~ wander.essence ~

the july cocktail hour: a trip to ometepe, nicaragua; a beach getaway to tamarindo; & homebody activities

wanderessence1025 August 3, 2025

Thursday, July 31, 2025: Welcome to our July cocktail hour. Let’s have some Flor de Caña 12-year-aged rum with Fresca, a drink easily made at home here in Costa Rica. We can congregate on the balcony and enjoy breezes and views of Lake Arenal. If you listen carefully, you can hear the grunting of the howler monkeys and you might even see a toucan fly clumsily by. You can visit our resident hummingbird, who has recently built a nest in a flower bush outside our kitchen window. You can even come along vicariously on our getaways to Ometepe, Nicaragua and to Tamarindo on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Sunset is at around 6:00 every night of the year; twilight brings with it lots of mosquitoes, so be sure to slather on the mosquito repellent.

I have a variety of soda, seltzer water, or bebida de aloe for those of you who don’t drink. Thanks for joining us in our escape into a peaceful corner of the world, not a place completely free from danger, but safe from certain things we cannot abide, like living in a police state under a fascist government.

July marked our second month in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It was in some ways a busy month and in other ways a laid-back, homebody-type month.

Our exercise & personal care routine

Three days of each week, we get up just after dawn (around 5:30), have breakfast and soon go to Monster Gym for our workouts. On Wednesdays we go to Living Forest for a yoga class. The remaining days of the week, we go on walks through hilly terrain, mostly to and around Tronadora or to the top of San Luis. Only once this month did I do an online Pilates class. Mike goes to swim in the cove near our house at least once a week.

I finally found a beauty salon where I got a pedicure and asked about hair straightening.

Dining out with a few musical interludes

We tried a lot of local restaurants during the month. At Soda La Macha, we found delicious tilapia and a pleasant setting. We went to Taco Tuesday at Lake Arenal Brewery where we danced to Jimmy Loop while playing handmade musical instruments. We ate out at Guadalupe, La Pradera, and Paseo del Viento (a food court near Monster Gym where Mike got a hamburger at 506 Snacks and I got a tostada cup filled with shrimp ceviche). We drove to Nuevo Arenal one evening for a nice dinner at Moya’s Place. We had ice cream treats at Pop’s in Tilaran. We enjoyed a lunch mid-walk at Soda Doña Chila’s in Tronadora. We had ceviche at Cevichera La Pasadita in San Luis. And finally, on Sunday the 27th, we went to hear Smooth Jazz on the Lake by Eureka at La Tortuga, on the north side of Lake Arenal.

Other events

We looked at and pretty much decided to rent a condo at Lake Arenal Condos for our second six months here. We went to a Blessing of the Boats at the cove.

A visit to the family in Ometepe, Nicaragua

We took a trip to Ometepe, Nicaragua to visit Adam and family for 6 nights in the middle of the month. It was stressful crossing the border with our car from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, but we managed to survive it and the ferry ride across to the island. We had a great visit with the family as the girls were out of school for the entire week plus Adam and Maria closed their business for the week so we could all spend time together. We saw Cristy, who was voted Queen of her school, march in a parade in Altagracia. We watched Andrea and Maria practice for a gymnastics competition coming up in Managua at their neighbor Manja’s gymnastics pavilion.

Mike and I took a chocolate tour at El Pital Chocolate Paradise and drank ceremonial doses of cacao. We walked on the beach most mornings and on the road to Santa Domingo two mornings. We swam in Lago Nicaragua and played at the beach with Adam, Maria and the kids. We ate meals with the family: takeout pizza from Pizzeria Mediterranea, lunch at Ojo de Agua, and dinner at Libélula (Dragonfly) Café and at Xalli. Mike and I ate on our own at Xalli, Cafe Campestre, El Pital, Bûstavö, and Pan de Mama. It was the best family time we’ve ever had in Nicaragua and we loved it all.

Soon after we returned to Costa Rica after our visit to Nicaragua, we heard that Andrea won the gold medal for her floor exercises at the gymnastics competition in Managua. We are so proud of her!

Tamarindo: a beach break

Finally, the last two days of July, we took a trip to Tamarindo, one of the most developed beaches, known for its surfing culture, on the Pacific beach. We hung out at the beach and at Langosta Beach Club, ate meals at Cha Cafe, Fish & Cheeses, Little Lucha and Kabuto Sushi, went shopping, and took an Estuary Boat Tour through Parque Nactional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste. It was hot, humid and sunny, quite a difference from our weather near Lake Arenal.

IsVeranillo here?

Apparently July to August is considered the “little high season” (also known as veranillo or “little summer”) with pleasant weather with minimal rain, moderate crowds and lower prices. We definitely lucked out in Ometepe with Veranillo, as we had near-perfect weather. In Costa Rica, it was a mixed bag.

Homebody stuff

I finished 3 books in July, bringing my total to 28/48. I especially enjoyed Speak, Silence by Kim Echlin. I learned a lot about the Panama Canal in the fictional The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez. We watched two movies: The Life List, which I enjoyed, and Nonnas, which was predictable and mediocre. We started watching a couple of new series: The Survivors and Letters from the Past (Gelecege Mektuplar). We finished watching Thank You, Next, The Secrets We Keep, Istanbul Encyclopedia, The Manny and Sara: Woman in the Shadows. We continued watching Younger, North of North, Seinfeld, Togetherness, Pernille, Tuiskoms and Severance.

On my Costa Rica blog, you can find my weekly recaps of our lives in Costa Rica:

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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the summer and the rest of this year.

How did your July go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any summer getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?

Please share your July with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.

the june cocktail hour: our first month in costa rica

wanderessence1025 June 30, 2025

Monday, June 30, 2025: Welcome to our June cocktail hour.Let’s have some tequila with Fresca, a drink easily made at home here in Costa Rica. We can congregate on the balcony and enjoy breezes and views of Lake Arenal and maybe we’ll even experience a cooling tormenta. Sunset is at around 6:00 every night of the year; twilight brings with it lots of mosquitoes, so be sure to slather on the mosquito repellent.

I have a variety of beers, soda or seltzer water for those of you who don’t drink. Thanks for joining us in our escape into a peaceful corner of the world, not a place completely free from danger, but safe from certain things we cannot abide, like living in a police state.

June marked our first month in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We spent the first couple of weeks settling into the rental house on Lake Arenal that we got through Airbnb. The house has a modern addition, but the original house is old and rather decrepit. The kitchen is certainly not well-stocked, so we had to spend quite some time and money getting it up to par. I hope to get our “settling in” over with as soon as possible so we can spend our time relaxing and exploring not only local spots but areas further afield.

our Airbnb in Buena Vista near San Luis, Costa Rica

Our house on Lake Arenal

our Airbnb in Buena Vista near San Luis, Costa Rica

me on our balcony

the view from our balcony

Mike on our balcony

me on our balcony

me in our front yard, communing with the tropical greenery

the pool in our community

sunset on the lake

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Mike carries on with consulting & I begin a new blog

Mike has officially retired, but he is not willing to let it all go; he is still doing consulting here and there. Luckily it doesn’t take up big chunks of our days. For my part, I’ve started a new blog which you can find here:

a pura vida year in costa rica

I still need to have some kind of project to keep me occupied and out of trouble. 🙂

A new used car: 2014 Mitsubishi ASX

The day after we moved into our house, on June 2, we bought a red 2014 Mitsubishi ASX from an expat American, Rand, who lives in the community. He had bought the car for his girlfriend Raquel. Since they broke up, he wanted to sell it. Though the car is 11 years old, it only has 40,000 miles on it and we hope we’ll be able to sell it when we leave the country next year. It has a stick shift, which Mike quickly got used to. It took me a while before I was brave enough to try it. With all the hilly roads here AND the fact that I hadn’t driven a stick shift probably since the 1980s, I was a bit nervous about it and knew I needed a straight and flat stretch to practice on.

I finally practiced driving the car on June 16 in nice flat Tronadora. It’s funny how some repetitive actions like riding a bike or driving a stick can come back to you like a familiar old friend. My driving lesson through Tronadora went smoothly. Regained confidence! 🤩🥳

our 2014 Mitsubishi ASX

My first day driving the stick shift

Shopping for big stuff in Liberia

Our neighbor Bruce, who is super friendly, hilarious and helpful, had us follow him to Liberia on our first Thursday, where we spent all day shopping for household items at PriceSmart (like Costco in the U.S.) and Walmart. He also took us to his favorite fish market, Panamar Seafood. We spent a small fortune on food and household items. Our biggest purchases were sturdy plastic tables to serve as computer desks, two giant floor fans, a rice cooker and a blender. We’ll of course take them with us when we move to another place in December, and when we leave Costa Rica next May, I hope we can take them to Adam in Nicaragua.

Monster Gym and exercise options

We got busy immediately scoping out our exercise options. I’m hoping to lose weight while I’m here. We found a couple of hilly walking routes in San Luis and Tonadora. We also joined Monster Gym in Tilaran, run by Diego. Mike rides the exercise bike there while I do the weight machines. I have never enjoyed going to the gym in Virginia, but this place seems to work well for me. We got a month-long membership for $40 each, quite expensive in my eyes. We’ve been going three times a week since we joined on June 9.

We also tried out Yoga with Adrien and Pilates with Sherry on YouTube. I don’t know Adrien, but I’ve taken pilates classes with Sherry at Oakmont Rec Center near my home in Oakton, VA. Now that Mike’s leg has healed, he started swimming in the cove of Lake Arenal near our house. We also hope to try some kayaking there and Mike wants to try paddle boarding, but I’m not sure about my ability to keep my balance. Of course, when we explore further afield in Costa Rica, we’ll do some hiking as well. During our last week, we also found a place to do yoga; I’ll tell more about that later.

Tilarán & Tronadora

We’ve checked out spots in Tilarán, mostly supermarkets and hardware stores, but also eateries. We’ve also explored the town of Tronadora, the tidiest little town imaginable. Residents keep their homes and lawns perfectly manicured. You can tell the townspeople have great pride in their town. Besides walking there, we found a carnicería run by Rigo (Rigoberto) where we bought bacon 🥓, chicken, fish, chorizo, & frozen shrimp 🍤. He threw in the most delicious sweet pineapple for free and even cut it for us. We found a small vegetable market, where we stocked up on veggies, and Soda Doña Chila, a breakfast and lunch restaurant. A “soda” in Costa Rica is a small, often family-owned restaurant that specializes in comida tipica, or traditional Costa Rican food. A soda feels like an extension of a Tico home, where recipes are passed down through generations.

church in Tronadora

mural in Tronadora

Mike in Tronadora

Soda Doña Chila in Tronadora

Tronadora

Exploring local cuisine

During the month, we visited Brisas del Lago, Lake Arenal Brewery, Mary’s Restaurante with our friend Bruce, Café & Macadamia, Mystica, Beer Garden Tinajas, and Chicharronera on Peninsula 1 in Tronadora. We went out to eat at the most upscale spot around, Gingerbread in Nuevo Arenal, owned by an Israeli man who has lived in Costa Rica for 23 years. We also cooked in quite a a lot. Our favorite creation so far has been the chorizo, potato and green bean soup we made from the chorizo we got from Rigo in Tronadora. One Saturday night we tried a place just up the road from us in San Luis, Cevichera La Pasadita. I enjoyed a ceviche de camarón, while Mike had Costilla Cerdo BBQ.

me at Brisas del Lago

Chorizo, potato & green bean soup made by us

Mike at Lake Arenal Brewery

Lake Arenal Brewery

Café & Macadamia

me at Beer Garden Tinajas

Beer Garden Tinajas

Mike & Bruce at Mary’s

Mike at Chicharronera on Peninsula 1

Mike ane me at Chicharronera

Mike on Father’s Day at Gingerbread

Gingerbread

me at Gingerbread

me at Cevichera La Pasadita

Mike at Cevichera La Pasadita

Costilla Cerdo BBQ at Cevichera La Pasadita

Local drives

We took a drive up to a cross on a hill, called Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento, to see views of Tilaran and the countryside thereabouts. We also visited the towns of Aguacate and Nuevo Arenal.

drive up to Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento

old bull ring in Tilaran seen from Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento

Tilaran seen from Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento

Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento

view of countryside around Tilaran from Cerro Tovar, Parque del Viento

pretty yellow church in Aguacate

Peninsula 1 in Tronadora

We walked one Tuesday down and back on Peninsula 1, a beautiful peninsula on the other side of the cove from us. The green rooftops shown in some of the pictures are those in our complex, across the cove. I could live on Peninsula 1. It has great views and, being on a ridge, gets strong breezes off Lake Arenal. The white house at the end of the peninsula, shown in the photo below, houses a group of Germans who wear white everywhere and paint the local bus stops with colorful religious-themed murals. We passed them bicycling and walking on Peninsula 1 and they didn’t even meet our eyes or greet us in any way.

After our walk we stopped at Soda Doña Chila for fruit juices and an empañada for Mike.

cows on Peninsula 1

Peninsula 1: our complex are the green roofs across the cove

the white house at the end of Peninsula 1, occupied by the German group

cool trees on Peninsula 1

view from Peninsula 1

Mike at Soda Doña Chila in Tronadora

Two nights in Playa Hermosa

We took a 2-night break from the rains inundating Lake Arenal to visit Playa Hermosa, only about a 1 1/2-hour drive from our house. We were taking a gamble as it’s rainy season everywhere in Costa Rica, but we mostly lucked out with the weather. We stayed at the same hotel, Hotel el Velero, where we stayed in 2023 when we came here with our son Alex.

After lunch at Café & Macadamia near the Liberia Airport, we arrived at Hotel el Velero and promptly headed out to the beach. The day was beautiful, sunny & breezy and we enjoyed swimming, reading, and relaxing, topped off with drinks at the 3:30 happy hour. I made substantial progress on a book I’ve been reading sporadically for quite some time, Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonian Express. Though written in 1979 (46 years ago), there are still many pertinent observations by the author about Central and South America. In the evening, we enjoyed sunset at the beach.

Playa Hermosa

me at Playa Hermosa

Mike at Playa Hermosa

sunset at Playa Hermosa

Mike at Playa Hermosa

Mike at sunset at Hotel el Velero

character at Hotel el Velero

After sunset, we went to Ginger, the same Asian-inspired tapas restaurant where we went in 2023 with Alex. We enjoyed talking to fellow American travelers seated on either side of us. We enjoyed glasses of Prosecco and the food was delectable (we shared firecracker shrimp, Ahi Tuna Tostadas, and Cremini and Pepper Jack Flatbread), the night breezy and comfortable, the ambiance great, and the company fabulous. And we topped it off by sharing a lava cake with ice cream.

Ginger

firecracker shrimp at Ginger

Mike at Ginger

me at Ginger

We enjoyed breakfast at Hotel El Velero Thursday morning. At breakfast we met a super interesting couple from Canada. The woman, Dana, works at the Canadian embassy in San Jose and her husband John is a prominent journalist originally from Scotland but who covers Canadian politics for Canadian media. After breakfast, we walked from one end of Playa Hermosa to the other. It was a beautiful morning!

Playa Hermosa

me at Playa Hermosa

Mike at Playa Hermosa

bird at Playa Hermosa

Playa Hermosa

pool at Hotel el Velero

We drove to Playas del Coco for a lunch of avocado toast with mushrooms and a beef burrito.

Café Corazon

avocado & mushroom toast at Café Corazon

beef burrito at Café Corazon

Playas del Coco

We enjoyed dinner our last night at Hacienda Blu Beach Lounge & Grill near Playa Panama. I got eaten alive by mosquitoes but otherwise, the food, staff, and ambiance were fabulous. We shared Chipotle Mussels with ciabatta bread, Tico rolls & Leche frita con helado. Yum! It was our last night at Playa Hermosa before returning to Lake Arenal.

