatest export...rock 'n roll.

I enjoyed my Victoria and chased it with some local Mezcal. Guanajuato is one of the nine states within Mexico that have DO (Denomination of Origin) to produce Mezcal. This was a nice Espadin the bartender picked out for me.

We really liked the bartender and the vibe and would end up returning here the following evening.

La Clave Azul
Segunda De Cantaritos 31
Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We then headed on over to Jardin de la Union....all cities have their central plaza, where folks gather during the day (and night). For Guanajuato it's Jardin de la Union. Things were bustling and alive.

Folks walking and chatting....Mariachi working the crowds. We ran into a young lady selling cheesecakes who walked up to us and spoke perfect English. She is from Texas, but returned with Her Dad to Guanajuato. She helps out the family by selling the dad's cheesecakes, which were terrible, but of course we bought some. I wish I could remember her name; she was so sweet.

It was a lively scene.

We were enjoying our time in Guanajuato.

Thanks for stopping by!

Guanajuato (2022) - Doing a Private Walking Tour and Lunch at La Vela

When planning to visit Guanajuato the Missus and I realized that we really didn't know much about the city. So, I did a bit of research and scheduled a private walking tour of the city. It would turn out to a be a highlight of our trip.

We started out the day by having breakfast at the hotel - Chilaquiles and fruit.

After breakfast we headed off to our designated meeting spot near the Hotel Real Guanajuato. Our guide Susana was a treasure; born and raised in Guanajuato, she gave us a in depth history, as well as local insights. There was just so much that I'll just provide a mild outline. In fact, I recommended Susana to FOY "RonR" who also did a tour and from what I understand enjoyed it as well. Susana took us to all the main sights, went thru the history and significance, gave us some recommendations. 

There was a bit of research that I did before the tour. I knew that Guanajuato was once the home of the most productive silver mine in the world. And that combined with the obvious wealth which in turn created some wonderful structures has gotten Guanajuato a UNESCO listing. I also knew that the city played an important role in the Mexican War of Independence. In fact, the first stop was the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, now the Regional Museum of Guanajuato. Susana wove a tail of how the royalist barricaded themselves in the building, which was a granary. A battle ensued ensued and the building by the insurgents lead by an unlikely hero. More on that later. Sadly, I was so taken by the story that I forgot to take photos of the building! I thought I took photos, but sadly did not.

Next stop was the ever busy and huge Mercado Hidalgo.

Here we were introduced to the most important item in the market; the shrine of Mary.

As we walked among the food stands Susana said hello to a gentleman. She then told us, "he is the chef for my favorite restaurant in the city" and the we should eat there. The name of the place? Mestizo! We had a good laugh when we told her that we had dinner there the previous evening! Susana seemed to know quite a few people. She told us that her grandfather ran a bakery in town for many years. She then pointed to the church across from Mercado Hidalgo....

And told us; "I was baptized here...." This is the Parroquia y Templo de Belén.

We strolled thru several plazas and there were stories......

Susana recommended that we stop by this place for a drink and we ended up returning twice.

Susana was great when we inquired about various monuments we saw.

The statue above is of Enrique Ruelas Espinosa who founded the University of Guanajuato Theatre and also established the Cervantes Festival.....yes, Guanajuato has a "thing" about Don Quixote.

There were just so may interesting places and stories.

    We walked down one of the side streets and came to a point where two buildings were a mere two feet apart. This was the scene of a tragic, "Romeo and Juliette" story. Thus giving the spot the name "Callejón del Beso" (Alley of the Kiss). To quote the story in Atlas Obscura:

"According to local legend a wealthy family lived in one of the buildings that helped create the alley, and their daughter, whose bedroom window looked out onto the alley, fell in love with a young man from the wrong side of the tracks. The young man rented out the room in the building across from hers with a window that was directly across from her own as well. Then they would secretly meet and kiss across the tiny alley. Unfortunately, the girl’s father found out, and in a fit of rage, stabbed his daughter to death. Most accounts of the story end it there, but some go a bit further, saying the young man then threw himself to his death in the alley below."

