Monthly Archives: July 2024

San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

San Miguel events, July 28-August 3: While I hike, you play (updated)

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just get out and take a hike. Especially now, while the rains have turned the region into an emerald dreamscape. Sure, the roads and trails can be a bit muddy (OK, a lot in some places). These photos, taken on Saturday, were from a walk near the north end of Pressa Allende.

There is a photo below of the extraordinary power of the Obraje stream as it courses and tumbles through the canyon in El Charco del Ingenio, the botanical gardens. See it before the rains slow down and it returns to a trickle!

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San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

SMA events: July 21-27: Dog days of summer? Not here.

Sunday, July 21

8 a.m. — Doggie day out
Elsewhere it may be the Dog Days of summer but not in San Miguel! Plaza La Luciérnaga is celebrating a happier Dog Day by inviting you and your pooch out to the shopping mall for a day of activities, prizes and lots of fun. Bring your pet.

10 a.m.–5 p.m. Artisan fairs popping up
In the Plaza de los Insurgentes, popularly known as “Plaza Garibaldi,” you can find products for the home, decoration and gifts such as mirrors, lamps, rugs and hearts, even high-quality jewelry and great designs, all made by San Miguel families from a wide variety of communities, neighborhoods, and colonias.
From July 24 to 28, a new edition of the “San Miguel de Allende Artisan Fair 2024” will be held around the esplanade of the Jardine Principal. It will offer “maximum face-to-face exhibition of the color and beauty of local crafts and labor, before thousands of local and foreign visitors.”
DiscoverSMA has the details!

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San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

SMA Events July 14 — 20: Futboll! Baseball! Opera! Theater! Photos ops! A tea party! A coffee mixer! Cows! Get out there!

OK, there’s nothing going on with cows this week. At least, I don’t think so. But, in case nothing else on this blog appeals to you, you can download this photo and stare at the cows out in the Compo. I took this photo Saturday morning while hiking near the railroad tracks, just below Los Frailes.

Sunday, July 14


8 a.m — 4 p.m. Bomberos Flea Market
After 40 years of protecting San Miguel de Allende, the local fire department still counts on this monthly flea market to make ends meet. Crazy, huh? But this is our life! You will find new and second-hand clothes, glasses, perfumes, lingerie, toys and collectibles, and much more.
Where? At the firehouse on Salida a Queretaro, next to Real de Conde plaza.

10 a.m. — Play ball!
Baseball game between the San Miguel Paric and the San Miguel Pirates this Sunday at the Stirling Dickinson Stadium. The Pirates will try to break the undefeated record of the green-feathered Pericos De San Miguel De Allende. This is quality baseball, up-close, on the region’s finest baseball field. Located at Avenida Las Américas #113.

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Memoirs -- fact and fiction, San Miguel de Allende, Writings

How I flunked driving exams in two countries in one month but — spoiler alert — aced them in the end

Within a month’s time, I have taken two driver’s license tests in two countries and passed both. But not exactly “with flying colors.”

My California driver’s license expired on April 10 and I tried unsuccessfully to line up an appointment to renew it in person. I just turned 74 and needed to take a new photo and the written test (and I incorrectly assumed that I’d need the driving one, too).

The problem was two-fold: My phone number is from Mexico and the DMV will not allow foreign numbers when you try to sign into the system. After repeated attempts and working with a human (I think) who promised to send me an access form to fill out and send back – he/it didn’t — I lost interest.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

SMA Events for July 7-13: We’ve got festivals, music, authors, puppets and more for you

Is this an event? Oh yes, it is. Welcome to San Miguel’s much anticipated rainy season — performing almost nightly. When rain spoils your plans, be like this woman. Go with the flow. This photograph is by Randy Kremalak, who against his better judgment went out in the pouring rain and came back with this classic. See what happens when you throw reason to the wind? (Be wild … but wear a raincoat and don’t catch cold.)

Sorry if things look a little abbreviated this week. There are two major football/soccer tournaments going on and even if all my favorites — across the world — have been knocked out of contention, the playing has been superb. Copa America and Euro Cup — check them out. The style of playing in each tournament could not be more different from the other.

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