Hacienda Blu Beach Lounge & Grill

Tico Roll at Hacienda Blu Beach Lounge & Grill

Chipotle Mussels at Hacienda Blu Beach Lounge & Grill

Leche frita con helado

me at Hacienda Blu Beach Lounge & Grill

Mike at Hotel el Velero

me at Hotel el Velero

Our last morning at Playa Hermosa, we took an early walk on the beach at low tide then enjoyed our last breakfast at Hotel el Velero.

Playa Hermosa

breakfast at Hotel el Velero

me at Hotel el Velero

Errands in Liberia

On our way home, we stopped in Liberia for a couple of errands. We had dreaded going to the Registro de la Propiedad to get a Permiso de Salida to take our car out of Costa Rica into Nicaragua. We had heard we would encounter long lines and that the Permiso lasted for 90 days, meaning we would have to repeat this process 4x over the year. We were pleasantly surprised to find no line at all, an English-speaking agent, and assurance that all our car documents were in order. We also were happy to learn the Permiso lasts for 6 months, meaning we only have to repeat the process once.

Our other errand was to go to Walmart. I hate shopping at Walmart and am supposed to be boycotting it as they support our feckless & despicable president and the Republicans who enable him. However we needed to get an air fryer as we have no oven in our house. We also wanted to get new bedding as the sheets and comforter provided by the Airbnb owners are cheap, ugly, old and made of polyester. There were also food items we wanted that we couldn’t find in Tilaran.

We got all that taken care of in Liberia and drove home in about an hour 15 minutes.

Once we get to Cañas, we drive on two-lane mountain roads to San Luis. It seems every time on these roads we get stuck behind trucks or buses plodding along and belching black smoke! I thought Costa Rica was supposed to be focused on the environment. Why are these horrible vehicles allowed to drive with all these polluting fumes bursting from them? I guess they don’t have to pass emissions inspections here.

Back home in Buena Vista

Once we returned home, we had rain for the rest of the afternoon. At least we enjoyed two sunny days at the beach!

Saturday the 21st, we woke up to pouring rain after a night where it rained nonstop. Finally we found a break in the rain and took a walk uphill through San Luis and then down to a gully where the road to Tronadora is on the verge of washing away. This is the only paved road that connects Tronadora to San Luis (where we live) and Tilaran. With all the rain we’re having, I hope the road doesn’t totally wash away before they get to the repairs.

on the way to Tronadora

a gated villa with a tree-lined drive near our house

beautiful green pasture near our house

Meanwhile, back in the homeland …

I’m happy to be in a country, unlike the U.S., that has no standing army. After the Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, it was permanently abolished in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. It’s a country that values green energy, biodiversity, and ethnic diversity. Sadly, it’s still not the safest country in the world, but then neither is the U.S. these days. The United States (currently the “Divided States”) now has too much rancor, hatred, and racism, encouraged by our utter despicable leadership. Violence is increasingly being not only condoned but actually perpetrated by our government. Democratic lawmakers are being arrested or assassinated for their political beliefs, for god’s sake! People are being disappeared off the streets by masked men who don’t present identification. I will not miss my home country under its current fascist regime. I expect it to get a LOT worse before it gets better, if it EVER does.

Saturday afternoon, we were appalled to find out that Trump bombed several nuclear sites in Iran. He did so without Congressional approval. I don’t know what his end game is, or what the consequences of this action will be, but I’m sure nothing good will come of it. I personally believe his action is a kind of wag-the-dog situation: creating a diversion from damaging issues, usually through military force. The damaging issues include his many losses in courts, his poorly attended birthday military parade and the 5 million people who took to the streets on that same day – “No Kings Day” – to protest him and his administration, the high disapproval toward his “big beautiful bill,” and his sinking poll numbers. I also think he likes to appear the strongman (aka bully) to the rest of the world. He is the most despicable human our country has ever elected and I blame the 77 million assholes who voted for this. Once again, the U.S. is jumping into another forever war, despite the promises by that idiot that there would be no wars under him. And he thinks he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. What a joke! If he ever got it, that award would become meaningless forever.

Another walk to Tronadora

Sunday morning, Mike and I went for another walk in Tronadora; this is my favorite of our walks. However, we are leery about the nearly-washed away road to Tronadora, so we will probably wait a while to return there for further walks or errands. As it’s my favorite little town, I hope the construction crews will repair the road soon.

Tronadora town park

I spent the rest of Sunday working on my blog, catching up on my journal, and watching an episode of My Friends & Family that I missed one night when I fell asleep. Mike and I also played a game of online Scrabble, and I am happy to say I won: 335-284. I so rarely win games against Mike that I’m happy to claim victory when I can.

Expanding our local connections

Our last week in June, we stayed close to home, deepening our connections to our local community. We took our first cash out of an ATM, found a barber for Mike, found La Casa del Plastica (a store that sells plastic goods), ate tacos and listened to live music on Taco Tuesday at Lake Arenal Brewery, attended our first yoga session at Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center, found a farm where yogurt is sold, went to Nuevo Arenal where we ate at the German Bakery and checked out a Farmacia Organica, and enjoyed the pool.

We took several nice walks, one from our house to Tronadora and back, about 4 hilly miles round-trip. We are still in the midst of the ongoing drama regarding the road to Tronadora. It doesn’t look like much work is going on there yet, and even the people directing traffic seemed to be lackadaisical in their duties. We walked across but no longer trust driving across, even though buses and trucks go across continually. One of these days, if they don’t get it fixed soon, I fear the whole road will collapse.

Mike has his first haircut in Costa Rica

Olsen del Torro at Lake Arenal Brewery on Taco Tuesday

Mike at Taco Tuesday at Lake Arenal Brewery

Taco Tuesday at Lake Arenal Brewery

bathroom mural at Lake Arenal Brewery

Lake Arenal Brewery

Drive to Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

Yoga studio at Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

sauna at Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

Mike at Living Forest Lodge & Retreat Center

Mike at Tisú Farm

the roadwork on the road to Tronadora

bus stop mural on the way to Tronadora

bus stop mural

Tronadora town park

horse we found on the way to Tronadora

German Bakery

Mike at the German Bakery

Me at the German Bakery

German Bakery

Farmacia Organica in Nuevo Arenal

the ongoing drama of the road to Tronadora

beautiful Sunday view

We had a rare sunny day on Friday. We stopped on the way to the gym where we had a view of Volcán Tenorio popping through the clouds. After our workout we also took a short road up a gravel road where we found amazing views and a couple of beautiful houses.

view of Volcán Tenorio from the Mirador Tilaran on a rare sunny day

At the end of June, we began to look at condos for our December-May time frame. We found some good possibilities but are not ready to make a decision yet.

In August, after we go visit Adam in Nicaragua in July, we’ll make some trips to places further afield where we haven’t been before.

A month of the rainy season. Veranillo soon to come.

Since it’s rainy season from mid-May to November, we get to experience thunderstorms or steady rain, especially in the afternoons and evenings. The storms bring in cool breezes which we love; the rain keeps the house cool and comfortable. Apparently July to August is considered the “little high season” (also known as veranillo or “little summer”) with pleasant weather with minimal rain, moderate crowds and lower prices. The rainiest month is said to be October. I wonder how it will be in the dry season from December-April. Of course by then we’ll be in a different house, so I have no idea what to expect.

Homebody stuff

I finished 2 books in June, bringing my total to 25/48. I enjoyed both: The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux and The Confessions of Frances Godwin by Robert Hellenga. We watched two good movies: The Wrong Track (På Villspor) and the 2022 movie, What’s Love got to do with it? We started watching several series: Togetherness, Pernille (Pørni), The Secrets We Keep, and Sara: Woman in the Shadows. We finished watching Four Seasons, Bad Sisters, and Your Friends & Neighbors. We continued watching Istanbul Encyclopedia, Younger, North of North, The Manny, and Severance.

On my Costa Rica blog, you can find my weekly recaps of our lives in Costa Rica:

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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the summer and the rest of this year.

How did your June go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any summer getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?

Please share your June with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.

a pura vida year in costa rica

wanderessence1025 June 12, 2025

Thursday, June 12, 2025: I’ve started a new blog about our year living abroad in Costa Rica. If you’d like to follow me there, check it out here:

a pura vida year in costa rica

Some of my first posts follow:

I haven’t started a new blog in a long time, so please be patient as I work out the kinks on the site! I’ll still be posting my monthly cocktail hours on this blog, as well as my year-end recaps. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll post our trips to Panama, Guatemala and Belize on this blog or the new one.

Our house on Lake Arenal

the cove & boat dock

Mike in Tronadora

church in Tronadora

mural in Tronadora

me on our balcony

Mike at Lake Arenal Brewery

Lake Arenal Brewery

pretty yellow church in Aguacate

me at Beer Garden Tinajas

Beer Garden Tinajas

rainbow seen over Lake Arenal from Nuevo Arenal

I hope you’ll come along on Mike’s and my first “living abroad experience” together. (I lived and worked abroad on my own in South Korea, Oman, China and Japan).

the may cocktail hour: final wrap up, a wedding & leaving for costa rica

wanderessence1025 June 2, 2025

Saturday, May 31, 2025: Welcome to our May cocktail hour. May was another busy month for us as we wrapped up our U.S. business and flew out to Costa Rica.

Let’s have some margaritas, in some new margarita glasses I got.

margarita time

I also have a variety of beers, soda or seltzer water for those of you who are calm enough to survive the next four years without angst, anxiety or alcohol.

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Mike finally went to hourly at his job on May 1. He officially retired as of May 30, and may only do some consulting here and there in the future. This meant we had to convert our insurance to Medicare + supplemental health insurance; I was surprised it went rather seamlessly, until it didn’t. We’re still in process of sorting out the switchover.

We both had to squeeze in a lot of doctor’s appointments before we left the country for Costa Rica. I went for a physical & PAP, a mammogram & dexascan, and a dermatology visit.

Mike worked on figuring out our car situation in Costa Rica and we finally arranged to buy a 2014 Mitsubishi ASX that an expat American who lives in the compound where we’ll stay was trying to sell. He had bought the car for his girlfriend and they broke up, so he wanted to sell it. Though it’s old, it only has 40,000 miles on it and we hope we’ll be able to sell it when we leave the country next year.

I finally found a couple of decent teachers at Beloved Yoga so I could use up most of my remaining passes before we left.

We continued to work on decluttering our house, giving a lot of junk to Purple Heart. Mike managed to sell Adam’s almost-new massage table on Facebook Marketplace, as well as a huge antique sideboard we’d had in our garage for at least the last 10 years!

We went to a new restaurant at Reston Town Center, Se7en, with our friends Karen and Michael. Though there was absolutely no ambiance and the food was expensive, we still had a good time laughing our heads off. Karen and I always get dirty martinis when we meet, so those guarantee a good time.

me in front of Se7en

dinner at Se7en

Mike, me, Michael & Karen at Se7en

We didn’t do anything to celebrate Cinco de May or the National Day of Prayer. On that day, May 6, Mike was climbing out of the pool and slipped and gashed his leg open on a hook that connects the pool lane lines to the side of the pool. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he had to have 26 stitches. That also meant he couldn’t swim for the rest of the month; neither could he bike outdoors. He was very disappointed because we don’t know if he’ll be able to bike or swim much in Costa Rica.

Mike and his 26 stitches on his leg on May 6

Mike gets his stitches out and the wound glued on May 23

azaleas

On that same day, our contractor José, who redid our bathrooms last year, installed recessed lights in nearly every room in our house, an expensive endeavor.

On May 7, we went to the DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) to apply for our “Real IDs,” which require more documentation than a driver’s license. It’s always a hassle to go to DMV and it didn’t help that the deadline to have the Real ID in order to fly domestically was May 7, which meant for long lines at DMV. Of course, we have our passports and can fly with those, but we figured we should get our Real ID as an additional document. Those arrived on Friday, May 16.

A new pope was chosen on May 7. He’s the first American pope and he’s from Chicago. Apparently he cares about the poor, which is more than I can say about our government. I’m not sure how progressive he is on other issues.

On Mother’s Day, Mike, his sister Barbara and I went to Lebanese Taverna in Arlington to celebrate. We hadn’t seen Barbara, even though she lives locally, since just after Christmas.

Mike and me at Lebanese Taverna

mezzo at Lebanese Taverna

Barbara at Lebanese Taverna

me at Lebanese Taverna

Sarah started her new job at a Richmond law firm on May 5. Adam and Maria celebrated their 2nd anniversary on May 13, little Mikey celebrated his 1 year birthday on May 15, and Alex and Jandira celebrated their 2nd anniversary on May 18.

Our garage door was making an ungodly noise, so we needed to have some repairs done to that. Academy Garage Doors did those repairs on May 13.

Mike’s high school and college friend, also a Mike, came to visit and stay overnight on Wednesday, May 14. We made some bison burgers and had drinks on the screened porch. The two Mikes went out for lunch and beers and camaraderie.

the two Mikes

Mike and I went out to Tiki Thai on May 17, where I enjoyed Chili Softshell Crab with Chu Chee Curry, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, red chili, and steamed pumpkin. Mike had Braised Beef Massaman: beef with coconut milk, onions, potatoes, carrots, roasted peanuts, and curry egg fried rice. It was all yummy. I hadn’t had soft-shelled crabs for years!

me at Tiki Thai

Tiki Thai

Chili Softshell Crab with Chu Chee Curry at Tiki Thai

Braised Beef Massaman at Tiki Thai

It suddenly turned cold on the week of May 19, with temperatures in the low 60s and rainy days. Alex, Jandira and Allie flew up here on Friday afternoon, May 23, so that they could go to their friends Edwin and Louisa’s wedding on Saturday the 24th. We all went to a pre-wedding BBQ at Louisa’s parents’ house on Friday night, and though Mike and I were invited to the wedding, we opted to stay home and babysit Allie. It was nice to have the family around for Memorial Day weekend, although the weather wasn’t great. The family returned to Atlanta to begin packing up for their move into our house while we live in Costa Rica.

Allie and me

Mike, Allie & Alex

Mike, Allie and me

Allie & the peonies

Dido and Allie at Louisa & Edwin’s BBQ rehearsal dinner

Allie with pick-up sticks

Louisa & Edwin, the bride and groom to be

Edwin, Louisa & her brother Nick

Alex and Nick – fast friends

Jandira & Alex

Alex carries Allie

Alex and Jandira went to the wedding on Saturday the 24th, and Mike and I babysat Allie.

Alex & Jandira on the way to the wedding

Alex & Jandira decked out for the wedding

Allie

Allie & me

Allie

Allie & Dido

Allie

Charlie & Allie

Allie

Jandira and Alex at the wedding

Old Farm Winery at Hartland in Aldie, VA

Nick and Alex

Jandira at the wedding

Alex and Jandira at the wedding

The family stayed with us until Wednesday the 28th, at which time, they returned home to begin packing to move up to Virginia. It was great having some more time to spend with the family before we took off for Costa Rica.

Jandira & Allie

Allie with her new orange boots

Jandira, Serena, Cindy, Alex and Allie

We took off for Costa Rica on the last day of May, flying via American Airlines from Reagan National Airport to Miami and then on to Liberia, Costa Rica.

You can see me at the airport just before 6 a.m. after waking up at 2:30 am. We had a huge suitcase each (these were big ones I used for my year-long stints in Korea, Oman, China & Japan) and a carry on. Together we brought 20 books, as we’ll have lots of time to read. Why not Kindle books, you ask? Because I own a ton of books and I’m not going to buy them again. I’ll leave them behind in CR. And I love to read. But of course our bags were overweight. Mine was 6 lbs over and Mike’s 1 lb over, so we either had to dish out an extra $100 or rearrange our bags. Luckily they let mine go through at 52.5 lb after a rushed reshuffling on the floor of the airport. 🤣🤣😂🤣

Flying into and out of Miami we had some of the roughest turbulence I’ve ever experienced because of stormy weather. On the flight, I continued to plod through a book I brought that I had halfway finished, The Floating World. It was bad, but I was determined to finish it despite the suffering it inflicted. We nibbled on dry ginger cookies and an orange juice. It’s depressing what airplane travel has come to these days.

Our flight to Costa Rica was delayed and we arrived later than expected in Liberia, not only because of the original delay but because we had to circle the airport for 20 minutes. A thunderstorm was unleashing its fury over the airport.

