Destino San Miguel de Allende, 14 de Octubre de 2009

When Susan and Michael announced their engagement, I knew they'd plan a truly special and gorgeous wedding. And sure enough, in mid-October 2009, family and friends flew from various cities in the United States to León, México, and then traveled by car to the beautiful and historic town of San Miguel de Allende, the nuptials destination.
The drive through the rugged countryside was exciting -- there was no doubt that we were in a land with different flora and culture than at home. We admired many colorful buildings, tree-sized cactus, cattle, open markets, and bright flowers along the way.
Click image for more photos of our trip.
Arriving in San Miguel, immediately we noticed the narrow, cobblestone streets, tight turns, and necessary yielding of cars at intersections, but our driver smoothly navigated the streets until we arrived at our bed and breakfast destination, Casa Luna Quebrada.
Casa Luna's courtyards are tranquil and lovely, filled with gorgeous plants and trickling fountains. The rooms are all unique, decorated with many different elements of Mexican culture, including hand painted tiles, embroidered clothing, stained glass, and unique art. We felt at home immediately and were made quite welcome by the friendly staff and manager.
Family and friends arrived over Wednesday and Thursday, and Susan and Michael met us all immediately on our arrival. A quick tour of the bed and breakfast, and then our group headed out to explore San Miguel.
We discovered immediately that the cobblestone streets were tough on people without good walking shoes and with bad knees! I was thankful for my Keens and my love of hiking.
"Bullheaded"
Bouganvillea
The many shops along los calles kept luring us in, but Susan kept us on the path to lunch and the Mercado. We all enjoyed tortilla soup and delicously fresh guacamole, except Daddy, who feasted on a huge plate of enchiladas. ¡Comida muy excelente!
Wonderful art was everywhere. This vibrant armadillo spoke to me.
That first night we also enjoyed margaritas on the balcony of Casa Luna. My compliments to Fernando -- the margaritas were fantastic.
15 de Octubre de 2009
Susan and Michael had a well-planned itinerary for the wedding guests. The remaining travelers would arrive throughout the day on Thursday, so during the day those already in town enjoyed a delicious breakfast and then headed out to shop and explore the city.
While we walked along one of the main streets, the local circus drove through town. Presumably this is a regular event. Even though I hate seeing wild animals stuck in cages, the kid in me watched in awe of the beauty of the animals. I could have reached out to touch a tiger paw, but as Albert got 'et by a lion, I didn't care to be tiger food. Some of the tigers were restless in the cages -- others relaxed on their backs. There were numerous other animals in cages shaped to fit them.
By evening, everyone had arrived in San Miguel, and we headed to Casa Luna's sister location, Casa Luna Pila Seca to enjoy good food, beautiful plants, and scenic views at the Welcome Reception.
Afterward, we took a tour of the bed and breakfast, again appreciative of the unique decor in each room.
16 de Octubre de 2009
After another delicious and filling breakfast at Casa Luna, we joined our guide Leandro Delgado for a walking tour of a few of the historic landmarks of San Miguel de Allende. For details and photos of the Parroquia and other elements of San Miguel history, please click the San Miguel de Allende link at the top of the page.
We followed the tour with more shopping, of course, and lunch. I ordered tortilla soup, tamales and flan, and to my surprise the tamales were wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks I see in the states. The flan was quite yummy.
In the afternoon, the wedding party snuck out to Rancho Casa Luna to rehearse the wedding. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. More on that on the wedding page!
In the evening we visited the hacienda of Chef Patsy Dubois, who taught our group how to make many delicious Mexican foods. Patsy's home was gorgeous -- the gigantic agaves and stunning flora really drew the eye. I'd give you more details of our evening beyond the fact that the food was very tasty, but I can't. At this point I was suffering from a terrible migraine, and I was whisked off by Dr. Heather to rest in a back bedroom during the cooking of the meal. I spent the rest of the trip loaded up on medicine from practically the whole wedding group to help me deal with my horrible onset of migraine, swollen eye, congestion, and cough. It's rather ironic that the one person who didn't bring medicine is the one who needed it most!
17 de Octubre de 2009, El Día
It was the day of the wedding, but our group still had more to see! After breakfast, the wedding guests traveled to two private homes and art galleries outside of San Miguel for tours. These were homes of Americans living in Mexico, but without a doubt they were impressive.
The architecture of the first home was as breath-taking and unique as the art inside.
Click image for more photos of our art home tours.
Shower with skylight wayyy up there. Fabulous.
The home was filled with art inside and out, with an additional studio in a separate building.
Creative architecture at its finest.
There were dogs all over the town of San Miguel, running loose along the roads in the countryside, and at the homes we visited. This puppy was my favorite, perhaps the cutest dog in the world next to Grover, with the most amazing markings.
The second home belonged to two artists who had decorated their home inside and out with mosaic art, often including self-portraits in their design. The art and gardens were very much like the whimsical styles found in Austin, and immediately I felt a kinship to these two artists.
17 de Octubre de 2009, La Noche
At last it was time for Susan and Michael's wedding!