More versions of the story here and here.

We got there and watched a couple walk up to the steps, their three children cheering them on, taking photos, and giggling until they kissed!

In my previous post I mentioned that much of the traffic in Guanajuato is diverted underground.

We left the colorful streets of Guanajuato and went down stairs.

And into the underground tunnels.

  Naturally, the first thing that came to mind was that this was a product of the silver mining days of the city. Which was incorrect. These tunnels were actually created in the late 19th century to divert the Guanajuato River which had flooded the city several times. In fact, Susana went and showed us markers of the height of the waters of several historic floods in the city's history.

I guess expert miners would be pretty good with creating tunnels, right? When it was decided that traffic should run under the city, another deeper set of tunnels were created to divert the river.

As we got to Teatro Juárez, the last leg of our tour was set to start.

We were given the choice of taking the funicular or walking up the hill to the statue of El Pipila.

Well, you know what the Missus chose, right? Actually, it was a fun walk, especially checking out all the pooches along the way.

And at the top was a spectacular view of the city.

And above it all was the statue of El Pipila.

El Pipila was of course a nickname. The gentleman's real name was Juan José de los Reyes Martínez Amaro. It is said that he was given the moniker "El Pipila", which means "the turkey" either because he had a certain complexion or more popularly, because he was born with a birth defect that affected the way he walked. So, what did El Pipila do? Well, El Pipila was a miner, who during the siege of Alhóndiga de Granaditas, when things were at a standstill, El Pipila tied a stone slab to his back to repel arrows and bullets and rushed the door of the granary. He carried with him a torch and tar. He coated the door with tar and set fire to the door. The smoke from the fire meant the garrison in the granary could not accurately aim, folks outside gained entrance to the building and the garrison was defeated. And the Mexican Independence movement gained momentum. And the legend of El Pipila was born.

We enjoyed the street art on the walk back down.

It was a wonderful walking tour. Susana bade us farewell at Teatro Juárez and we did a bit of shopping and decided to grabbing some lunch. Close by was a place I had on my list....a Mariscos shop named La Vela.

One of my favorite things was what I believe is the shop pooch? He started inside....

And then when he saw us. he decided to "hang" with us and get some sun.

Of course things soon got pretty warm out on the street so he grabbed a spot near us.

As for the food....well, from what I had read, one of the specialties of La Vela was the "marlin", smoked fish. And you know how the Missus loves Her smoked fish.

We started with some Flautas de Marlin ($80/MX - $4/US)

Loved the greens, but the tortillas were too chewy and the marlin really dry.

I was curious about the Caldo de Pescado ($95/Mx - $4.75/US) having had my share of mariscos "consomme" over the years.

Man, this had a greasy tongue feel, and was very bland.

The highlight of the meal was the gigantic Empanada de Marlin con Queso ($60/MX - $3/US)

    Nice and crisp exterior, the smoked fish was really the star of the show here. It was moist, smokey, not overly salty, with great savory tones. The queso was used sparingly, which was actually a good thing. Look at all that smoked fish!

So, perhaps not the best lunch we've ever had. But it ended on a high note. Plus, that pooch entertained us. Now, if only that Asian dude at the other table on a call, telling folks he's from "Irvine"  and went to "Xxxx University" and how he knows everything could have used his inside voice....well, it might have been a nicer meal.

La Vela
36000, Constancia 6
Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico

Well, I know this is  a rather long post. So thanks for reading!

Guanajuato (2022) - Estacion Gelato and Dinner at Mestizo

Our Uber picked us up right on time in SME and we headed off to Guanajuato. Our driver was fantastic and the hour-and-a-half drive came out to around $30/US! Our hotel, the Casona de Don Lucas was located on Plaza de la Paz and our room, which had two floors also had a small balcony with a view of the Plaza.