Both of our old large suitcases which we haven’t used in forever began to fail after we landed in CR. 😂 My handle was jammed and couldn’t be pulled up and Mike’s wheels started disintegrating as we walked through customs into the taxi. People in line were laughing at the pieces of Mike’s wheels that were falling in their path.

We left the airport in pouring rain with taxi driver Dagoberto. Mike loves to practice his Spanish talking about fútbol with drivers.

me at Reagan National at 5:30 a.m.

me on the plane to Miami

flying into Miami

Mike on the plane

We spent our first night in Cañas at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica. We walked the long distance from our “Junior Suite” to the dining area and ordered beers. We also got appetizers: grilled hearts of palm with plantains and tomatoes and Aztec soup. We nursed our drinks and appetizers while watching the tilapia in the fish pond, but we couldn’t make it to our 6:00 dinner reservation. We’d arrived at 4:30 (6:30 EST). We always eat too much, and our plan was to have the two appetizers and then a meal to share but we felt full after the appetizers so we called it quits. This is highly unlike us as we love to eat, but Mike needs to cut out sweets and I would definitely like to turn over a new leaf with my eating and try to eat more healthily and mindfully. I would love to lose at least 10 lbs. We will see if I can do that!

Mike at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

me on Puenta Real at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

me at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

Aztec soup

grilled hearts of palm

Mike sips tequila

statues on the grounds at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

pool at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

pool atHotel Hacienda La Pacifica

lifesaving equipment at Hotel Hacienda La Pacifica

lizard atHotel Hacienda La Pacifica

*********

I finished 8 books in May, bringing my total to 23/48 for the year, with my favorites being Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, The Summer House by Philip Teir, and Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue. I also read On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, which basically outlines twenty lessons learned from 1930s Germany and Stalin’s Russia, and draws parallels with what is happening in the U.S. now. We saw two movies, Conclave, which was appropriate since Pope Francis died and the conclave picked a new pope during May, and Revolutionary Road, based on the book I read this month. We started watching several series: The Four Seasons, Istanbul Encyclopedia, & W1A. We continued watching The Split, Younger, Dying for Sex, The West Wing, Long Bright River, Your Friends & Neighbors, Severance & Unforgotten.

Here are a few random pictures of our grandchildren from afar. Little Mike looks just like Adam did when he was a baby.

Allie at the pool in Atlanta

little Mikey in Nicaragua

Adam at about 10 months at Halloween in 1993

*********

I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the spring and the rest of this year.

How did your May go? Did you have a happy Mother’s Day or Memorial Day celebration? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any spring getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?

moving to costa rica for a year

wanderessence1025 May 31, 2025

Wednesday, May 28, 2025: We are moving to Costa Rica for a year. The primary reason for our choice to live in Costa Rica is to visit our youngest son Adam and his Nicaraguan family at least 4-5 times over the year (June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026). They live on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua, just over the Costa Rican border. From where we’ll be staying on Lake Arenal, it will be about a 4 1/2 hour trip one way by car to Ometepe. That of course is assuming a smooth and fast border crossing and the ability to get a car on the ferry to Ometepe in a timely manner.

We have rented a house in a gated community near Tronadora on Lake Arenal for the six-month period from June 1-November 30. We have an option to extend the lease to March 15, 2026. We can then opt to rent somewhere else in Costa Rica, or possibly stay in the home’s casita for the time when the owners are visiting the house. We wanted to see how we liked it before deciding to stay until March 15.

Tronadora to Balgüe, Ometepe, Nicaragua

Tronadora on Lake Arenal

I had told Mike before the election that if the worst president on earth was elected, that I would absolutely want to live outside the country for at least 75% of his four-year term.In other words, we’re boycotting the U.S.A. It became immediately clear that billionaires would be corruptly lining their pockets and that a massive wealth transfer would take place from the poor and middle class to the upper 1%. I became determined that I would not stay in this country to pad those greedy bastards’ pockets. Also, all it takes is reading the book On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder to see that this country is headed to autocracy. That is the main factor that nudged us to make the move now.

The deadline we gave ourselves to move finally pushed Mike to retire. He’s 71, so his retirement has been long-promised and much delayed. As of May 1, he went on an hourly schedule (as needed) and as of May 30, he’ll be officially retired. He has arranged to be able to do some consulting with his company from Costa Rica, but it will be a small amount of time.

We have a general plan of where to move after our first year abroad, but as that may change, I won’t reveal full details now. All I know is that I hope it will involve at least some time in Europe and then a possible permanent move to Mexico or a part-time home in Greece or Spain. I definitely don’t have any plans to travel within the U.S. in the next four years. If our government continues down the path of outright fascism, I hope to sell our house and never return here to live.

It is Mike’s choice to live our first year abroad in Costa Rica, which adjoins the southern border of Nicaragua. I’m personally not that thrilled about it as heat and humidity are not things I enjoy; neither are bugs, poisonous snakes, bullet ants, and other unpredictable wildlife. Costa Rica is a different ballgame altogether with all of its adventure sports and active volcanoes. It is also one of the more developed of the Central American countries, and in some ways it seems rather Americanized. The sovereign state is a presidential republic. It has a long-standing and stable constitutional democracy and a highly educated workforce.

Costa Rican Colones

According to Wikipedia: Costa Rica: The country performs well in comparisons of democratic governance, press freedom, subjective happiness and sustainable well-being. It has the 36th freest press according to the 2025 Press Freedom Index (the U.S. is now 57th). With uninterrupted democracy dating back to at least 1948, the country is the region’s most stable. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4% (The U.S. spends 5.9%). Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. It is also a major tourist destination in the continent.

Costa Rica experiences a tropical climate year-round. There are two seasons. The dry season is December to April, and the rainy season is May to November. March and April are the hottest months in the country, while December and January are the coldest. However, there are rainy days in the dry season, as well as weeks without rain in the wet season.

Last time we went in January of 2023, we opted to try numerous adventure sports such as ziplining, tubing, and superman ziplining, as well as walks over hanging bridges and guided wildlife walks. I’m at the point in my life now where I don’t feel the need to do any more ziplining, but I’m still game for river tubing and hiking.

Superman zipline at Diamante

Playa Hermosa

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin

Mike ziplining at Hacienda Guachipelin

waterfall at Hacienda Guachipelin

Rio Celeste at Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio

Nacional Volcán Tenorio

Monteverde

San José

After having been there before, and especially after having fallen in love with the Tilaran area near Lake Arenal, I feel excited about the move. Of course seeing the Nicaraguan family is the main reason for the choice, and it will be wonderful to visit more often as the children continue to grow over the course of a year.

Lake Arenal

Mike at Lake Arenal Brewery

Lake Arenal

me at Lake Arenal Brewery

view from mountain in Tilaran

Mike, Carol and Carlos in Tilaran

view from mountain in Tilaran

In addition to visiting Adam and family numerous times, we plan to fly home for less than 2 weeks in early October for our granddaughter Allie’s second birthday. Other than that, I don’t intend to come home at all. Mike may consider coming home to help his sister clean out their parents’ house in Vienna in February or so.

In addition, we would like to visit Panama in the fall of 2025, and Guatemala and Belize in the spring of 2026. That will allow us to completely explore the remainder of Central America other than Honduras, which I have no desire to visit. Our plan is to return home on May 31, 2026 and then leave again within two months, hopefully to the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden. Our goal is to be home again in November and December of 2026, to vote in the midterm elections and to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with our adult children who are stateside. We hope to take off again for most of the entire year of 2027.

While we’re gone, our son Alex and his family will live in our house. Thus whenever we come home, we’ll be able to visit that family. If at some point they decide they no longer want to live here, we will consider selling our house.

We hope that both our daughter Sarah and Alex & family will come to visit us in Costa Rica. Of course, whenever we return home, we’ll make sure to see our daughter Sarah who now lives in Richmond.

Here are some posts about our previous trip to Costa Rica.

I may start a new blog about our year living in Costa Rica, so stay tuned for more information.

querétaro, mexico & a day trip to san sebastián bernal

wanderessence1025 May 21, 2025

Sunday, March 2, 2025: We were sad today to leave our apartment in San Miguel de Allende. We left and drove directly to Querétaro, our last stop for 3 nights before returning to the U.S. We were luckily able to check in directly to our hotel though it was a bit early for check-in. We stayed right in the historic district in Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique.

Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique

With only three days remaining in Mexico, I was dreading returning to the USA which has now joined the Axis of Evil and has become a puppet of Putin. Bizarrely, I had a surge of patriotism for Ukraine and I wished I were going to Ukraine. Mike’s father was Ukrainian-American. Even at 69, I would prefer to go to Ukraine and fight for them than to return to our despicable country under our traitorous schoolyard bully and his regime of thugs. For all the people that voted for this treasonous asshole, I wished they all would go to hell.

Templo y antiguo convento de San Antonio

As soon as we checked in, we headed out to explore the town.

Templo y antiguo convento de San Antonio (Temple and former Convent of San Antonio) was built in Querétaro between 1613 and 1678; this religious complex was inhabited by the Dieguinos in Querétaro. The temple and convent occupied what today are the Plaza San Antonio and the Corregidora Garden.

The Plaza was formerly the atrium and a cemetery, and the Garden was an orchard for the friars. Inside the temple you can still admire paintings depicting the miracles of St. Anthony of Padua, an image of the Sacred Heart, the frontispiece of an ancient pipe organ and the sacristy decorated with cherubs.

The atrium of San Antonio was a public market during the second half of the 19th century. In 1877 a small fountain was added and now the atrium is a little plaza.

Templo y antiguo convento de San Antonio

Plaza de la Corregidora

We continued our wanders, coming across the Plaza de la Corregidora with a monument to Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, who alerted the revolutionary hero Ignacio Pérez that the independence conspiracy had been discovered by Spanish royalists, prompting the start of the Mexican War of Independence. She was a Mexican female version of Paul Revere, if you will.

One street was blooming with quinceañera & first communion dresses.

Plaza de la Corregidora with a monument to Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

quinceañera & first communion dresses

Querétaro

Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

We made our way to the Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO) located in the former convent of San Agustín in Santiago de Querétaro.

The ex-Convent is one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Latin America, especially its cloister, which is the quadrangular interior courtyard. Both the convent and the adjacent church were built in the 18th century, between 1731 and 1745. Its baroque style is full of details that represent Augustinian theology and philosophy.

The Augustinians remained in the building until 1859. During the government of President Benito Juarez, the law of reform was enacted and the building became the property of the state. It was subsequently used as military barracks, the Federal Palace, the Post Office and the Finance Office.

In 1987, the building was declared a Cultural Heritage Site and the Art Museum was created under the joined management of the state and federal government. The building was restored and opened its doors on September 22, 1988.

The Lower Cloister represents the world, the temporary work of the militant church, the sacrifice of Christ, as well as the history, vocation and charisma of the Augustinian Order. Anthropomorphic figures refer to the three stages of human life and spiritual evolution of an individual: youth, maturity, and old age.

The fountain of the cloister is one of the principal elements. It represents Christ as source of eternal life.

The Upper Cloister represents the church and its ministers. Juvenile-looking anthropomorphic figures represent the priests praying and manifesting the mystery of Trinity. Pipes in their mouths vent rainwater which symbolically represent cleansing of sins with divine grace. Among them are animals and fantastic beings that represent the sins of man that stalk those who seek to devote themselves to contemplation and devotion. In the keystones, monks and nuns represent the duties of the monastic life.

The Sky represents the Kingdom of Heaven, the dwelling place of God.

Formal exhibition spaces are tucked behind the long arcades that surround the courtyard, as well other beautiful spaces in the museum: the upstairs hallways, the staircase, and the outdoor porticoes.

Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

Mike at Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

me at Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

We enjoyed works by Mexican sculptor and architect Pablo Fierro. As an artist, his work has focused on developing an alternative vision of sculpture, subverting its values: space, texture, and form. His work, transcending traditional frameworks of form and materiality, explores emptiness not as absence, but as the fullness of meaning. In his own work, he reflects: “Emptiness does not deny existence, it gives meaning to what we are and what remains to be.”

works by sculptor Pablo Fierro

Another exhibit we loved was “Moments Suspended in Time” by James Harvey, an American artist based in San Miguel de Allende and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. The artist attempts to express in a single glance the elusive, progressive and changing movement of bodies surrendered to the magic of music and dance. In this interesting exhibition he brings colors and strokes to his canvases, capturing and allowing, at the same time, the dynamism of the choreographic language, feelings, warmth and vitality.

“Moments Suspended in Time” by James Harvey

My favorite exhibit at the Museo de Arte de Querétaro was “Reimaginando el papel” or “Paper Reimagined” by Terry Ann Tomlinson. Explains Tomlinson: “Using ancient Japanese techniques and traditional natural Asian fibers, I make paper that has delicacy and strength, translucency and resilience. Through abstract imagery and minimal content, I explore the profound spiritual connection between all living things.”

As someone who is enamored of paper, as found bound in physical books and journals, I was fascinated by the many ways the artist expressed herself in the medium.

“Reimaginando el papel” by Terry Ann Tomlinson

We found a few odds and ends in another gallery.

Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

We walked back to our hotel where we rested a bit before dinner, passing by the Templo de San Francisco de Asís, one of Querétaro’s oldest and loveliest buildings. Construction on this church and the adjoining Franciscan convent began as early as the 1540s, though the temple wasn’t completed until the middle of the following century. The former monastery that adjoins the church is now home to the Museo Regional de Querétaro, which we planned to visit on Tuesday.

Templo de San Francisco de Asís in Querétaro

Querétaro

Bistrot Chez Julien

Sunday night, we stepped out a few doors down from our hotel to have dinner at Bistrot Chez Julien, another recommendation by Endre from Terra Vista in Guanajuato. We ordered dirty martinis, salmon mouse spread, and cheese fondue with bread cubes to the tune of “Mon Mec À Moi” by Chantal Chamberland. We were happy to have something different than Mexican food, although it was a lot of bread. Who can resist a pot of hot melted cheese though?

me in the hotel on the way to Bistrot Chez Julien

Bistrot Chez Julien

me in Bistrot Chez Julien

Mike in Bistrot Chez Julien

salmon mouse spread

chese fondue with bread cubes

Mike eating fondue in Bistrot Chez Julien

We strolled around the town after dinner and enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

Querétaro at night

Steps: 7,334; Miles 3.11. Weather Hi 88°, Lo 49°. Sunny.

Monday, March 3: Monday morning, breakfast was served on the hotel terrace: hot cakes for Mike & Chilaquiles with salsa verde for me.

We talked to an 80-year-old man named Craig from California who told us he had lived in Mexico for 10 years and said he was presently living in Casa Aspeytia Hotel. I was surprised: “You LIVE in the hotel?” He said yes, it worked out perfectly for him. He got a free breakfast every day and could talk to different people each morning. From the hotel, he could spend his days wandering around the historic city, eating lunch out, and either having a light dinner or eating dinner at the hotel restaurant. He said the hotel did his laundry too. I said, I’m surprised you wouldn’t want an apartment where you’d have a kitchen and a living area available. He said that would mean he’d live isolated in an apartment and wouldn’t have any social interactions like he did at the hotel. He seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement and planned to continue it into the foreseeable future.

breakfast at Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique

Chilaquiles with salsa verde

hot cakes at Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique

Soon after breakfast, we took off for San Sebastián Bernal.

San Sebastián Bernal & Peña de Bernal

Monday we drove about an hour northeast of Querétaro to visit San Sebastián Bernal and its famous Peña de Bernal. Mike decided to climb partway up one of the world’s largest monoliths at 335 meters. It is said only the Rock of Gibraltar and Río de Janeiro’s Sugar Loaf are taller. Many believe the peña (rock) has healing energy and it is a popular pilgrimage site during the spring equinox. He couldn’t climb up to the top because we had foolishly scheduled massages at 4:30 and it would take us over an hour to get back to Querétaro.

