Tag Archives: San Miguel de Allende

Reviews, San Miguel de Allende

From Squash to Storytelling: Ivy Pochoda’s Journey

Author Ivy Pochoda with an admirer at the Art of the Story conference.

The bifurcated psyche of a world-class athlete who grew up in a literary household.

Now, that has all the makings of a great novel.

Not coincidentally, these are the circumstances that led world-class athlete Ivy Pochoda to become an excellent novelist, with six titles and counting. But getting those two lives – high-powered athlete and high-powered novelist – working together, well that was the topic of a most entertaining talk by Pochoda on Tuesday as the inaugural headliner of the Art of the Story conference.

Pochoda’s life story fits in quite well with the overall theme of San Miguel de Allende’s newest literary festival. That is – if I may interpolate from the list of fascinating workshops and events scheduled – inspiration is all around us, if you know how to look for it.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende

Living it up for the Day of the Dead

The Catrina face-painting tag team, Efrain Gonzalez and Laura Cerroblanco, launched their season with a party on Friday at Restaurante Lolita at Salida a Celaya #52.

It was a chance to learn a little about Dia de Los Muertos, watch the dynamic duo paint some faces, hear some fine music from Gabriela Espinosa and Sharon Itoi, enjoy a dinner prepared by Chef Fernando Guarneros, and reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende

The face is familiar ….

We love our mojigangas.

The tall, human-fueled street puppets have been around San Miguel de Allende since 1924. They are of as many varieties as there is of life.

They can be comic, satirical, political, nuptial, magical, tragic, whimsical, mystical, surreal, fantastical, scary, devilish, angelic, familiar, historical, sexy, skeletal, ethnic, gypsies, tramps and thieves, and even, ordinary.

Like those images above from a recent parade in San Miguel.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende

Skull sessions

The door frames of San Miguel de Allende grow oranger and more elaborate by the day, like this one on Hernandez Macias.

It is that time of year. The skeletons in our closets find their way to the streets of San Miguel de Allende.

Not those skeletons.

These are more literal.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Writings

Revelling in those wide open spaces

We once lived in a house that had a 360-degree view of San Miguel de Allende from the rooftop.

We still live in the house but the view is mostly gone.

In its place is a three-story condo project that wraps around the two sides facing Centro, the Parroquia, and the sunrise. It would be oppressive were it not for the chiffon yellow paint job. Chiffon yellow tends to soothe.

At any rate, this picture is not about that.

This picture was taken many blocks away on the top floor of the Posada de Las Monjas hotel on Calle Canal. Twice a week I climb the Escher–like staircases to the top to take Pilates. The walk to the studio is almost as grueling as the class. But obviously worth it.

And I’m not just saying that because the instructor is my wife, Rose Alcantara.

This is the view from the studio.

On Monday , we were expecting a late-season shower. The clouds to the West looked promising. They apparently had business elsewhere. All we got were sprinkles.

And a spectacular view.

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San Miguel de Allende, Writings

So Others May Eat — so much more than a hot meal

We were mystified.

One minute, Dr. Grace Lim is delivering her weekly health talk on Wednesday to the nearly 120 guests of So Others May Eat in the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel courtyard. 

“Many of you only have each other,” she reminds the elderly San Miguelians, all over the age of 65. “You need to watch out for each other.”

A frail elderly woman reaches up and asks for the microphone and Dr. Lim hands it to her.

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Reviews, San Miguel de Allende, Writings

Pro Musica’s opening concert sets a high mark for the coming season

Pro Musica kicked off its new season with a phenomenal duet, Adam Sadberry on flute and Chloe de Souza on piano.

We had a discussion the other night about High Season. Specifically, how do you know when it begins?

Somebody suggested you know when you can’t get a table at a restaurant you’ve been walking into for the past five months. Someone else thought Dia de los Muertos was the line of demarcation. Perhaps it’s when you can get an Uber every day of the week.

I decided that today officially marks the beginning of the “busy season.”

And the marker is the Pro Musica classical music concert series.

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Reviews, San Miguel de Allende

Wall to wall art, as far as the eye can see

Art is best left to describe itself.

I’m a firm believer in that.

But I also believe you should let people know where they can find the cool stuff. This, for example.

The beauty of San Miguel de Allende is that you find art everywhere, often in the most unexpected places.

Especially murals.

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Memoirs -- fact and fiction, photography, Reviews, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way

Lessons learned while slow-walking the West Highland Way

A long hike is never really over.

We finished walking Scotland’s West Highland Way on September 18. It is still very much on my mind and I suspect it will be hanging around.

There were lessons learned. Both about myself and the trail. 

That’s really what it is mostly about in the end, isn’t it? Nobody walks – let’s call it 100 miles – and walks away not knowing something new about themselves.

Even if it is only whether or not you love toe socks.

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Colonia San Antonio, photography, San Miguel de Allende

Evil is vanquished, it’s time to dance in San Miguel de Allende

This weekend has been a massive celebration of our community’s namesake, San Miguel, the archangel who drove the devil from heaven. We call it the battle of Good versus Evil.

There was a massive fireworks battle in the Jardin, with rockets shooting over the treetops — the forces of good on the Parroquia side and evil on the side that houses government offices. OK, the optics aren’t all that great for local government, but they must have signed off.

Fortunately, it was all symbolic.

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