Our room was ready when we arrived so we quickly dropped off our bags and headed out to do some exploring. We quickly took to Guanajuato as it was less touristy than SME. We loved the everyday hustle and bustle, the city seemed just a colorful and vibrant.

The first thing we did was head off to the Mercado Hidalgo. Much of Guanajuato is not car friendly; in fact, the main arteries are located underground in tunnels. There are many alleyways, no grid pattern, we were told that much of the city center was built along the walls of the canyons which surround the city. So, we'd often be walking down an alleyway, which would then open up onto a plaza!

The Mercado is located in a huge building. According to legend, it is said that the structure was initially designed to be a train depot. We just took a quick look since we'd be exploring a bit further the following day when we had a private tour scheduled.

After our short visit, we decided to check out some possibilities for dinner and also walk past the University before settling in for a short break. We ended up walking down one of the many winding and narrow streets.

 At the curve in the alleyway stood a little gelato shop. The Missus and I decided to take a short break here.

It turned out to be a good choice. The service was very friendly, the gelato refreshing, and the Missus and I enjoyed sitting on the small balcony.

Estación Gelato
Cantaritos 29
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

Once refreshed and relaxed, we strolled over to Positos and looked over the menus of two places I had on my "list". We'd end up eating a both of them on this short trip, but we'd end up returning to one for a second meal!

We strolled on over and took a quick peek at the University of Guanajuato. The University has over 30,000 students......which is why I kind of consider Guanajuato to be sort of a college town....with a ton of history.

We then headed back to the hotel for a short break before heading out for an early dinner. Since we didn't have reservations; we decided on an early dinner and got to Mestizo at 430pm and easily got a table.

The chef at Mestizo is the son of a well known ceramic artist, so the decor of the restaurant is quite lovely.

While perusing the menu, the Missus had the house version of Sangria, while I had an Old Fashioned.

First thing we noticed was how inexpensive items were versus San Miguel. And as is our MO, we found items on the Entrada menu the most interesting and ended up ordering 5 starters for our meal.

Things started out rather auspiciously with the Tostada de Pato ($180/MX)

While the presentation was very nice. The duck was bland, stringy, and dry.

The Ceviche de Robalo ($280/MX) was a slight improvement .

The marinade was bursting with wonderful citrus flavor, the overall seasoning was nice and complex. The fish however had not been marinated long enough and was overly chewy. Still, this was not bad.

Things turned around in a big way when the Chinchulines con Guacamole ($170/MX) arrived.

Perfectly fried and crisp pork intestines; wonderful porky-mild offal flavors, offset with a creamy-mildly sweet guacamole, with pungent onions and cilantro. Not only was this texturally wonderful, the melding of tastes were fantastic. Why haven't I seen this on menus everywhere?

Next to arrive was the dramatic looking Tartar de Atun en Chile Viejo ($200/MX). 

A nice tuna tartare nestled in a smoky, mildly spicy toasted dried chile, this was quite good. The tuna, was of decent quality, nice and meaty with no off flavors, the flavors counterbalanced with clean and briny cucumber and pungent onions, the nutty-sweet pistachios added a nice layer of flavor as well.

And then the show stopper arrived; the Tuetanos Mestizo ($190/MX).

Good lord, this was so delici-yoso, perfectly roasted, the bones were bursting with buttery-beefy marrow, which just melted in your mouth. A perfect amount of salt and the herbs added layers  of flavor. This was so darn good, that we immediately made reservations to return on our last night in Guanajuato.

We really enjoyed most of the meal. Service was friendly and professional and the prices were quite reasonable. The tortillas were decent and up to the task of handling the food.

Mestizo
Positos 69
Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico

We strolled back to our room, feeling quite satisfied. As we got to De Paz, we decided to grab a nightcap before heading off into dreamland. We saw this doorway and headed down the stairway from the sidewalk.

And walked into almost a speakeasy like bar bathed in greenish light.

The super friendly young woman manning the bar spoke perfect English. There seemed to be an interesting mix of older folks and students having drinks. So the Missus and I each had a nightcap.....