Mike’s climb up Peña de Bernal

view from Peña de Bernal

Mike’s climb up Peña de Bernal

While Mike climbed, I wandered around the colorful town of San Sebastián Bernal & its bright yellow Parroquia de San Sebastián, built from 1700-1725. It has a small neoclassical facade set against striking yellow walls and brick-red trim.

The tiny town of San Sebastián Bernal is a charming colonial town founded in 1642. It was recently inducted into Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos program, designed to recognize special or historic cities across the country.

San Sebastián Bernal

Parroquia de San Sebastián

San Sebastián Bernal

When Mike finished his climb, he met me at Terazza, where we shared a vegetarian pizza lunch. It was breezy and pleasant with music creating a bit of an edgy ambiance: “Wait for You” by AMÉMÉ & Franc Fala, “Kidz” by Arodes, and “Sunrise” by Tripolism & Nandu. From the terrace we had great views of Peña de Bernal and the colorful town.

view from Terazza

Mike points to Peña de Bernal

me at Terazza

view from Terazza

drinks at Terazza

me with our vegetarian pizza at Terazza

vegetarian pizza at Terazza

After lunch we walked around the town together.

me on the umbrella street in San Sebastián Bernal

San Sebastián Bernal

me at a shop in San Sebastián Bernal

San Sebastián Bernal

Querétaro

We drove about an hour back to Querétaro. At our hotel we enjoyed 75-minute Swedish massages. We had a drink in the hotel as well as leftover pizza, then went out to look for some elote 🌽 for Mike. We topped off the evening with cups of ice cream.

massage room at Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique

Mike at Casa Aspeytia Hotel Boutique

church in Querétaro

Mike gets elote

Steps: 7,183; Miles 3.04. Weather Hi 88°, Lo 49°. Sunny.

Centro Histórico de Querétaro

Tuesday, March 4: Tuesday morning we went on a walkabout through the centro histórico of Querétaro.

Temple and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

We stopped in to the Temple and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Carmelites founded this religious complex in 1614, along the route of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Silver Route which passed through Querétaro from the mines in Guanajuato and Zacatecas).

In 1863, the friars were evicted by the Laws of Reform and the site was later used as barracks, a hospital, an armory, and an ammunition factory during the Siege of Querétaro in 1867. Its bells were melted down to make shrapnel that was used in the conflict that overthrew Maximilian of Habsburg.

Its central nave features an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Here is also the Lord of Works, who is still venerated by the locals. Its atrium used to function as a market; today it is a picturesque square at the corner of streets Morelos and Juarez. Some Carmelites continue to inhabit the convent.

Temple and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Fountain of Neptune

Near the temple and convent, we were greeted by the Fountain of Neptune. Constructed in 1797 by the Mexican architect Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, this fountain was initially installed on the land of the orchard of the convent of San Antonio, on what are today the streets of Corregidora and 16 de Septiembre. Its design, which showcases the god Neptune, included beautiful ornamentations which were removed in 1848. It was finally moved to this location in 1909.

Fountain of Neptune

We continued our stroll through Querétaro.

Querétaro

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

On our random walkabout, we found MUCAL, Museo del Calendario. The museum was housed in an amazing building with numerous flowering courtyards. Paintings in each gallery were done by different painters and were once used on calendars. It was so much fun to read about these paintings and their meanings. Most were depictions showing various aspects of Mexican life & culture.

I found out I am a Cabrá (goat) by the Chinese calendar. Of the goat, the sign says: “Personality and Qualities: Creative, generous, docile, intuitive, and modest, they also stand out for their honesty and sincerity, with a hint of shyness. Their nobility and tenderness can be trusted; deep down, they are pessimistic, insecure, and introverted. (Hmm…)

“The Goat comes across as docile, gentle, and hasty. They struggle to express their true emotions; it’s difficult to discover what’s going on inside; therefore, they can suddenly burst into tears for no apparent reason. With a strong tendency to daydream, they need support and guidance to be able to pursue what truly excites them, wandering in their inner world of fantasies. Insecure, they need to feel loved and in a protective environment. They have an unwavering, dreamy attitude, always in another world to escape reality.” (The part in purple I think is true of me!)

Mike is a Caballo (horse).

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

I’m a Cabra

Mike is Caballo

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

me at MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

In the Galería Pintores / Multiple Painters Gallery (#5), we found original works of art from the great masters in calendar paintings such as Humberto Limón, Manuel Piña Vigueras (1930-1995), Antonio Gómez R., Santiago Sadurní Pernia (1923-1990), and Jesús Bribiesca.

Many calendar paintings reflected the “pin-up” style, in which girls pose in suggestive and mischievous attitude. It was a popular trend to have beautiful girls posing sensually in the calendars of the 1950s.

One image shows a family and child during his first Communion ceremony. Another shows a peasant performing her work in the field using her shawl to hold the seeds that are gently cast to the ground.

In Galería Santiago Sadurni Pernia (1923-1990) (#6), we found original paintings from this great calendar painter.

A parade commemorating the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862) in which Mexican troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza won a victory over the invading French forces. Antonio Gómez R.

Picturesque image that reflects typical Mexican food & tequila in the plaza. Tequila is a native drink which originated in the town of Tequila. Antonio Gómez R.

A hill in Guanajuato (in background) honoring Christ the King. Antonio Gómez R.

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

Image of a beautiful girl posing sensually. Manuel Piña

The “pin-up” style, in which girls pose in suggestive and mischievous attitude by Manuel Piña

Desconocido by Jesús B.

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

After colonization, Mexico was widely influenced by Spanish culture. The guitar is one of the instruments of Spanish heritage mainly used to accompany typical religious themes by Cembranos Vélez

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

family and child during his first Communion ceremony by Antonio Gómez R.

“En el Rio” by Santiago Sadurní Pernia

The beauty of this young woman, the sea, and the sky are the perfect combination for calendar illustrations. Santiago Sadurní Pernia

“Ofrenda” by Santiago Sadurní Pernia

“La Bamba” by Santiago Sadurní Pernia

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

“Buena Monta” by Santiago Sadurní Pernia. The Jaripeo (rodeo) began in the early XIX century from the chores that wranglers and horse-tamers performed in the corrals.

During the 20s, as society became more liberal, some fiction publications began to show illustrations in the “pin-up” style. Santiago Sadurní Pernia

“Ferrari” As part of the “pin-up” style, specific scenes were used to accentuate mischief and sensuality

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

As we walked out of one gallery into another, we were surrounded by leafy and flowering courtyards with ambiance. The Galería (#7) Ángel Martin Merino (1932- ) showcased original paintings by this great calendar painter.

Galería (#8) Jesús de la Helguera (1910-1971) showed the most complete sample ever assembled from the most famous calendar painter of all time. Galería Raúl Vieyra Flores (1935- ) (#9) was a tribute to the calendar painter, recently presented in the Divus Prager Kabarett in Czech Republic with his covers of the comic book “El Libro Vaquero.”

courtyard at MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

In this painting, we see that Mexican mischief plays a major role. Shown are a beautiful girl and an old man who is trying to safely bring the boat to shore while a crab acts up. Ángel Martin Merino

During the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, the “Charro,” a charming rogue, became a popular icon. Ángel Martin Merino

Ichthyology is the study and classification of fish. Mexico has a rich variety, nearly 1400, species of fish. Ángel Martin Merino

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

Costume typical of Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca. Ángel Martin Merino

Mexican artisans are recognized worldwide as deeply sensitive and creative artists. Ángel Martin Merino

A “manda” (plea) or promise is a prayer that, while committing to God’s will, offers gifts or sacrifices in exchange for a granted favor. Ángel Martin Merino

Galería Jesús de la Helguera (1910-1971)

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

“Bodegón Mexicano” by Raúl Vieyra Flores

Representation of an Aztec sacrifice (a religious practice held in the towns of some indigenous people) in which the painter depicts a beautiful woman delivered as tribute to the gods by a warrior and a feathered snake. Raúl Vieyra Flores

With a humorous tone, this painting shows the common use of calendars as both decorative and useful objects. Raúl Vieyra Flores

“Buena Personalidad” by Raúl Vieyra Flores 2007

“Linda Chiapaneca” by Raúl Vieyra Flores 1987

Calendarios Antiguos/Antique Calendars (10-15) had samples of whole calendars from different years and months. Gallery 11 showcased antique calendars from 1890-1949.

Enero 1930

1934

1947

Diciembre 1940

Enero 1938

Enero 1945

Diciembre 1947

Enero 1948

We went up to the rooftop and then enjoyed fruit juices in the garden at Café MUCAL. After our break, we continued through the galleries #12 (1950-1959) and 14 & 15 (1960-2011). It was breezy and pleasant this morning in this beautiful space.

rooftop of MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

view of courtyard from the rooftop

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

Octubre 1950

Diciembre 1950

Enero 1952

Enero 1954

Junio 1956

1959

Noviembre 1949

Diciembre 1950

Enero 1960

1960

Enero-Febrero 2006

2003

2000

Diciembre 1993

January-February 1990

Marzo-Abril 1971

Noviembre-Diciembre 1978

1991

Mike at MUCAL

Then we wandered into a cute gift shop where we found metallic hummingbirds that we would take home tomorrow and put on our screened porch.

Querétaro

Temple of San Felipe Neri (Cathedral of Querétaro)

We continued walking to Temple of San Felipe Neri (Cathedral of Querétaro). Built in the late 18th century and consecrated in 1805, this temple is considered an exceptional example of the neoclassical style in Querétaro. Its façade stands out for the use of Greco-Roman and Tezontle columns, and a red volcanic stone rarely used in religious buildings of the time.

Querétaro was founded as a town of Indians without a cathedral. As the city grew, the ecclesiastical administration used existing temples, such as the Temple of the Congregation or San Francisco. At the beginning of the 20th century, San Felipe Neri was given up by its religious order and in 1921 the Holy See designated it as a cathedral. It was consecrated in 1931.

Temple of San Felipe Neri (Cathedral of Querétaro)

TEMPLO Y EX-CONVENTO DE SANTA ROSA DE VITERBO

We made it to a corner of the historic center where we found the Templo Y Ex-Convento de Santa Rosa de Viterbo, one of the finest Baroque structures in the city. It was originally designed and built by architect Ignacio Mariano de las Casas in 1754. Quite distinct from other baroque churches in Mexico, Santa Rosa de Viterbo distinguishes itself with an ornately designed exterior, replete with massive flying buttresses, carved stonework, delicate frescoes, and garish gargoyles. It stands over a small stone fountain in Plazuela Mariano de las Casa, and the overall effect is impressive.

Inside, the church is equally spectacular. Sadly, the principal altar was destroyed in 1849, but in the main nave, there are six gold-drenched churrigueresque altars from the 18th century as well as a collection of important colonial-era paintings and retablos.

Templo Y Ex-Convento de Santa Rosa de Viterbo

We continued our stroll past a small simple chapel and an “UNO A UNO” stop sign. These are common on street corners in this area. Drivers are expected to stop, let one car go, then go themselves.

chapel in Querétaro

Uno a Uno

Querétaro

Temple and Convent of Santo Domingo

We popped into the Temple and Convent of Santo Domingo. Built around 1697, this religious complex served as a resting place for Dominican missionaries on their way to the Sierra Gorda. In the viceregal age, the temple and convent occupied 15 thousand square meters on the block between the present streets of Guerrero, Ocampo, Pino Suárez, and Arteaga.

The site still has the main temple and an annexed chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary. The interior of the temple features mural painting, cupolas, and windows inspired by architecture of the Italian Renaissance. On its façade are various elements characteristic of the Baroque of Querétaro: scrolls, foliage, garlands, and Hermes of cantera (a type of rock native to Mexico).

Temple and Convent of Santo Domingo

Querétaro

Fountain of Neptune

Yougan Sushi

We ended up at Yougan Sushi for lunch. We wanted something different from Mexican food, but at this place both the food and service were awful. My shrimp tempura rolls were layered with sliced American cheese. Mike’s udon was just okay. I really regretted this meal! Only the cute decorations in this place made it slightly worth our while.

Yougan Sushi

Mike at Yougan Sushi

me at Yougan Sushi

mural in Querétaro

Querétaro

Museo Regional de Querétaro

After lunch, we went to the Museo Regional de Querétaro, housed in the beautiful former monastery that adjoins the Templo de San Francisco de Asís.

The 11 rooms in this historic space display artifacts from Querétaro city and state, including a nice collection of ceramics and sculpture from the region’s pre-Columbian cultures.

The exhibits address each era in Querétaro’s history, with rooms dedicated to the colonial era (including personal effects of the famous Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez), the Reformation, the American invasion, the 19th century, and the Mexican Revolution. Texts are only in Spanish.

Museo Regional de Querétaro

There was a modern art exhibit in one gallery called BOCAMINA (Entrance to a mine shaft or gallery), Pintura de Virginia Ledesma.

BOCAMINA

Jardín Zenea

Jardín Zenea occupies a full city block between Calles Corregidora and Juárez in the centro histórico. Named after a former Querétaro governor, Benito Santos Zenea, this lovely garden is one of the most popular gathering points in town. Often, there are performances in the round kiosk in the middle of the plaza.

We especially loved the trees pruned into dome-like shapes.

Jardín Zenea

Mercado de la Cruz

At the end of our day, we walked quite a distance from our hotel to Mercado de la Cruz, Querétaro’s large covered market. It is a colorful place to shop for fresh produce, fish, meat, flowers, and crafts. It is also a great place to get a bite to eat, with a wide array of food stalls and fruit stands throughout the interior. It opened on September 28, 1979.

Mercado de la Cruz is a bustling urban market, typical of many large Mexican cities though more picturesque (and photogenic) than others.

Mercado de la Cruz

Querétaro

Terraza la Grupa

Our last night in Querétaro, we enjoyed dinner on the terrace of our hotel, Casa Aspeytia, at the restaurant Terraza la Grupa. I had ravioli and Mike three pastor tacos; we also shared guacamole & chips, tomato soup in a bread bowl, and a brownie with ice cream. I think we went a bit overboard. But we did enjoy the sunset and one of us at least enjoyed the live music. 🎵

view from Terraza la Grupa

me at Terraza la Grupa

view from Terraza la Grupa

Mike and me at Terraza la Grupa

view from Terraza la Grupa

Mike at Terraza la Grupa

ravioli at Terraza la Grupa

pastor tacos at Terraza la Grupa

Mike in Terraza la Grupa

me in Casa Aspeytia

Steps: 12,795; Miles 5.43. Weather Hi 86°, Lo 50°. Sunny.

Wednesday, March 5: We left Querétaro early this morning and drove, mostly without incident, about 2 hours and 45 minutes to Mexico City International Airport, where we turned in our rental car to Alamo. Our Avianca flight was supposed to be at 4:50 p.m. but we had been notified that the plane was late and would leave instead at 5:41 p.m., arriving in El Salvador at 8:03 (2 hours 22 minutes). Sadly that meant we would likely miss our 8:30 flight home from El Salvador to Washington.

When we arrived in El Salvador, we practically ran to the gate, thinking they might let us on, but they had closed the gate and wouldn’t open it. Instead, we had to wait for a 10:05 p.m. flight to Washington.

waiting in El Savlador

El Salvador airport

Steps: 6,848; Miles 2.9. Weather Querétaro: Hi 88°, Lo 46°.

Thursday, March 6: We finally arrived home after a (4 hr 7 min) flight home at 3:04 a.m. on March 6. Finally, we were home sweet home in Virginia after a month away!

Welcome to Virginia

Steps: 10,833. Miles 4.59.

san miguel de allende: a birthday celebration, exploring the town & meeting fellow bloggers

wanderessence1025 May 14, 2025

Arrival in San Miguel de Allende

Tuesday, February 25, 2025: We arrived at our two-story apartment at Calvario 8 in San Miguel de Allende on Tuesday late afternoon and promptly went out to a market to pick up some breakfast food.

our apartment in San Miguel de Allende

After dropping our food and before unpacking, we went out for dinner in the classic courtyard at La Doña de San Miguel. We shared HIBISCUS HARD SHELL TACOS (4PZ) with guacamole, serrano chili, pickled onion and cotija cbeese; “FLAMA” CHEESE: Mixed cheese au gratin with grilled chistorra and sliced chile chilaca; & “MAIZAL” CORN CREAM SOPA: with fried bacon, yellow corn and poblano chili roasted cubes. It was delicious and we had the place almost to ourselves.

