Ave Maria, a great little boutique in San Miguel

Giovanna is a darling gal who owns this little boutique in the historic center of San Miguel de Allende. It is full of funky and very creative merchandise! 

One area of the boutique is dedicated to pieces with a heart motif.

I bought these t-shirts with the wrestling motif on them for my husband and my brother.  The perfect shirt to wear to the gym.  Only if I could get them to wear a wrestling mask at the same time... Giovanna also has some great Frida and Skull/Day of the Dead t-shirts.
Another wrestling t-shirt and bag. There is some wonderful jewelry, purses, note cards...  I have bought several bracelets from her shop and when I am wear them, I always get compliments.

I love the plastic bottles for holy water. I think they would look great lined up on a shelf in a colorful kitchen.On 6/21/2010, I wrote about the Loteria and how many artists often use this motif in their work.  These boxes with the Loteria card make great little gifts.

Talk about hot flashes... Can you imagine the conversation piece this round tray would make if you used it to serve you guests martinis.  I think it would be great.

Ave Maria is located near the jardin at Calle Relox 26.  Check it out and tell Giovanna that Robin sent you in.

Vogue Australia Magazine was in San Miguel de Allende

For as long as I can remember, San Miguel de Allende has been a favorite back drop for the fashion world.  A year ago, I met a film crew that was in town for Australian Elle magazine.  I actually participated in the photo shoot out at Rancho Casa Luna.  Two years ago, Chicos featured San Miguel in one of their catalogs.
Just recently Vogue magazine was in town shooting a fashion layout.  This shot was taken in front of the Parroquia Church, right in the main square (jardin).

I have stood right where this model is, in the flower section of the market, selecting an array of flowers to bring home to my casa. 
As you can tell from my writings and photography on my blog, San Miguel is my featured "model" and it will continue to be for a long, long time.


(Photos by Nicole Bentley and produced by fashion editor Meg Gray for Vogue Australia March 2011 ... featuring model Alina Balkova)

EL JARDIN, San Miguel's heart of the city

The jardin, the main plaza, in San Miguel de Allende is the hub of activity. A meeting place for locals and tourist alike.

This is the view from the second floor of the mansion where General Igancio Allende was born. General Allende and Father Hidalgo were the driving forces behind the Mexican Independence from Spain. These beautifully trimmed trees are Mexican Laurel and in the evenings, there is the occasional shiny, black feathered Grackle that flies there to roost.

The gardens have never looked so tidy and so lush.  I can not count how many times I have sat on this particular bench watching the children play and the balloon man enticing the children with his balloons in various shapes and colors.  Little boys are fascinated by his foam shaped lizards that are on an end of a wire; you jiggle the wire and the lizard appears to be crawling right towards you.  In the evenings, the music of the mariachis is captivating. This historic photo shows what the jardin looked like prior to its transformation with its treeless plaza and cobblestones slopping down from the Parroquia (the parish church) to City Hall. I can just imagine the foot of muddy water on the ground floor of the buildings on the north side of the plaza when the rainy session hit the area.  When the dictator, Porfirio Diaz ruled Mexico for 35 years in the late 1880's, he was a big Francophile. This French influence can be seen here today and in many other plazas around Mexico, with its ornate cast iron benches and a central kiosk bandstand, which is so typical of a French public garden.

The jardin has been closed off to city traffic for some time. You never know what to expect from day to day. A parade, a wedding party, mariachis... It's a place where you could sit for hours and watch life go by.
Look for me, I bet you might find me sitting in the jardin.

Beyond Patzcuaro and its little faces

One of my all time favorite places, besides San Miguel de Allende, is Patzcuaro and the surrounding villages.  The people are so friendly and you just can not help falling in love with the little ones.  These two girls were having the best time chatting away, giggling and shucking the corn. 

Meet Laura, daughter of Tomasa in Ocumicho.  She is now grown, married and has become a fine artist, just like her mother, in creating the fantastic and bizarre figures that Ocumicho is known for.  It seems just like yesterday when she had her quinceanera and she was cuddling up to my side.

This cute guy is from the lake shore village of Ihuatzio, slightly north of Patzcuaro.  He and his mother had come in early on the bus to Patzcuaro to sell their wares.  I was their first sale of the day, I just could not resist that handsome tray.  Ihuatzio is known for its woven tule (an aquatic reed) figures of animals, trays and a variety of furniture (tables, benches and chairs).

