Tag Archives: photography

San Miguel de Allende, The Week in SMA

SMA events, April 28 – May 4: Flea markets and bazaars, oh my! Fireworks and Derby Day, oy vey! And Doug plays well with others! You want it? We got it

It is a great time to be alive in San Miguel – and rummaging through flea markets, art bazaars, Sunday and Tuesday markets. We have a few of them listed for this week.

Meanwhile, the forecast for fireworks is strong on Friday, May 3, as construction workers get their own religious celebration – not quite a holiday as they still must work – but crosses will be affixed to the highest points on projects, a meal will be served at lunchtime, and  … fireworks!

Speaking of fireworks, musician Doug Robinson brings together an impressive gang of musicians for what has to be the musical event of the week — if not the month. And that’s on May 4.

The horse jumping continues at Otomi and the running of the Kentucky Derby offers another great excuse to gather, bet a few bucks, and drink syrupy cocktails. We have only one fundraiser here, tied to the Derby. But I’ll bet many a sports bar will welcome your patronage. Print out the recipe for Mint julep and bring it with you.

Continue reading →
Standard
photography, San Miguel de Allende

Egrets over regrets, every time

Nesting season has begun for the egrets, in the public laundry park just above Parque Juarez, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

But, with their watering and feeding habitat in Pressa Allende bone dry, I wonder what impact that will have on the annual trek to the trees in El Chorro?

Standard
photography, San Miguel de Allende, Writings

How to look at flowers: A bird’s eye view of Candelaria

Today, I realized that I’ve been looking at the flowers all wrong.

The ones that have filled the wood aisles of Parque Juarez for the annual Candelaria Festival. Nearly every pathway is filled with flowers, succulents, cacti, saplings, herbs, seeds, soils, exotics, and verdant things indescribable by a casual traveler like me.

This isn’t my first Candelaria, bucko.

Continue reading →
Standard
Colonia San Antonio, photography, San Miguel de Allende

Howlin’ Wolf

This photo has drawn a lot of attention on Facebook. I took it on January 25, from the upper balcony of the home of our friend Lorna Reutner. Lorna, Cat Silver, Rose Alcantara and I had climbed up to this airy perch in her Colonia San Antonio home for dessert and a little post-dinner wine and conversation.

Needless to say, the full Wolf Moon got our attention pretty quickly. All conversation stopped as we stood agape at the spectacle over San Miguel de Allende. What wasn’t lit artificially was set aglow by this moon.

I pulled my iPhone out and whipped off a few shots before returning to the table — shouldn’t be a rude guest, after all.

A photographer friend from the United States had a kindly suggestion: “Nice moonlight shot. Clean your lens well and you won’t get those streaks.”

Well, yes. Sometimes accidents are the best thing about photography. I don’t think it would have had the same impact if the image were nothing more than another iPhone full moon/pin-prick on the horizon.

I’d say this photo, streaks and all — Solar flares? Random refractions? — creates an emotionally accurate tableau. It is not exactly how it looked, but it is exactly how I felt looking at that moon.

But he’s right. I’ll try harder to keep my lens caps squeaky clean.

Future photographic accidents will be on purpose …

Beam me up, Scotty!

Standard
photography, San Miguel de Allende

It’s official: With lights, fireworks, and song, the holiday season begins in San Miguel de Allende

With the lighting of the Christmas tree and street decorations in Centro, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the holiday season is officially in full swing.

Hundreds of residents and families watched as the Christmas tree was lit at exactly 8 p.m. on Friday. Cheers erupted but they were quickly drowned out by the traditional fireworks display. The city had setup long lines on the opposite end of the park to distribute tamales and beverages to the people.

Along with the tree, hundreds of thousands of fairy lights in the Plaza Principal’s jardin lit up, as did the strings of bejeweled tin stars that hang overhead on all the streets feeding into the plaza.

Continue reading →
Standard
photography, San Miguel de Allende, Writings

San Miguel is one giant living Christmas card

Walking Moppit the Philosopher Dog this morning and she was adamant about turning up Aldama as we left the main entrance to Parque Juarez here in San Miguel de Allende.

Normally we engage in a powerful battle of wills.

Moppit will want to go left when I want to turn right.

She wants to turn around and head home for a doggie treat while I want to press on for a few blocks more.

She wants to stop and sniff every pee-drenched corner when I don’t want to break the rhythm of my steps.

She wants to stop at Cafe Hortus for a croissant while I prefer walking over to Panina for a rosemary and raspberry scone.

Continue reading →
Standard
photography, San Miguel de Allende

Star light, star bright, see how you’ve survived into the morning light

A star fell from the heavens and landed in a pocket park in San Miguel de Allende,

Right behind the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel.

Crazy how people take such things in stride.

If a star had fallen anywhere else, people would have been looking for it on the five o’clock news.

Continue reading →
Standard
Colonia San Antonio, photography, San Miguel de Allende

Dress rehearsal for Sunday’s Convite de Locos was crazy, man

Well, this explains so many things: Anthony de Padua is the patron saint of the insane.

Now the Dia de Locos — or Convite de Locos — isn’t so crazy after all.

Well, yes, it is. Crazy, I mean. Very very crazy. In so many delightful ways.

What better way to honor the patron saint of people who have lost their minds than to assemble thousands of people in costumes that suggest they, too, have indeed lost their minds?

Continue reading →
Standard
Colonia San Antonio, photography, San Miguel de Allende

Howl’s Moving Castle it isn’t

Tried a CBD oil concoction for enabling sleep last night, then I ended up on the roof, mesmerized by the lighting around Parroquia San Antonio de Padua. I couldn’t stop staring at it, so I took this photograph.

The church is about a block away. When celebrations call for fireworks, as they often do, this is a great rooftop patio on which to be.

If the church looks other-worldly, it may be because my head was in an other-worldly place.

My sleep didn’t improve. Not yet anyway.

Though my dreams were weirder than normal, which, if you know my dreams, is saying a lot.

We’ll see what tonight brings.

Or doesn’t bring.

Meanwhile, sleep well. Embrace the new day. Do good works. Think kindly of others. Embrace second chances. Never shirk from responsibilities. Choose the right outfit for the occasion. Never take the last of the yogurt, even the store-bought kind. Don’t second-guess motivations in people who seem meaner than you. Smile and make eye contact with everyone. Frequent more than one bakery. When you tip someone, surprise yourself and go big. Try to remember the name of at least one person you meet this week.

Now, say good night.

_____________________________________________________________________

Put more magiIf you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing and passing on e (in the red circle). Feel free to share this post!

Standard