La Doña San Miguel

drinks and chips at La Doña San Miguel

“FLAMA” CHEESE, HIBISCUS HARD SHELL TACOS, “MAIZAL” CORN CREAM SOPA

La Doña San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende at night

After dinner, we unpacked and settled into our two-story apartment. We loved its two outdoor patios, one on the second level outside of our bedrooom, and one on a third level.

Some tidbits about San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende was once settled by nomadic tribes known by the Spanish as La Gran Chichimeca. In 1542, Franciscan friar Juan de San Miguel arrived and founded the settlement of San Miguel de los Chicimecas along the Laja River Valley. Between 1548 and 1549, a French friar moved the settlement to the hill of Izcuinapan, site of a natural spring known today as El Chorro.

In the mid-16th century, the booming silver mines near the cities of Zacatecas and Guanajuato changed San Miguel, which was strategically located between the northern mines and Mexico City, into a strategic crossroads for traders traveling along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentra (Royal Inland Route), leading to great prosperity. During the 17th century, San Miguel grew from a settlement of several hundred to a small city of about 15,000. A new parish church was built in 1683, and by the early 18th century, wealthy criollos (colonial-era term for Mexicans of Spanish descent) had begun to build luxurious homes around the town’s main plaza. The wealth attracted some of the country’s most celebrated architects and painters.

When the fight for independence from Spain began in 1810, San Miguel fell peacefully to the newly formed Mexican army. Though not affected by violent conflict, San Miguel was ruinously sacked after its surrender. After the long War of Independence ended, San Miguel was largely destroyed. Silver production dropped and the city fell into decline. By 1821, there were only 5,000 residents; the town was renamed San Miguel de Allende in 1826.

San Miguel remained a forgotten backwater until the early 20th century; it was declared a national monument by the Mexican government in 1926. When Latin America’s first art school opened soon after, it attracted a few Americans to study there under the GI Bill (following WWII). Many never left. In 2008, the entire downtown district was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. (Moon: San Miguel de Allende)

Of San Miguel de Allende’s population of around 175,000, foreign residents range from 20,000 to 25,000, with at least half of these from the United States. Most are retirees from the United States, Canada, and Europe, attracted by the mild climate, cultural opportunities, and low crime. It is only a ten-hour drive from the U.S. border. The large foreign presence has established a number of institutions here, most notably the Biblioteca Pública in the former convent of Santa Ana, which has the second-largest English-language book collection in Mexico and serves as a community center for foreigners (Wikipedia: San Miguel de Allende).

Steps: 8,877; Miles 3.76. Weather Hi: 83°, Lo 47°. Sunny.

Mike’s birthday celebration

Wednesday, February 26: Today was Mike’s 71st birthday so I gave him the choice as to what we would do to celebrate. He chose to go on a series of outings on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende: 1) La Gruta; 2) Nirvana; 3) Atotonilco; & 4) Tres Raíces.

La Gruta

We started the day at La Gruta at 10:00 a.m. The hot springs at La Gruta Spa include several pools of thermal waters and a steamy cave (gruta) of warmer water that visitors can access by swimming through a cool tunnel. The pools get warmer the closer one gets to the gruta.

The pools are set amidst lush plants, banana trees, and flowers.

We started in the most lukewarm pool and then moved to a warmer pool where a group of Mexicans were already drinking micheladas & cervezas (it was 10:30 am). They seemed to be having a grand time.

We moved to a warmer pool from which we then swam/walked through a tunnel to the gruta.

We then went back to the pool where we could have drinks while soaking and got our own michelada, a spicy Mexican beer cocktail made with tomato juice, lime, and hot sauce, to share. We stayed there for about 2 1/2 hours then headed to Nirvana for lunch.

La Gruta Spa

the birthday boy at La Gruta Spa

me at La Gruta Spa

La Gruta Spa

me with michelada at La Gruta Spa

Mike with his michelada at La Gruta Spa

La Gruta Spa

Nirvana

For part 2 of Mike’s birthday, we ate a lovely lunch at Nirvana, a spot recommended by Endre, our host at Terra Vista in Guanajuato. We sat under a thatched roof on a ridge with a cool breeze and a view over a herd of goats in a valley below. It was breezy and scenic spot.

We shared a beet, goat cheese and walnut salad, a corn soup, and sausages with veggies and cheese. It was a wonderful place to celebrate another orbit around the sun for Mike.

plate at Nirvana

view from our table at Nirvana

Mike at Nirvana

beet, goat cheese and walnut salad

corn soup at Nirvana

Nirvana

me at Nirvana

Nirvana

Mike at Nirvana

Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

For part 3 of Mike’s birthday, we visited Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco, a church complex and part of a World Heritage Site, designated along with nearby San Miguel de Allende.

Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

The complex was built in the 18th century by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro, who, according to tradition, was called upon by a vision of Jesus with a crown of thorns on his head, with blood on his face and carrying a cross.

Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

The main feature of the complex is the rich Mexican Baroque mural work that adorns the main nave and chapels. This was chiefly the work of Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre over a period of thirty years. The mural work has led the complex to be dubbed the “Sistine Chapel of Mexico.” The complex remains a place of worship and penance to this day, attracting as many as 5,000 visitors every week.

Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

street in Atotonilco

Tres Raíces Winery

To wrap up Mike’s birthday: we topped off the day at Tres Raíces Winery. It was more of an industrial-like complex than what we expected. Again, this was recommended by Endre at Terra Vista in Guanajuato. We cheered Mike’s birthday with glasses of cool white wine, shared a chocolate mousse cake, and bought a bottle of Sauvignon blanc.

Tres Raíces Winery

Mike at Tres Raíces Winery

Tres Raíces Winery

San Miguel de Allende

It took us over an hour to return to San Miguel de Allende because of major road construction north of town. We sat at a dead standstill for long periods of time. A frustrating way to end our day of outings but luckily, it didn’t ruin Mike’s special day. 😍🥂🎂

Since we’d had a long day exploring the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, we decided to stay at our Airbnb and sit on our two patios to enjoy the sunset. We also chatted with our daughter Sarah by FaceTime and gave her a tour of the apartment. We had chatted by FaceTime with Adam while at Tres Raíces and with Alex while driving back to town.

On our patio, we had one last tequila & fresca. Overall, I think Mike had a wonderful birthday. And now that he’s 71, I can enjoy this period from now to October when I’m in my last year of my 60s and Mike is 2 years older than me! 🤣😘😂

Mike ate some of his leftovers from Nirvana and I had Ritz crackers with peanut butter for dinner. I’d had plenty to eat during the day!

the patio of our Airbnb apartment in San Miguel de Allende

Mike toasting his 71 years

me on the patio

patio views of San Miguel

Steps: 4,656; Miles 1.97. Weather Hi: 82°, Lo 46°. Sunny.

Thursday, February 27: Our first day in the town of San Miguel de Allende, we had a lazy morning. On our way out, we got photos in front of our Airbnb and our narrow street, Calvario.

Mike stands at the outside door of our Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende

me outside our Airbnb

our Airbnb cobblestone street

Templo de San Francisco

Then we headed to the town center, first stopping at Templo de San Francisco; there we admired the ornate carvings of its churrigueresque entryway. A fine example of Mexican baroque architecture, this church was constructed at the end of the 18th century. The principal facade is the site’s most striking feature, with cascading sandstone columns carefully carved with saints and figures.

The church’s large dome towers over Calle Mesones. In contrast to its ornate exterior, the Templo de San Francisco’s interior is austere, with very high ceilings and glass chandeliers, a neoclassical altar, and walls lined with rows of wooden saints and dark retablos.

We enjoyed El Jardín with its box cut trees 🌳 that provide a lot of shade.

Templo de San Francisco

me at Templo de San Francisco

Templo de San Francisco

San Miguel De Allende

El Jardín

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is impressive with its neo-Gothic sandstone towers. The building itself was constructed in the 16th century and, as old photographs reveal, was large but rather unspectacular. In the 19th century, the church’s facade received a complete renovation at the hands of imaginative architect Zeferino Gutiérrez. According to local history, this self-taught draftsman based his design for the parish on prints of the Gothic cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The results display cascading bricks of pink sandstone surrounding the peaked archways of the parish, concluding in three pointed bell towers.

While the exterior of the parroquia is elaborate, the interior’s design is spare and neoclassical, with towering stone columns flanking the altar and chapels, some gilded.

There is a carved statue of San Miguel Arcángel on the altar; however, there is a more notable sculpture of Jesus in the east transept, carved from cane bark and highlighted by a backdrop of turquoise Byzantine mosaic and aging murals.

Today, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is still the parish seat, mass is held here daily, and weddings take place almost every weekend.

We saw some of our first mojigangas (moh-he-GAHN-gahs), giant puppets, animated by the dancers who wear them. In other parts of Mexico, they are sometimes known by names that are variations of giant or doll. When we saw one walk by, we were having coffee in a cafe while FKJ sang “Why Are There Boundaries.”

We then wandered around San Miguel with no particular destination in mind.

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

mojiganga & me

El Jardín

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

mojiganga walking past a cafe in San Miguel de Allende

cute shop in San Miguel

pretty courtyard in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende

Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción

We popped into the Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción, known locally as Las Monjas; it was originally built as part of an extensive housing complex; now, it serves as a convent for the nuns of the order of the Immaculate Conception.

The church was built between 1755 and 1842, with the elegant dome added by Zeferino Gutiérrez in 1891. He again modeled his construction on a European historic site, the church of Les Invalides in Paris, France.

Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción

San Miguel wanderings

I dragged Mike into a number of cute shops and bought a few camisas for myself. I hadn’t found much in the way of shopping in Mexico, so of course I was happy to contribute to the local economy.

We stopped for a light lunch (as light as we can get in Mexico) at Los Burritos. I liked it because the food was good and we were the only gringos in there. Nearly 20,000 expats live in San Miguel, about 10% of the population, so we saw hordes of white-haired people that looked like me! The popular look for white haired men seems to be white hair with a white goatee.:-)

San Miguel de Allende

Los Burritos

Mike at Los Burritos

me at Los Burritos

shopping in San Miguel de Allende

Oratorio San Felipe Neri

We dropped into more cute shops in San Miguel. Also, we dropped into another church: Oratorio San Felipe Neri. During the 18th century, the congregation of San Felipe Neri was rapidly gaining popularity throughout New Spain. In San Miguel de Allende, the congregation constructed the beautiful Oratorio San Felipe Neri in 1714, along with a school, the Colegio San Francisco de Sales.

The pink sandstone facade of the oratorio is delicately carved and represents the beginning of a shift in architectural aesthetic, from baroque to churrigueresque. Above the facade, the church has five beautiful bell towers, which were recently restored. The unpainted pink sandstone tower to the northwest of the church is especially lovely.

Oratorio San Felipe Neri

We walked through a park with a horseman statue and the up to our street, in the next to last photo, where the green taxi is exiting. It’s our tiny one way street called Calvario. The white apartment with blue trim is the outside of our Airbnb again. I spread out all my Mexican tops on the bed for a photo op and the rooster was atop one of our patios.

statue of horseman in park in San Miguel de Allende

Quinceañera dresses

San Miguel de Allende

the narrow street to our Airbnb (left) in San Miguel de Allende

our Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende

Some new Mexican tops I bought in San Miguel

rooster weather vane on our patio

Baja Fish Taquito

After relaxing for a bit in the afternoon, we went Thursday night to the rooftop at Baja Fish Taquito. We enjoyed refreshing Jicama with chili powder, a michelada & tequila, Taco torito (chile güero capeado relleno de camarón / battered chili filled with shrimp), Taco de camarón enchilado con queso/ Spicy shrimp taco with cheese, & Aztec soup.

We went for a short stroll after dinner.

jicama with chili powder at Baja Fish Taquito

me at Baja Fish Taquito

michelada and beer at Baja Fish Taquito

view from rooftop at Baja Fish Taquito

Aztec soup

Taco torito (chile güero capeado relleno de camarón / battered chili filled with shrimp)

view from rooftop at Baja Fish Taquito

shop in San Miguel de Allende

mojiganga shop in San Miguel

Steps: 7,337; Miles 3.11. Weather Hi: 85°, Lo 49°. Sunny.

El Charco del Ingenio

Friday, February 28: Friday morning, we went to El Charco del Ingenio, a beautiful botanical garden set near a reservoir in San Miguel de Allende. It was early, so despite the sun it was breezy and cool.

While wandering around El Charco del Ingenio, we happened upon four people who we found by chance had many similarities to us. I think it was Mike’s North Carolina hat that started the conversation because one of the young guys was born in Chapel Hill (UNC in Chapel Hill is Mike’s alma mater). That same guy’s father was, for a time during the guy’s youth, president of The College of William & Mary, my alma mater. One of the older men said he graduated from William & Mary and was in Glenn Close’s class (I think he said ‘69). I graduated in 1978. We all expressed our dismay & disgust over our scumbag President and how he’s ruining the country. We talked about Dogwood Dell and the delis around W&M. The young guy and I both got married (1st weddings both) in the Wren Chapel & I had my reception outdoors under the shelter at Lake Matoaka, both on the campus of W&M. So many strange coincidences. One of the older guys, married to the W&M graduate, has an apartment in SMA and spends alternating 2 months here in Mexico then 2 months in San Francisco. The young couple was from San Diego. It’s such a small world sometimes!

El Charco del Ingenio

me at El Charco del Ingenio

El Charco del Ingenio

Mike at El Charco del Ingenio

me at El Charco del Ingenio

El Charco del Ingenio

view of San Miguel from El Charco del Ingenio

El Charco del Ingenio

Mineral de Pozos & Mine of Santa Brigida

After visiting the garden, we drove about an hour out to Mineral de Pozos and the Mine of Santa Brigida. For more on that, see: exploring the outskirts of san miguel de allende: santa rosa de lima, dolores hidalgo, mineral de pozos & the mine of santa brigida.

Iglesia San Pedro in Mineral de Pozos

Hornos Jesuitas at Santa Brigida Mine

Arcos Mágicos (Magic Arches of the Sun and the Moon)

Santa Brigida Mine

Hank’s in San Miguel de Allende

After our mining town expedition, and after relaxing in our apartment for a while, we went out to dinner at Hank’s, a New Orleans style restaurant in the centro histórico. They had a Mardi Gras theme going full blast. We also heard music that didn’t sound much like Mardi Gras, like “El Soto V1 – Remix” by Adan JFW, Doble ONE Flow Letal, which I loved even if it didn’t fit the theme. We shared appetizer dishes of roasted corn cream soup and fried oysters, strolled around the town, and got ice cream treats at a heladeria.

me in San Miguel de Allende

Oratorio San Felipe Neri

Mike at Hank’s

Hank’s

San Miguel de Allende at night

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

heladeria in San Miguel de Allende

mojiganga in San Miguel

shop in San Miguel

Steps: 11,796; Miles 5.0. Weather Hi: 84°, Lo 50°. Sunny.

Meeting fellow bloggers of Green Global Trek at Mercado Sano on the Ancha

Saturday, March 1: Saturday morning, our last day in San Miguel de Allende, we had the pleasure of meeting fellow Instagramers and bloggers, Peta and Ben of @greenglobaltrek .

Peta and Ben have been inspirational to me over the years as they have lived abroad in many Asian & Central American countries, especially Bali, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua. As our son has been living in Nicaragua for the last 5 years and married a Nicaraguan woman with 3 daughters, we have common ground in our shared experience of Ometepe Island, where Adam lives and where Ben and Peta own property. We know some of the same people such as British Ben, the owner of Cafe Campestre, and American Rachel, owner of Pan de Mama. Peta still has dreams of building a house on their land in Ometepe. I have these kinds of dreams myself (in many other places but not Ometepe) but Mike is always reminding me that I can’t live everywhere and still travel like I want to.