This shy little girl was peeking around the corner at me and at this particular moment, she was in a world of her own.  I too find myself in another world when I am driving through the lush green valleys up into wooded mountains to visit some of the artisans that create such incredible folk art.  In just a few weeks, I will be leading my next special tour, Artisans & Architecture, to this part of the Mexico in the state of Michoacan.  We will spending a few days in San Miguel de Allende and then head over to Patzcuaro where we will venture out to the surrounding artisan villages.  Every trip is a new adventure to me even though I have been there so many times.

Some more stain glass

Last Friday I wrote about a few stain glass windows that can be found around San Miguel de Allende.   I just had to share with you some of the most beautiful stain glass that is in my favorite church in Barcelona,  Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar, in the Barri Gotic district.  This church is the only surviving example of Catalan Gothic style architecture in Barcelona today.

The church was built in the 1300's and for its time, it was finished in remarkable time.  It only took 55 years where most Churches can take hundreds of years before being totally completed. The geometric design of the window is so striking.

What a magnificent rose window!

A close up of the rose window.  I feel like I am looking in a Kaleidoscope.

 
The details of the Pente Cost are amazing.  I love the shadowing on their faces and the ray of light beaming through the window.

Some of the windows were destroyed due to an earthquake and fire.  This contemporary, abstract window I find very intriguing.  

Antonio Gaudi was so inspired by the tall columns in the Santa Maria, he modeled his columns after these when he designed La Familia Sagrada.  I certainly can see why.

Stain glass around San Miguel

There is not a lot of stain glass around San Miguel de Allende and you really have to be familiar with the town to know where to find it.  This particular window is in the Templo de San Juan de Dios.

The beautifully hand carved wood panels showcase four different pieces of stain glass in the entry of the San Francisco Church.

A close up of one of the stain glass windows with a white dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

I was walking down Calle Sollano and there was a stain glass lantern on the roof's corner of a house.  I bet many have walked right by and have never noticed it.

The simplicity of this stain glass framed by the window is just lovely.

I was over in Cuitzeo and this was in the entryway of the main church.

Stain glass so simple but beautifully executed.

Gearing up for my Cooking Class

          My Artisan & Architecture tour is right around the corner and I will be teaching the cooking class out at Dianne Kushner's Rancho Casa Luna, just outside of San Miguel de Allende.  Half of the people joining me on this tour have been on my previous Meet Me in San Miguel tours so I need to create a whole new repertoire of recipes.

         I am really intrigued with the indigenous foods of Mexico and how many of these foods drastically changed the way other cultures cook.  And how the cuisine of Mexico changed with the influences from the Old World; from the Spaniards, the French and even as far away as the Orient.

       The menu will be interesting and savory but not too complicated.  I have been known to take on recipes, even projects, that are lengthy and time consuming.  When I ask my friend Judy to help me with floral arrangements that I have designed for a particular fund raiser or event, she always says, "You never do anything easy."  Well, if I did make so it easy, it would not be that interesting...

       Friday night I made quesadillas, experimenting with the ingredients and tweaking what went in each one.  I had assortment of cheeses (danish blue, goat cheese, Monterrey jack, brie and fontina), sliced mangoes, jamaica, caramelized onions, thinly sliced red onions, cilantro, slices of avocado, chopped red pepper, crispy bacon and strips of roasted poblanos.  With my husband being part of my test kitchen (just the two of us, ha, ha), I narrowed it down to two different quesadillas with ingredients that are easily available in San Miguel and pretty simple for the cooking class to make; Quesadillas de Tocino y Flor de Jamaica (bacon & Jamaica flowers) and Quesadillas de Cebolla rojo y mango (red onion & mango).  Of course there are other ingredients and cheeses that go in both.  At a later date, I will post some of my quesadilla recipes.

Below is a sneak preview of one of my other recipes that I am including in my upcoming cooking class.  Luckily watermelon is available year round and it is such a refreshing salad.

WATERMELON  & ARUGULA  SALAD

     6 cups 3/4" cubed seeded watermelon
               *Place cubes in a colander to drain for a few minutes
     1 cup crumbled feta cheese or queso frescho
   ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
     2 cups (packed) baby arugula
1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted (optional)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup olive oil
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
   ½ teaspoon salt
  1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together olive oil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl: pour over salad and toss well to combine.

Prep work can be done hours in advance but do not assemble until ready to serve.

It will be a fun cooking class. And don't worry, the first order of the day will be making a big batch of margaritas!  Buen Provecho!