Along with some gratis chips, before heading back across the street to the hotel. I'm still not quite sure what the name of his place is....I'm thinking it was Don Beni Taberna, but am not certain.

Regardless, we really enjoyed our afternoon and evening in Guanajuato. And of course I had bone marrow dancing in my dreams.....

San Miguel de Allende (2022) - Dinner at The Restaurant and a Revisit to Lavanda Café

We headed out for dinner on our second (and last) night in San Miguel. As with our previous dinner I had taken a recommendation and made reservations for the meal. It was a nice, short stroll to dinner, just a short distance from the main square.

Located in a restored mansion, The Restaurant apparently created quite a buzz when it opened in 2008, and has been credited with changing the food scene in San Miguel.

The dining room is situated in the lovely courtyard (so many beautiful courtyards in SME) and the menu is somewhat globally focused.

Since we had a late lunch we would stick to one of our favorite strategies and go with several appetizers and one main to make our meal.

We started with the Beef Carpaccio - $300/MX.

The beef was tenderloin and quite lean, the truffled ponzu was quite pronounced in flavor and to be perfectly frank served better as a dressing for the nice crisp veggies and potato strings. Loved the addition of mint and cilantro on this.

The Charred Octopus ($300/MX) was indeed quite charred and a bit more chewy than we prefer.

The overall bitterness of the charred Cephalopod marred the dish, though the tomatoes were sweet, with the perfect acidity, and the avocado puree helped balance out whatever heat that was provided by the habanero sauce.

I was intrigued by the Shrimp and Scallop dish ($510/MX), which featured curry dusted scallops and shrimp, and a cauliflower puree, with lentils.

This was pretty good as the shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked, the curry flavor was tempered and really harmonized with the creamy, nutty-lightly sweet mashed cauliflower. Loved the lentils which added a nice earthy flavor and textural contrast to the dish.

The most interesting item we ordered was the Cheese Plate ($285/MX).

Yes, that's right, the cheese plate. Why? Well, it's all local/regional cheeses and except for the bleu cheese....I'm thinking that it's basically based on the type of edible mold from the area, all the others were pretty good.

    The Missus enjoyed the wine selection and the service was professional and accommodating.

The Restaurant
Diez de Sollano y Dávalos 16
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico

After dinner we strolled on over to the heart of SME, the Jardín Allende. The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel looked lovely as the sun slowly set.

And unlike when we visited earlier, the church was open and wasn't having any special event going on, so we went to take a peek inside.

After taking a quick look into the church, we crossed the street to the Jardin and had a seat and enjoyed the passage of time.

It was a nice evening for us.

The next morning we slept in for a bit. The owners of the B&B sent me a text and asked if we wanted them to make us breakfast. Since we were the only customers staying in the place we told them to not go thru the effort. Plus, the Missus wanted to try another pour over from Lavanda Café. So we headed on over a bit before they opened and were the first customers on this morning.

The Missus got Her pour over which She enjoyed.

And we shared a Salsa Verde con Chicharron which the Missus enjoyed.

 The eggs were perfectly cooked, nice tanginess, a bit of heat, a nice, hearty breakfast.

Lavanda Café de Especialidad
Calle del Dr Ignacio Hernandez Macias 87, Zona Centro,
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Since we were the only folks staying at our accommodation, we were told to just take our time, and that we could check out at noon instead of eleven. This would make things work out better for us in terms of getting to our next stop Guanajuato, which would take around 2 hours via Uber.

It was a pretty quiet morning around the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel.

Since the clock was just striking ten, we decided to check out the Museo de San Miguel de Allende right across the street that opened at ten.

   Most of this museum is dedicated to it's former resident; Ignacio Allende, who became a hero of the Mexican War on Independence. The Allende family was a wealthy family and the museum is housed in the family's former home.

Much of the family's living quarters have been restored and I especially like the replica of the original kitchen.

The first floor contains a history of the region as well.