We all expressed fear and dismay that the demise of the U.S. is at hand. Luckily they live in SMA, while we are hoping to escape the U.S. as soon as possible.

We met at their favorite organic market in SMA, Mercado Sano on the Ancha. We enjoyed coffees, courtesy of Ben, talked about our experiences in Japan and Ometepe, and they shared their love of Mexico and SMA. They also told us stories about the most challenging place they lived, Sri Lanka.

on our way to Mercado Sano on the Ancha

on the way to the market

another building on the way to Mercado Sano on the Ancha

fun VW bus we saw on the way to the market

church on the way to Mercado Sano on the Ancha

me, Mike and Ben at Mercado Sano on the Ancha

me with Peta at Mercado Sano on the Ancha

Mercado Sano on the Ancha

San Antonio neighborhood

After eating an early lunch at the market, we took a taxi to Peta and Ben’s house in the San Antonio neighborhood and got to see their amazing casa which they substantially designed and refurbished. It was so wonderful to meet this couple who I have interacted with online for such a long time! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 It was truly a special treat for us.

After leaving Ben & Peta’s casa, we wandered through the San Antonio neighborhood with its colorful murals.

Peta and Ben at their house in SMA

murals in the San Antonio neighborhood

Fábrica la Aurora

We caught a taxi to Fábrica la Aurora, a large art gallery in barrio Aurora. The taxi driver was playing, of all things, “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. We wandered around there for a while and then caught another taxi to a toy museum near our apartment.

Fábrica la Aurora

Mike & me at Fábrica la Aurora

Museo la Esquina del Juguete

We visited the cute little Museo la Esquina del Juguete (Toy Corner Museum) not far from our apartment on Saturday afternoon. It was fascinating to see all the children’s colorful Mexican toys.

Museo la Esquina del Juguete

El Manantial

On our last night in San Miguel de Allende, we took Ben & Peta’s advice and went to El Manantial, a bar/cafe not too far from our apartment. It was a lively place with good music and friendly vibes. Bill Withers sang “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me,” and Ishtar sang “Last Kiss” as we bid adieu to San Miguel.

We met a couple, a young man from Boston & a woman from Mexico. He had left the US to come to Mexico just before the pandemic (just as my son left the country & ended up in Nicaragua). He met his partner while she was bartending in Playa del Carmen. Now he works remotely and they live a month or two in different Mexican towns. I love how people figure out many different ways to live and work abroad.

Mike enjoyed a tequila pour & a Camarón en pico de gallo tostada = Camarón con tomate, cebolla, e cilantro y aguacate. I didn’t have a drink because we had just shared a tall beer on our patio. I had Chile ahumado = Chile poblano tatemado relleno de queso y frijoles. We shared a warm brownie for dessert.

around the corner from Museo la Esquina del Juguete

on the way to El Manantial

mural on the way to El Manantial

El Manantial

me in front of El Manantial

El Manantial

Chile ahumado = Chile poblano tatemado relleno de queso y frijoles

Camarón en pico de gallo tostada = Camarón con tomate, cebolla, e cilantro y aguacate

El Manantial

Mike at El Manantial

me at El Manantial

Steps: 10,755; Miles 4.56. Weather Hi: 81°, Lo 47°. Sunny.

Sunday, March 2: We checked out of our Airbnb as late as we could, as we only had an hour drive to Querétaro, our last stop on our Mexican trip. We of course didn’t think we could check in until 3:00 in Querétaro, so we took our sweet time checking out of our Airbnb. We waited on the front steps of our Airbnb to have our car brought to us, and soon we were on our way.

waiting to leave San Miguel de Allende

Mike in front of our Airbnb

The address of our Airbnb

me waiting for the car in front of our Airbnb

We drove about an hour to Querétaro with no issues.

exploring the outskirts of san miguel de allende: santa rosa de lima, dolores hidalgo, mineral de pozos & the mine of santa brigida

wanderessence1025 May 7, 2025

Driving from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende. First stop: Santa Rosa de Lima

Tuesday, February 25, 2025: Tuesday morning, we left Guanajuato and drove over scrubby but scenic highlands to Santa Rosa de Lima, a small town known for its glazed majolica-style ceramics. We stopped at the Mayólica Santa Rosa and admired the colorful pottery and even bought a couple of small pieces. The workshop produces hand-painted urns, flowerpots, flatware, and tiles, often depicting plants, flowers, fruits and animals. They also produce clay figurines of animals.

Santa Rosa sits at 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) with mountains of pine trees surrounding it.

Mayólica Santa Rosa

Then we visited Conservas Santa Rosa, a women’s cooperative which makes jams and marmalades with locally-grown fruits. There we sampled a variety of jams, salsas and chili pepper/olive oil combos, and came away with some snacks to take to San Miguel de Allende.

Conservas Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa de Lima

We headed from there to Dolores Hidalgo, about a 40 minute drive.

Landscape on the way to Dolores Hidalgo

Dolores Hidalgo

We continued our trip to San Miguel with another stop in Dolores Hidalgo. We started by wandering haphazardly and came across the pink Iglesia de la Tercera Orden [Church of the Third Order], an 18th century church with Baroque architectural elements. The church was inaugurated in 1755. Its facade is partially covered with local tiles and it has a nice little courtyard on one side.

Iglesia de la Tercera Orden

Mike bought some fresh mangos from a street vendor and we walked to Plaza Principal and sat on a bench in the shade. It was such a beautiful, well-maintained square.

fresh mangoes

Mike enjoys fresh mangoes

Like many cities, the downtown district in Dolores Hidalgo is organized around a plaza principal (central square). The plaza is at the heart of the city’s busiest commercial zone, and it is a popular spot with local families. In the very center of the plaza, there is a bronze statue of the famous pastor Miguel Hidalgo, originally commissioned by President Benito Juárez.

The city was a small town known simply as Dolores when Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla uttered his famous “Grito de Dolores” (Cry of Dolores) while standing in front of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores parish church in the early hours of September 16, 1810. He called for the end of Spanish rule and encouraged the people to take up arms. This event marked the beginning of Mexico’s struggle for independence. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor.

Dolores Hidalgo was named a Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) in 2002.

On the west side, the plaza is bordered by the Casa de Visitas (Plaza Principal 25), an 18th-century mansion. During the War of Independence, Dolores’s Spanish governor and his wife were held in the Casa de Visitas as prisoners of the rebel army.

A young man in the park was making small sandwiches with avocado, chicharrones, salsa & chilies. We had to sample one and it was delicious.

Plaza Principal

Dolores Hidalgo: Pueblo Magico

bronze statue of the famous pastor Miguel Hidalgo

young man making small sandwiches with avocado, chicharrones, salsa & chilies

small sandwiches with avocado, chicharrones, salsa & chilies

young man making small sandwiches with avocado, chicharrones, salsa & chilies

bronze statue of the famous pastor Miguel Hidalgo

me in Plaza Principal of Dolores Hidalgo

Mike in Plaza Principal of Dolores Hidalgo

One of the most famous churches in Mexico, the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Parish Church of Our Lady of Sorrows) is the jewel of Dolores Hidalgo’s central square. This impressive sandstone church has an elaborate churrigueresque facade, topped by two soaring bell towers. Inside, wood floors and rows of wood pews stand before a neoclassical altar.

In the left transept, there is an ornate, hand-carved baroque altar washed in gold leaf. On the right is a walnut altar which has been carefully carved in wood but left without gold leaf or paint. Not only is the untreated wood beautiful, it illustrates the craftsmanship behind many of Mexico’s baroque altarpieces.

Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

civic building in Dolores Hidalgo

Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

After leaving Dolores Hidalgo, we drove on another hour to San Miguel de Allende, where we would spend five nights.

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A day trip to Mineral de Pozos

Friday, February 28: Friday at lunchtime we arrived in the “ghost mining town” of Mineral de Pozos. This half-abandoned city, sitting on a hillside in the high desert chaparral, was a prosperous city during the 19th century, home to about 70,000 people and several prolific mineral mines. Over time, the town’s resources were depleted, the mines flooded and the population dwindled. The town has reawakened a bit, thanks to artists and expats settling down permanently away from the bustle of San Miguel de Allende.

We found a place to have lunch in a cute rooftop café, La Pila Seca de los Famosos de Pozos, where we shared enmoladas con pollo and an Aztec soup to the tunes of “Tanto la Queria” by Andy & Lucas, “Yo Quisiera” by Reik, and “Loba” by Shakira.

Mineral de Pozos

Iglesia San Pedro in Mineral de Pozos

Mineral de Pozos

Iglesia San Pedro in Mineral de Pozos

La Pila Seca in Mineral de Pozos

me at La Pila Seca

Mike at La Pila Seca

enmoladas con pollo at La Pila Seca

me at La Pila Seca

La Pila Seca in Mineral de Pozos

Mineral de Pozos

We took a short afternoon stroll around the weathered but charming little town. We wandered through the plaza principal and admired the Iglesia San Pedro; we had seen its dome from the rooftop cafe.

The town is full of mining history, traditions, architectural beauty, and ancient and modern festivities mostly held on weekends, when the town is apparently bustling.

Mineral de Pozos has a bohemian air, cobblestone streets, and traditional houses, located in the municipality of San Luis de la Paz, northeast of the state of Guanajuato. It was about an hour + 15 minute drive from San Miguel de Allende.

Mineral de Pozos

The ruined Mine of Santa Brigida

After visiting Mineral de Pozas, we drove about 15 minutes north of town on dirt roads that felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. We were actually in route to the Mine of Santa Brigida. This is the mine responsible for the economic boom in the region as it had gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and mercury. It is also the oldest in the state becoming one of the emblems of the town.

dirt road to Mine of Santa Brigida

In the semi-desert area we parked near a large red-and-white building which once served as the mine’s former management offices, paid the minder 200 pesos, and walked around the ruins.

Santa Brigida was actually mined by indigenous people before it came under Spanish control. It was a pit mine, so it doesn’t have a traditional mine shaft. We walked along the large and deep crevice in the earth which is the mouth of the mine, unmarked and gravelly. In addition to the mine, there are several deep wells around the mining camp, with no danger signs to mark their existence.

Mine of Santa Brigida

me at Mine of Santa Brigida

Mine of Santa Brigida

We went into the Arcos Mágicos (Magic Arches of the Sun and the Moon), built in 1595 by the Jesuits. This building of narrow arches was the purifier of poisonous gases from the underground mine system, and also served to “air” the gold and silver at each of its doors. These arched ovens were also used for mercury amalgamation, which extracts metals from the rock.

It was also the astronomical and astrological observatory of the Jesuits, a site where two phenomena of lunar and solar light were manifested.

Arcos Mágicos (Magic Arches of the Sun and the Moon)

We also saw ruins of the three smelting ovens, Hornos Jesuitas, as well as the hull of what was the Hacienda de Beneficio de Santa Brígida.

This excursion reminded me of all my explorations of ruins with my friend Mario when I lived in Oman from 2011-2013.

Santa Brigida Mine

Hornos Jesuitas

Santa Brigida Mine

Mike at Santa Brigida Mine

me at at Santa Brigida Mine

Hacienda de Beneficio de Santa Brígida

Santa Brigida Mine

Hacienda de Beneficio de Santa Brígida

Hornos Jesuitas at Santa Brigida Mine

After leaving the mine, we drove back about an hour + 20 minutes to San Miguel de Allende.

the april cocktail hour: prepping our house for our son & family to housesit

wanderessence1025 May 1, 2025

Wednesday, April 30, 2025: Welcome to our April cocktail hour. It’s been a busy but not very fun month for us. Besides the ongoing degradation of our democracy, our economy, our foreign alliances and our world standing by our wanna-be tyrant and Russian sympathizer, the FELON, we’ve been busy getting our house ready for our son Alex and his family to move in for the next year to house-sit while we move to Costa Rica.

Let’s have shots of tequila, served up in Frida Kahlo shot glasses, along with some Lady Justice beer.

Lady Justice beer with two shots of tequila in Frida Kahlo shot glasses from Mexico

I also have a variety of beers, soda or seltzer water for those of you who are calm enough to survive the next four years without angst, anxiety or alcohol.

How did your April go? Did you have a happy Easter Sunday celebration? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any spring getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?

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April was a busy month for us, especially as we’ve been preparing our house for our son and his family to move in while we move to Costa Rica. The things we’ve had to do haven’t been much fun, and they have been time-consuming and expensive.

A clothing decluttering & a new closet

I spent a great deal of time sorting through a lot of my clothes in preparation for having a closet built in the smallest of our spare rooms. We’ve never had much closet space in our house, and what’s worse is that I have a huge collection of clothes. So something had to be done so that we could consolidate all our clothes and clean out the master bedroom so Alex and Jandira can move their stuff in. We had an Elfa closet system installed on April 16, and I’m happy to say, it makes a world of difference.

spare room used as closet with racks

new Elfa closet units

the clothes in the new closet 🙂

Wrapping up yoga

My favorite yoga teacher, who now lives in Charlottesville, returned to the Beloved Yoga studio for a Saturday special Chakra Hatha Flow, so of course I had to go to that. I have a number of passes I need to use before I go, and ever since she left the studio, I haven’t been going to yoga at all. So now I’m in a mad rush to use all the passes I’ve paid for. I tried out a Beginner’s yoga class one Saturday, but it was horrible! It’s so hard to find good teachers there. But I’ll have to grin and bear it until we leave at the end of May.

Other than yoga, I haven’t done much exercise other than walking. At least springtime showcased some colorful & vibrant flowers. 🙂

Walk around Lake Anne in Reston

redbud in our neighborhood

tulip mania in Vienna, VA

pretty carpeting

cherry blossoms in Reston

Hear, hear!

I went to the ENT because Mike is always complaining that I can’t hear (or is it that I don’t listen?) and he wanted me to have a hearing test. I found that my hearing in both ears has disintegrated, but luckily not to the degree that I need hearing aids – yet! I really don’t want to wear them. I also had wax buildup cleaned out in my left ear. The ENT told me I should come back once a year for a cleaning and hearing test. Oh boy, another thing to add to my long list of annual doctor appointments as I continue to age.

Dining out

We ate dinner out at Ariake, using the rest of a gift certificate our daughter Sarah gave us for Christmas. We took out a Greek dinner from The Big Greek Cafe, and I made the mistake of getting the heavy pastichio (Greek Lasagna with Béchamel). Ugh, way too much thick pasta. Next time, it’ll be a shrimp salad for me. We also ate at our favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant, Woodlands, after seeing the movie The Ballad of Wallis Island at Cinema Arts Theatre.

Mike at Woodlands

me at Woodlands

On Good Friday, using a gift certificate Mike got from one of his high school friends, we went to Georgetown in D.C. and ate at Filomena Restaurante, which was decorated to the hilt with Easter bunnies, painted eggs and colorful blossoms for Easter.

Filomena Restaurante in Georgetown

Mike & the Easter Bunny at Filomena Restaurante in Georgetown

me at Filomena Restaurante in Georgetown

Mike atFilomena Restaurante in Georgetown

gnocchi with broccoli

Filomena Restaurante in Georgetown

We took a short stroll around Georgetown after lunch, passing by the Ukranian Embassy. Even though our government under Trump is treating Ukraine horribly, and acting as if it is Ukraine’s fault that Putin invaded them (an outright lie), we strongly support Ukraine and are utterly disgusted by the actions of the U.S. government under the current administration.

Georgetown murals

Georgetown

Georgetown murals

Ukrainian Embassy in Georgetown

Georgetown murals

We didn’t do much of anything for Easter as we didn’t have the family around and we’re not very religious anyway.

It was heartbreaking that Pope Francis died the day after Easter; why is it we always lose the good people? And then we’re stuck with the vile and evil people like Trump, Vance, Musk, Bondi, Hegseth, Patel, Putin and all other power-hungry politicians and operatives, as well as basically most billionaires and the entire Trump administration, Republicans, and MAGAts in general? Why, why, why?

Shortly after Easter, I got the “Gulf of Mexico” and “Lady Justice” beers I ordered from the progressive beer company in Illinois and Wisconsin, Minocqua Brewing Company. They are focused on progressive causes so I was happy to give them my business.

“Lady Justice” and “Gulf of Mexico” beer from Minocqua Brewing Company

We ate out at Mazadar Restaurant on the 27th. It’s one of our favorite restaurants but we never seem to make it there as much as we’d like.

Borani Banjan at Mazadar Restaurant

me at Mazadar

Mike at Mazadar

Borani Banjan at Mazadar Restaurant

Machicha Palo (Lamb shank) at Mazadar

Meat Mantu Appetizer

me on the colorful cushions at Mazadar

Chocolate cake with Saffron Ice Cream

A new iPhone

I got a new iPhone 16 Pro (my old one was an iPhone 11), and activated it on the 17th, which is always a bit of a hassle. But at least I checked off another item on my list. Luckily, I got a large credit on my old iPhone to offset the cost of the new phone; all I had to do was sign a 3-year contract with Verizon Wireless. We’ve been using Verizon for years, so it was nothing new.

in the Verizon store getting my new iPhone

Power washing and sealing our screened porch

On the 21st and 22nd (Earth Day), we had our screened porch power-washed and then sealed. It’s supposed to be done every 5 years, so it needed to be done before we left. It involved moving all the deck furniture off. Mike spent hours cleaning the chairs and tables of all the accumulated pollen and vacuuming the cushions. Then we put it all back together again (Actually I can thank Mike’s biking buddy Eric for help moving all the bulky pieces).

our newly sealed screened porch

Sarah’s 41st birthday

Our daughter celebrated her 41st birthday on April 26. She was busy working in Virginia Beach, but I went to Richmond to meet her on the 29th-30th to belatedly celebrate and to help her set up her new apartment in Richmond. She begins her new job with a Richmond law firm on May 5.

I was happy to be able to visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond so I could finally see a Frida Kahlo exhibit: “Frida: Beyond the Myth.” Sadly, I had missed much of what I’d hoped to see of Frida Kahlo when we were in Mexico City. Frida’s story was perfectly encapsulated by signs at the exhibit, so I have included the information below:

Beyond the Myth

Although Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of the most recognizable artists of the 2oth century, our understanding of her as an individual is incomplete.

A mythology surrounds the artist and focuses on her significant personal challenges: relationships, injuries, numerous surgeries, and severe chronic pain. She constructed a public persona composed of opposing characteristics: seductive and innocent, strong and vulnerable. Kahlo was, in essence, the architect of her own myth. Fortunately, her friends, lovers, and fellow artists captured aspects of Kahlo that go beyond this myth.

Organized chronologically, this exhibition examines the events in Kahlo’s life and her responses to them. When her works are presented alongside candid and formal portraits of the artist, we can begin to lift the veil of Kahlo’s persona and renew our appreciation for her extraordinary life and art.

Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arías, 1928

Kahlo and her first boyfriend, Alejandro Gómez Arías, shown below in the gallery, met at school in 1922 and were both injured in the bus accident in 1925. He convinced doctors at the scene to help Kahlo despite their doubts for her survival, thereby saving her life. The inscription an the upper right was added in 1952, which tells us that Kahlo held onto this painting for over 24 years.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, VA

Frida: Beyond the Myth at VMFA

Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arías, 1928 by Frida Kahlo

Frida at Age 18, 1926 by Guillermo Kahlo

Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress, 1926 by Frida Kahlo

Urban Landscape, 1925 by Frida Kahlo

Marriage & the United States (1929-1932)

Although Kahlo first saw Diego Rivera in 1922, they did not meet until 1928, when she asked him to critique her paintings. They were married in 1929 and spent much of the next three years traveling in the United States for Rivera’s mural commissions, including time in San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, and Detroit. Early in their marriage, she terminated their first pregnancy when Rivera insisted they remain childless, and a few years later, she suffered a devastating miscarriage. Kahlo returned to Mexico to recuperate. These events greatly shaped her life and practice during this time.

In the United States, she encountered social elites and fellow contemporary artists. She also began wearing traditional Mexican Tehuana clothing-attire that became Kahlo’s signature style. While this self-fashioning displayed her Mexican pride, it also gave her a distinctive and even “exotic” appearance among Rivera’s wealthy patrons, who were garbed in designer clothing.

Frida Kahlo with Cigarette and White Dress, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 1929

Frida Kahlo, 1931 by Imogen Cunningham

New York & Paris (1932-1939)

Following the death of her mother, Kahlo rejoined Diego Rivera in Detroit.

In late 1932, the two traveled to New York for his mural commission at Rockefeller Center. After their return to Mexico at the end of 1933, Kahlo suffered several setbacks, including major surgery on her right foot and, devastatingly, her husband’s infidelity with her younger sister, Cristina.

She retaliated against Rivera’s betrayal by taking several lovers. When she became pregnant a third time, she chose to end the pregnancy.

The 1930s also brought important milestones for Kahlo’s professional career. During a visit to New York in 1938, she was invited to exhibit at the Julien Levy Gallery. (The gallerist’s photos of Kahlo appear in this section.) This same year, the French Surrealist André Breton saw Kahlo’s work in Mexico City. He declared Kahlo to be a Surrealist and invited her to exhibit in Paris in 1939. After her return from Paris, she separated from Rivera and moved back to her childhood home in Coyoacán.

I found the paintings, photographs and paintings, along with their descriptions, fascinating. One in particular is shown below: The Suicide of Dorothy Hale, 1939.

Dorothy Hale was an actress with a failing career who, rather than continuing to rely on the generosity of her wealthy friends, died by suicide in 1928 by jumping from the 16th-story window of her apartment at the Hampshire House Hotel in Manhattan. Writer and politician Clare Booth Luce commissioned Kahlo to create a simple recuerdo (portrait of remembrance) for Hale’s mother. Instead, Kahlo chose to depict Hale’s final act. Luce was so shocked by this graphic portrayal that several friends had to convince her not to destroy it.

Frida Kahlo, 1938 by Julien Levy

Frida Kahlo with Globe, 1937 by Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Frida: Beyond the Myth at VMFA

Seated Figure Playing an Instrument, ca. 300 BC- AD 200. Unidentified Nayarit artist.

Survivor, 1938 by Frida Kahlo

Frida in Paris, 1939 by Dora Maar

The Suicide of Dorothy Hale, 1939 by Frida Kahlo

View of Central Park, the Zoo, 1931 by Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo con Nickolas Muray, 1939 by Nickolas Muray

Friday with Olmeca Figurine, Coyoacán, 1939 by Nickolas Muray

Frida with Blue Satin Blouse, 1939, by Nickolas Muray

Frida with Magenta Rebozo, 1939 by Nickolas Muray

Frida with Cigarette, Altavista, 1941 by Nickolas Muray

Frida with Fawn, Granizo, 1939 by Nickolas Muray

Frida on White Bench, New York, 1939 by Nickolas Muray

Professional Success & Physical Decline (1940-1948)

After divorcing in 1939, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera remarried in December 1940.

Professionally, her expanding fame brought awards, grants, and participation in several international exhibitions during the 1940s. Unfortunately, these successes were offset by the crushing loss of her beloved father in 1941 and her increasing health challenges as the years passed. Kahlo had become a professor of painting, but her poor health often confined her to bed and obliged students to attend class at her house. By 1944, she began wearing a steel corset to support and immobilize her back. In 1946 incessant pain prompted her to travel to New York City for a spinal fusion. The surgery and a series of subsequent operations were unsuccessful, and she slipped into more frequent bouts of depression.

Finally, in 1948, she endured Rivera filing for divorce twice: the first time to wed actress María Félix, and the second, to wed his art dealer, Emma Hurtado. He ultimately rescinded the divorce papers and remained with Kahlo until the end of her life. These years of immense physical and emotional pain resulted in some of her most powerful self-portraits.

Frida Kahlo in New York, 1946 by Nickolas Muray

Magnolias, 1945, by Frida Kahlo

Frida in Thought, 1944 by Sylvia Salmi

Self-Portrait with Monkey, 1945 by Frida Kahlo

Sun and Life, 1947 by Frida Kahlo

Self-Portrait with Loose Hair, 1947 by Frida Kahlo

Otomí Huipil Blouse Embroidered with Deer and Bird Design, 1951 by Unknown Otomí artist

Frida Kahlo, Xochimilco, Mexico, 1941 by Rosa Covarrubias

Frida Wearing Plaster Corset, 1951 by Florence Arquin

Frida in Bed at her Home, Coyoacán, 1952 by Bernice Kolko

Frida Painting Naturaleza Viva, 1951 (Unidentified photographer)

Final Years (1949-1954)

After another spinal surgery in 1949, Kahlo was hospitalized for nine months and relied on a wheelchair for mobility. She spent increasing amounts of time in bed— either in the hospital or at home. Still lifes became an effective vehicle of expression, and they account for over half of her artistic production during this period. The artist appreciated the fact that she didn’t have to worry about her appearance when painting still lifes, so her imagination could lead the way. Still lifes also permitted her to express her growing anxiety in a symbolic, more secretive manner that allowed potential buyers to view them simply as pleasing compositions.

In 1953 Kahlo had a triumphant first solo show in Mexico, but due to her poor health, she was forced to attend the opening lying in a bed. Months later, it became necessary to amputate her right leg. Her last public appearance was at a protest demonstration in early July, 11 days before she died on July 13, 1954.

Still Life with Parrot and Flag, 1951 by Frida Kahlo

Frida Following Amputation of Her Right Leg, 1953, Lola Alvarez Bravo

Still Life (Living Nature/Naturaleza Viva), 1952

Still Life (I Belong to Samuel Fastlicht), 1951 by Frida Kahlo

Dog with a Corncob, ca. 200 BC-AD 300, Unidentified Colima artist

Frida: Beyond the Myth at VMFA

I was so happy I got to see this exhibit. I found myself saddened by all the heartbreak Frida suffered in her life, between the bus accident in her youth, to her relationship with the philandering Diego Rivera, to her miscarriages and the physical pain she suffered with during her entire life. I love her exoticism and the way she stayed true to and amplified her Mexican heritage, of which she was very proud.

Sarah’s belated birthday

After meeting Sarah at her new apartment, we had lunch at Stella’s Market and then shopped in Target and Home Goods to get some things she needed for her new apartment.

After dropping her and all her goods by her apartment, I stopped to check in to my Airbnb on Parkwood in Carytown.

Carytown Airbnb

Later in the evening, we had a lovely dinner at Alewife in Churchill. It was a most delectable meal, with my favorites being the steamed mussels with green curry sauce and the tuna ceviche with aji amarillo, pickled onion, cilantro and chicharrones. Both were over the top and “to die for!”

Sarah also enjoyed her main meal of John Dory with potato puree, roasted mushrooms, and ramps and I enjoyed the appetizer Smoked Fish Dip: Pickles, Dill, trout roe, and grilled bread. My least favorite were the special crab hush puppies with Cajun remoulade.

Sarah making a toast at Alewife

steamed mussels with green curry sauce at Alewife

Sarah and me at Alewife

Sarah blows out a birthday candle

The next morning, we went shopping again, this time for some new clothes for Sarah’s birthday. I dropped her at the train station so she could return to Virginia Beach, and then I drove home to northern Virginia.

A new roof to top off the month

Our insurance company approved the replacement of our roof due to storm damage, so on the last two days of the month, we had a new roof installed on our house. This was a thing I wasn’t excited to spend money on, so I’m glad the insurance company finally approved it.

a new roof being installed on our house

new roof ini progress

The family from afar

Here are some photos from April of the family in Nicaragua and in Atlanta.

Allie in Atlanta

Mia and little Mikey in Nicaragua

Adam and Mike in Nicaragua

Miscellaneous stuff

I finished 4 books in April, bringing my total to 15/48 for the year, with my favorites being Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips and What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama. We saw several movies: La Dulce Villa and Sult (A Copenhagen Love Story) on Netflix and The Ballad of Wallis Island at Cinema Arts Theatre. We finished the 3rd season of White Lotus, the 4th of The Upshaws, and the 6th of Virgin River, the 1st of The Äre Murders and Paradise, and the final seasons of Modern Family, Valeria, and the Turkish show Kimler Geldi Kimler Geçti (Thank You, Next). We started watching several series: Dying for Sex, The West Wing, Long Bright River, Your Friends & Neighbors, & Severance. We continued watching The Split, Younger, & Unforgotten.

I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the spring and the rest of this year.

the colorful university town of guanajuato, mexico

wanderessence1025 April 23, 2025

A Challenging Drive from Mexico City to Guanajuato

Friday, February 21, 2025: On Friday morning, we took an Uber at 9:30 am to Alamo Car Rental at the Mexico City Airport. By the time we signed all the paperwork and left the airport, it was 11:00. We thought we had a 4 1/2 hour drive ahead to Guanajuato. We had asked for a transponder so we could use it to go through toll plazas seamlessly and then pay whatever tolls we accrued when we returned the car. Every country in which we’ve rented cars has operated this way.

We then made our way north 20 minutes when we reached a single-booth plaza to the autopista but the transponder registered “invalid;” the gate to the highway wouldn’t open and we were shuttled off to a busy local road. Mike looked at Waze and it seemed if we didn’t use the toll road, it would take us 7 hours to get to Guanajuato. We tried to call Alamo but got a US number and no human to speak to. Thus we did a U-turn and drove 30 minutes through heavy traffic back to Alamo.

Our rental car: Chevy Onix

The GPS to Guanajuato as we left Mexico City’s airport

There a woman who spoke English explained that we needed to put money on the transponder at a 7-11. She walked Mike to the terminal and helped him put 800 pesos on the card. One hour & 20 minutes later, at 12:20, we were on the road again.

We arrived back at the same toll plaza and the card still read invalid. We tried to pay with cash, but the man there said it was not possible to pay with cash. We were shuttled off once again to the same local road. This time we stopped at a gas station and Mike was told the cash balance normally takes 15-20 minutes to register. It had been a half hour since Mike had added the pesos.

Finally Google Maps led us on congested local roads to a large toll booth. The transponder still registered “invalid” but they did take cash. We finally got on the autopista and were on our way. It wasn’t until over an hour later that the transponder finally worked; however it didn’t work on all the highways.

So, between an auto accident where we were rerouted and between a huge traffic jam getting into Guanajuato and then getting lost in the city, the drive which was supposed to take 4 1/2 hours took us 7 hours.

Guanajuato: Hotel Terra Vista

We arrived at the amazing Hotel Terra Vista, where we had a beautiful apartment. It was huge, and actually slept 8 people including a fold-out couch.

Hotel Terra Vista

Master bedroom at Hotel Terra Vista

shower and bathroom at Hotel Terra Vista

spare bedroom at Hotel Terra Vista

dining room at Hotel Terra Vista

living room at Hotel Terra Vista

kitchen at Hotel Terra Vista

We headed off quickly to eat at a nearby seafood place as we were told it closed at 7:00 p.m.

Mexican restaurant near Hotel Terra Vista

Steps: 4,329; Miles 1.83. Weather Mexico City: Hi 70°, Lo 48°. Mostly Cloudy / Guanajuato: Hi 73°, Lo 50°. Cloudy with some rain.

Saturday, February 22: We enjoyed our first view of Guanajuato from our beautiful apartment in Hotel Terra Vista, owned by Canadians Susan and Endre Pataky. The workshop pictured is used extensively by the owner Endre; he builds custom furniture for people and has served as general contractor for the building of the property itself. We adored this place!

The owners kept chickens on the property and each morning put out fresh eggs which guests could buy and use. We had bought four the night before, so we whipped up scrambled eggs for breakfast.

morning view from Hotel Terra Vista

patio at Hotel Terra Vista

master bedroom at Hotel Terra Vista

living room at Hotel Terra Vista

patio at Hotel Terra Vista

Hotel Terra Vista

Endre’s woodworking shop at Hotel Terra Vista

After breakfast, we walked from the patio area of our Terra Vista Apartment down the road and then down 280 steps into the center of Guanajuato City, capital of the state of Guanajuato. The city was made prosperous in the late 18th century by silver mining; by 1780, Guanajuato was the world’s single biggest silver city, producing between a fifth and a quarter of all New Spain’s silver.