It was a nice little diversion. And soon enough we had to head back to our room and finish packing; call our Uber, and then we were off.....

Next stop Guananjuato!

Thanks for stopping by!

San Miguel de Allende (2022) - Fabrica La Aurora and Mercado del Carmen

We had one last stop for the morning and we headed north of the Mercado de Artesanías. It was getting pretty warm and we took our time, checking out various sights along the way.

There seemed to be quite a bit of construction going on with new houses popping up. From what we'd seen; SMA seemed to be pretty popular with Ex-Pats.

After crossing Arroyo de Las Cachinches we arrived at Fabrica la Aurora.

Formerly a textile factory and one of the largest employers in SMA, the mill closed in 1991 after the markets were flooded with imports and the old factory was converted into a warehouse. After artists displayed interest in renting and converting various rooms into studios and work spaces the factory was converted and reopened in 2001.

There are still artifacts and photos from the textile factory.

And there are over 30 studio and shops on the premises. It was a fun time checking things out.

As much as we enjoyed browsing, the highlight of our visit had nothing to do with all the arts and crafts.

The Missus and I decided to take a break, rather it happened when we decided to take a coffee break at the Café de la Aurora.

The Missus got some espresso and I a cold brew and we had a seat at a table.

While enjoying our break, I saw one of what I assume is an artist riding up the alleyway in his bike, along his side was his faithful pooch. The Missus had Her back to this so She didn't notice when the gentleman parked his bike and walked into his shop, his pooch decided to head into the café. 

This mutt walked past us and up to one of the tables on the other side of the café. He politely sat and stared at the folks who were having lunch. He sat so perfectly, with total focus on the couple eating that the Missus thought he was their dog! After getting no response, he turned around, walked past us and went to the table behind us and did the same thing!

That's when I figured out his "game"! This little fellow only went to tables with food on it! He ignored folks just having drinks! After getting no response, he saw the Server coming out with food and followed her to the next table. Amazing! The Missus and I were cracking up! Much like I did with "Tripod", I gave him a name; Juan. And this time I remembered to take a photo of the smart little guy. Why "Juan" you may ask? Well, I told the Missus that this little fellow believes he is the "chosen Juan"! She cracked up. Eventually his owner peeked out of his shop and saw Juan doing his thing and came with a leash and it was game over for the little guy....for now. It's moments like these that really make our travels fun.

We took the fairly long walk back to our accommodation. We stopped at a few shops along the way, but the Missus really didn't see anything She was interested in. And it seemed like the prices here were quite high.

As we got back to our B&B, I mentioned being somewhat hungry to the Missus. Right around the corner from our accommodation was a food court/hall named Mercado del Carmen. We decided to pop in for a look.

There were a number of stands in the food hall, featuring Mexican, French, Burgers, Pizza, and even Korean/Japanese....

And Peruvian.....

The Missus was craving rice; so we got a Bi Bim Bap and I went with some Cebiche from the Peruvian stand.

The Cebiche wasn't very good, the leche de tigre was very mild, watery, and this didn't have enough flavor overall.

The Bi Bim Bap was not bad.

As expected, the rice wasn't very good; but the kimchi was surprisingly decent, the cho-jang was legit, and that egg was a perfect sunny-side up. We were pleasantly surprised and the Missus got Her "rice fix" which would hold Her for the rest of the trip.

Mercado Del Carmen
Calle Pila Seca 19
San Miguel de Allende, 37700, Mexico

After the meal it was a short stroll around the corner to our room and an escape from the afternoon heat.

Thanks for stopping by!

San Miguel de Allende (2022) - Lavanda Café, El Mirador, and Mercado de Artesanías

We had a bit of walking scheduled for our full day in San Miguel de Allende, so I thought getting a "good start" in terms of breakfast and caffeine was important. A few blocks from our accommodation was a place that I had read about named Lavanda Café. One of the key elements about this café was that they featured specialty coffees for the "coffee snob" in  the household along with some good looking breakfasts for yours truly. I had also read that the place gets pretty busy with folks waiting in line. So, we made it a point to get there by 815, 15 minutes before opening time. There were two parties already in line when we arrived.

Soon enough the place opened up. The folks working here were very warm and accommodating. We requested and got a table upstairs which was nice and relaxing; which seemed miles away from the busy dining room below.

Looking at the coffee list the Missus immediately found something She wanted.

And at 50$ MX - about $2.50/US, this is the cheapest Geisha we've ever got.

And while She thought it to be on the "weaker side" with regards to Geisha, I thought it was still a bargain.

As for me....well, the Missus "strongly recommended" that I try the Café Lavanda, a lavender based pour over.

I just didn't enjoy the strong floral tones in this.

The Missus wasn't very hungry so we decided to share one dish and went with the Cazuela (148 $MX - about $7.25/US).

    This was quite lovely and came with bread and butter. The egg was nice and perfectly done; still oozing with goodness, the rustic bacon was also quite good. The roasted tomatoes adding acidity and tangy touches. The red chili based "sauce" was rich but not overly spicy and we enjoyed the earthy mushrooms in the dish.

We enjoyed the service so much that we decided to return the next morning.

Lavanda Café de Especialidad
Calle del Dr Ignacio Hernandez Macias 87, Zona Centro,
37700 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

After breakfast we headed right uphill for about three-quarters of a mile. The view during the walk was quite stunning. We got up to Salida Real a Querétaro and to the lookout named El Mirador.

And while the view from El Mirador was quite nice, we actually enjoyed the view from the street on the way up more.

From here we headed north on Salida Real a Querétaro then took a left (downhill) at Capilla del Cavalio ("Calvary Chapel").

Whenever we passed a building with the gates open, we'd take a peek at the courtyards; some of which were stunning.

It was a nice little walk to the Mercado de Artesanías.

   This sprawling market is quite large with everything from jewelry to shawls to produce.

There seemed to be quite a few Ex-pats and tourists in the artisan portion. While the food, produce, and hot food areas seemed to have more locals.

We enjoyed our time visiting the market, but really didn't see anything that grabbed our attention. We also noticed that prices here were a bit higher than those in CDMX.

We weren't ready for our afternoon break yet and decided to make one more stop before getting some lunch......

Stay tuned!

San Miguel de Allende (2022) - Cafe Oso Azul and Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar

Our wonderful driver; Aaron made getting to San Miguel de Allende a snap. Our accommodation, the very comfortable and well appointed Casa Lani Luxury B&B was just at the edge of the somewhat busy, touristy Centro area. 

We were the only customers staying at the B&B during the two evenings which made for a relaxing and peaceful stay.

The first order of business after quickly getting settled was to take a stroll around the downtown area and get our bearings.

Most cities and towns in Mexico have a main square (the "Zócalo"). Here in San Miguel, it's the Jardín Allende.

   A wonderful green space, which is fairly peaceful in the morning, but gets more lively as the days passes and is really buzzing at night.

Right across the street is the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. Made of pink sandstone it is quite striking. The church was closed at the time of this visit; we'd return later. We headed next door to the Iglesia de San Rafael.

 Which was quite striking in its own right.

Notice the statue of Saint Anthony Abad to the right. Notice anything? The pig perhaps? Well, in case you didn't know, Saint Anthony the Abbott is the Patron Saint of pigs! Yes indeed, you can read more about it here if you're interested. And if you desire; the next time you're in Paris you can get a dish from Au Pied de Cochon, named La Tentation de Saint-Antoine ("The Temptation of Saint Anthony") which consists of deep fried pig trotters!

San Miguel is known for being quite artsy and is indeed very colorful. We loved checking out the courtyards and various nooks and crannies......

We decided to stop for a little caffeine boost on the way back to our room and dropped into a quiet and quaint little cafe; Oso Azul.

And enjoyed being the only customers in the place.....

Cafe Oso Azul
Zacateros 17, Zona Centro,
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I wanted our dinners in San Miguel to be fun and special. I had been told about and had read about Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar in the Rosewood Hotel. The view at dusk is said to be wonderful. So, I made reservations. We walked on over and were showed our way to the rooftop and yes, the view was amazing.

The staff were friendly and accommodating. And the residents with wings made sure we knew who "really" ran the place.

They basically had very little fear of hooo-mans.....

It was a great place to have cocktails....

And watch the sunset....along with our new fine-feathered-friends.....

Things in San Miguel were more expensive than CDMX....for instance, the Guacamole; which was pretty good cost 250 $MX, about $12.25/US! For a bowl of Guacamole...

Which came with Tlayudas, Tortillas Chips, and Chicharron. 

In what would become the running joke of the evening....the Missus loved the chicharron. So, we asked if we could have more....the guys working were surprised. I'm guessing most folks aren't into the pork rinds here? They also found this amusing and quickly brought the Missus a serving of just chicharron.

For the rest of the evening, whenever the Servers would come by they would ask the Missus; "more chicharron?? More chicharron??" And when She did say "Si...muy chicharron..." They would all crack up! They were really a fun bunch!

As for the food. Well, let me just say that the presentations were nice, but the flavors were quite mild, and dare I say somewhat mutes for our tastes.

The shrimp in both the Shrimp Ceviche  (275$ MX - $13.50/US) and Aguachile (280 $MX - $13.50/US)  were cooked! And thus quite tough. Both dishes really needed more citrus and were on the bland side.

The Duck Confit "Carnitas" (295 $MX - $14.50/US) were dry, but at least had some gamey duck flavor.

The Manzano Peppers on the duck was really good though....sweet, fruity, with a slight kick.

And of course the Missus had more chicharron!

But of course, the main reason we came here was for this.

As we finished up and the wonderful staff bade us farewell, we could really see why San Miguel de Allende was a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar (In the Hotel Rosewood)
Nemesio Diez 11, Zona Centro
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

San Miguel de Allende was indeed colorful; the people friendly, and we were hoping that our upcoming meals would be as delicious as San Miguel was beautiful.

Where in the World Were We?

Man, when was the last time I typed that out? Well, it had been quite a long time since we "really" travelled, I mean the domestic road trips were fun, but we missed travelling internationally. So, back in November, when it looked like Delta was waning, we started making plans....nothing too far mind you; in fact we planned to visit the last place we visited outside the US, back in February of 2020.....man, it seems like a decade ago.

And then Omicron came along.......sigh. So, we had a decision to make......

In the end, with both the Missus and I fully vaccinated and boosted, having no pre-existing conditions, we decided to go ahead. I had also heard from our good friend "Alle" that folks in Mexico were really compliant with regards to wearing masks....and she wasn't kidding....almost everyone wore KN95s too! They even wore the masks outdoors.......the only folks not wearing masks were....well.....you know from where. We had temperature checks before entering most shops; were asked to sanitize....there were a few exceptions and I'll note my observations in future posts. In fact, when entering one of the restaurants were were misted with........vinegar!?!?! 

Anyway, we really enjoyed our trip. 

We got to revisit some favorites of ours.....

And are slowly working our way thru the "list" of places we want to check out.....

We hired a private driver for take us to our next destination......where checking out at least one rooftop restaurant/bar is a must. And you can clearly see why.

And such colorful streets.....

We were the only folks staying at our 6 room B&B, which we really enjoyed.

And had some pretty darn good food as well.

Our third and final stop was our favorite......

We actually took a private walking tour which was the highlight of our trip. 

Where we learned some history about this fine city.......

And our favorite restaurant of this trip was here as well......we loved it so much that we returned on our last evening.......

The overall travelling experience felt somewhat surreal at times; though we appreciated the warm and friendly people and the Covid precautions as well. We felt safe during our stay.

Yes, "Viva la Vida"....but also care about your fellow man, have compassion, respect........

Hope everyone is doing well! Take care!