The city’s prosperity was abruptly curtailed when the Mexican War of Independence (Mexico’s war with Spain from 1810-1821) broke out in 1810, starting in nearby Dolores Hidalgo. The rebel army invaded Guanajuato when it refused to surrender on September 28, 1810, and the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, the public granary, was the site of one of the most important and bloodiest battles in the War of Independence.

While other silver mines went into decline after independence, Guanajuato’s silver mines continued to produce throughout the 19th century. In the late 1980s, Guanajuato began massive restoration projects on its many historic buildings. The historic center has numerous small plazas and colonial-era mansions, churches, and civil constructions built using pink or green sandstone. The city historic center and the adjacent mines were proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

The city of about 195,000 people (2020 census) is located in a narrow valley, which makes its streets narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides. Many of the city’s thoroughfares are partially or fully underground. We were told there are 28 tunnels that run under the city.

Our first encounter with a church in town was Iglesia San Francisco, a church and former convent, originally built in the 18th century by Franciscan friars as accompaniment to their school and orphanage. The church has a stunning pink sandstone churrigueresque entryway.

walking down the steps into Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Iglesia de San Francisco in Guanajuato

Guanajuato

We strolled through to the Jardín de la Unión & Teatro Juárez. The Jardín de la Unión is a lively square with square-clipped trees that sits in front of Teatro Juárez. It’s surrounded by shops and cafes and is a great place to sit in the shade and watch the bustle all around.

The Jardín de la Unión was once the atrium of a large San Diegan convent in the city center. It was converted to a public space during the post-independence Reformation of the early 19th century.

We climbed to a rooftop cafe where we shared a waffle, sipped coffee, and enjoyed the views of Teatro Juárez, accompanied by the songs “Farolito” by Gilberto Gil & Natalia Lafourcade and “Tú Sí Sabes Quererme (feat. Los Macorinos)” by Natalia Lafourcade.

Back at street level, I found two beautiful bracelets at a shop across from Teatro Juárez. Then we walked all around the lively Jardín de la Unión.

Teatro Juárez

cafe overlooking Teatro Juárez

mural in cafe

Teatro Juárez

Jardín de la Unión

me at a cute shop

Jardín de la Unión

Mike at Jardín de la Unión

me at Jardín de la Unión

What a colorful and lively city Guanajuato is! We continued our aimless wanderings, admiring the city’s sherbet-colored colonial buildings, its plethora of churches, Guanajuato University, & the triangle-shaped esplanade, Plaza de la Paz, with its striking yellow Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, the city’s first parish church. In 1957, the church was upgraded from parroquia (parish church) to the elevated title of basilica. Built in the 17th century with funds from the mines, the building’s brightly painted facade is largely original, though its churrigueresque bell tower was added in the 19th century. Each of the church’s three entryways is surrounded by a lovely hand-carved sandstone facade.

The basilica’s interior is a wash of subtle pastels, marble floors and shiny crystal. The walls are painted with delicate frescoes in pink, aqua and white.

We stopped for lunch at La Tasca de la Paz. We tried the traditional dish, Enchiladas de Minero Rico (Tortillas de maíz bañadas en salsa de chile guajillo acompañada de papas y zanahoria) and Consomé Casero: Apapacho de pollo con verduras. We enjoyed people-watching and listening to the tune of “Eternal Life” by Palaye Royale.

Later we walked by the university and saw the imposing Templo de la Compañia de Jesús, an exquisite pink sandstone church that was constructed 1747-1765 by Jesuit priests. Another boon of the silver trade, the large neoclassical cupola behind the main facade was added to the building during the 19th century, commissioned by the Jesuit brother of a mining magnate.

Guanajuato

me in Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Plaza de la Paz

Guanajuato

La Tasca de la Paz

Enchiladas de Minero Rico (Tortillas de maíz bañadas en salsa de chile guajillo acompañada de papas y zanahoria) at La Tasca de la Paz

Consomé Casero: Apapacho de pollo con verduras at La Tasca de la Paz

Plaza de la Paz

Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Templo de la Compañia de Jesús

Guanajuato University (the tall white building)

Guanajuato

Jardin de la Union in Guanajuato

A girl in a quinceañera dress walks past Teatro Juárez

Teatro Juárez

Teatro Juárez is a historical 19th century theater located in Guanajuato. It was built from 1872 to 1903 from a design by architect José Noriega and by order of General Florencio Antillón. The building was completed by architect Antonio Rivas Mercado and engineer Alberto Malo, who implemented refurbishments that significantly changed the exterior and interior.

The building has an opulent neoclassical facade emblematic of the Porfiriato, the period of rule of President Porfirio Díaz, which ended with the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The theater was inaugurated in 1903 with a performance of Verdi’s Aida. The building eventually fell into disrepair; attempts to restore the building began in the 1950s and went through 1973. Now it is a prominent performing arts venue.

Looking out over the Jardín de la Unión, Teatro Juárez has 12 Doric columns supporting a cornice topped by a row of black stone muses. Inside, the Gran Salón Auditorio, influenced by Moorish design, is decorated with hand-cut wood-and-stucco relief painted in brilliant reds, blues and golds.

Teatro Juárez

Funicular Panorámico & El Pípila

After our visit to Teatro Juárez, we took the Funicular Panorámico, just behind the theater, up the hillside to the rose-colored El Pípila statue. From the public esplanade, we found magnificent views of Guanajuato in the ravine below.

view from the top of the Funicular Panorámico

Mike at the top of the Funicular Panorámico

me at the top of the Funicular Panorámico

Mike with a new friend

El Pípila statue

Hotel Terra Vista

We took a short walk back to our apartment, relaxed, sipped cold cervezas, & chatted with a British couple and a couple from Brooklyn, Scott & Alexandra. We talked a lot about the horrors that our new president is bringing to the world. Scott & Alexandra are very active in Democratic politics in Brooklyn. Of course as New Yorkers, they have a long-standing hatred of the 🍊 💩.

Hotel Terra Vista

chickens at Hotel Terra Vista

patio at Hotel Terra Vista

After our long and lively discussion, Mike and I walked to a little hole-in-the-wall taco 🌮 place where we brought back delicious taco makings: mine was champignons & veggies & Mike’s was a unknown combo of meats and veggies. We set up the tacos in our apartment and enjoyed a delicious local meal.

dinnertime

our meal in our apartment

Steps: 11,357; Miles 4.81. Weather: Hi 78°, Lo 48°. Mostly sunny.

Universidad de Guanajuato

Sunday, February 23: On Sunday, after breakfast in our apartment, we walked down to the town center to see the Universidad de Guanajuato (University of Guanajuato), a university based in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, made up of about 47,108 students in programs ranging from high school level to the doctorate level. Over 30,893 of those are pursuing undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees and 16,215 are in high school. The university offers 215 academic programs, including 117 postgraduate programs, and 90 bachelor’s degrees. The university has schools in fourteen cities throughout the state of Guanajuato.

We had read you could climb to the roof of the massive building for fabulous views of the town, but when we arrived eager to climb, we were told it was closed on Sunday and we should come back Monday through Friday.

breakfast

Guanajuato

Universidad de Guanajuato

Templo de la Compañia

Museo Casa Diego Rivera

We headed instead to the Diego Rivera Museum. The Museo Casa Diego Rivera is a museum founded in the birthplace of the artist Diego Rivera (1886 – 1957) in September 1975 with the aim of disseminating the works of the painter and prominent Mexican muralist who captured his communist ideals in building murals.

Within the museum itself there are six temporary rooms where exhibitions of Mexican and foreign artists are held. One hundred two works by Diego are on display, including sketches, illustrations, projects and paintings.

There was a special exhibit by renowned Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, titled “Structured Universe.” In this exhibit the curators showed us on a human scale how everything is organized here on earth down to the smallest sized animal recognizable to the naked eye, the insect.

“The artist specialized in woodcuts and lithographs, but his mezzotints have also been acknowledged as masterpieces in the medium. His work ranges from postal stamps, to tiling or tessellated geometric arrangements, and, most fascinatingly, analysis of self-reference, conscience, and paradoxes of logic and perspective.” (from the museum exhibition).

Museo Casa Diego Rivera

“Puddle” by M.C. Escher at Museo Casa Diego Rivera

“Rippled Surface” by M. C. Escher at Museo Casa Diego Rivera

Museo Casa Diego Rivera

“Drawing Hands” by M.C. Escher at Museo Casa Diego Rivera

Museo Casa Diego Rivera

It was disappointing that no photos could be taken of Rivera’s works. I thought his studio in San Ángel, Mexico City was more interesting than his birthplace home, although the home was quite nice with its central courtyard.

According to the museum: “From his stance as a militant, activist and agitator, Diego Rivera championed art with ideological content and the post-revolutionary social struggle to constitute the Mexican nation, with the muralist movement at the center of his socialist art designed to reach the masses.”

Museo Casa Diego Rivera

statue of Diego Rivera near the Museo Casa Diego Rivera

For me, the most interesting part of the museum included black & white photos of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

Frida Kahlo

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo

We finished our visit at the Museo Casa Diego Rivera in the courtyard of the house and then continued our wanders through the colorful town. We happened upon the Templo y Plaza de San Roque. The Templo San Roque is an old 18th century chapel overlooking a plaza of the same name. Originally built in 1726 by Father Don Juan José de Sopeño y Cevera, the building served as a santa escuela (Jesuit school) 1746-1794. The pink sandstone exterior has a simple stone entryway and three stone saints embedded into a wall of sandstone bricks.

Guanajuato

me in Guanajuato

Templo San Roque in Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Parroquia de Belen

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

The Alhóndiga de Granaditas (public grain exchange), now the Regional Museum of Guanajuato, is an old grain storage building in Guanajuato City. This historic building, designed in a spare neoclassical style, was created to replace an old grain exchange near the city’s river. The giant boxy building resembles a fortress from the outside. Inside, a spacious patio is framed by heavy green sandstone columns. It is equivalent to the regional grain exchange. Its construction lasted from 1798 to 1809, by orders of Juan Antonio de Riaño y Bárcena, a Spaniard who was the quartermaster of the city during the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his insurgent army stormed the building during the first battle of the Mexican War of Independence in September 1810, leading to the legend of El Pípila. El Pípila (the turkey) was a cripple who had an unusual way of walking. The Spaniards had hunkered down into the granary waiting for reinforcements. El Pípila, not fearing for his safety, strapped a large stone on his back, picked up a bucket of tar, grabbed a flaming torch and ran at the only weak point of the structure, the wooden door. The stone on his back protected him from the Spanish arrows that came at him. Once at the door, he coated it in tar and set fire to it with his torch. The solid wood door was weakened and the smoke blinded the Spaniards as the rebels rushed into the Alhondigas.

After the battle, the Alhóndiga was cleared out and served as a military barracks and warehouse. During the 19th century, it was a city jail for several decades. The building became a museum in 1949.

The building received World Heritage listing as part of the Historic Town of Guanajuato in 1988.

The walls of the building’s staircases are painted with dramatic murals about the independence movement by celebrated early-20th-century artist José Chávez Morado.

In the final salon, a collection of vintage photographs shows Guanajuato as it was in the early 1900s.

Murals in Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Murals in Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Some of the exhibits in the Alhóndiga de Granaditas showed old photographs of Guanajuato’s history. One exhibit was titled “Cartonería (cardboard),” which shows Mexican folk art such as folk toys, masks, catrinas and alebrijes.

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Retrato de Benito Juárez by Francoise Aubert (ca 1870)

“Guillermo Prieto y Benito Juárez” (1970) by Ramón Casas

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Romualdo y familia, ca. 1905, by Romualdo Garcia

Romualdo García

“Joven con sombrero y silla, de la Serie “Mujeres” by Romualdo García

Fochoda del Teatro Juárez, Guanajuato (ca. 1908) by Winfield Scott

“Porfirio Díaz en la hacienda de beneficiio La Valenciana, Guanajuato,” 28 de octubre de 1903

“Cartonería” at Alhóndiga de Granaditas

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

We enjoyed a Sunday afternoon lunch break in a pretty square at El Cerro de Las Ranas where Mike had Pollo con mole, and I had a chile relleno. We listened to “Secreto de Amor” by Joan Sebastian.

Guanajuato

chile relleno at El Cerro de Las Ranas

Mike and Pollo con mole at El Cerro de Las Ranas

me at El Cerro de Las Ranas

We took at taxi back to our hotel and enjoyed wonderful afternoon views of Gunajuato from the terrace of Terra Vista.

Views of Gunajuato from the terrace of Terra Vista

An evening in Guanajuato

We took a break from Mexican food on Sunday evening, taking a taxi from our place on the ridge into town and having sushi at Delica Mitsu. Caravan Palace serenaded us with “Lone Digger.”

Delica Mitsu

Taking a stroll after dinner we saw the Museo Iconografico Don Quixote, which seems strange to find in Mexico.

Guanajuato

Iglesia de San Francisco in Guanajuato

Don Quixote Museum

Then we wandered down to Teatro Juárez where musicians were serenading people sitting on the front steps.

Teatro Juárez

Musicians at Teatro Juárez

In the evenings, the streets of Guanajuato come alive with a cacophony of music from different bands. Around the Jardín de la Unión and around Teatro Juárez different bands play different tunes to people sitting on steps or in cafes. What results is a cantankerous brew of noise and one-upmanship. It’s a wild scene.

Steps: 12,390; Miles 5.25. Weather: Hi 79°, Lo 50°. Sunny.

Last day in Guanajuato

Monday, February 24: Monday morning we walked down to the town again for our last time, as we would leave on Tuesday for San Miguel del Allende.

Terra Vista

me at Terra Vista

We saw the Teatro Principal, another important theater in town.

Guanajuato

Teatro Principal

Guanajuato

café in Guanajuato

We still wanted to go up on the roof of the University of Guanajuato to see the views. This time the university was open, but we weren’t allowed access because we weren’t students. The guard told us we could come back at 7:00 pm, but by then it would be dark. Finally, after our third visit, we had to give up!

University of Guanajuato

We then wandered to Callejón del Beso, (Alley of the Kiss), where two balconies across from each other on a narrow street are so close that a couple can kiss each other from the two balconies. According to a local legend, two lovers from different social classes lived in houses on opposite sides of the alley. Their families were opposed to the romance. Doña Ana was a rich young woman, while her lover, Don Carlos, was a poor miner. At night they would lean over their adjoining balconies for evening kisses.

Callejón del Beso

Mercado Hidalgo

We wrapped up our last day in Guanajuato by visiting the Mercado Hidalgo, one of the nicest examples of turn-of-the-20th-century architecture in the city.It was inaugurated on September 16, 1910, by President Porfirio Díaz. It was a gift to the city in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence. It was originally designed as a train depot. The covered market today holds a jumble of fruit and vegetable stands, taco joints, juice bars and stands selling dulces tipicos (traditional Mexican candies). The second floor holds crafts and souvenirs, mostly inexpensive trinkets.

We wandered around the 2-story market and then had lunch at a small joint called Mariscos Del Mar. Usually the portions of Mexican food are huge, so I was happy to find a light salad-like camarones tostada. Mike’s lunch, on the other hand, was huge as usual.

Mercado Hidalgo

Mariscos Del Mar at Mercado Hidalgo

Mike at Mariscos Del Mar

camarones tostada at Mariscos Del Mar

Mariscos Del Mar

Mike at Mariscos Del Mar

Mercado Hidalgo

Last night in Guanjuato: Hotel Terra Vista

We took a taxi to Terra Vista, relaxed a bit, then took beers out to the terrace where we continued our political discussions with Scott and Alexandra, as well as Endre, the owner of Terra Vista, who is a Canadian from Calgary and was playing a bit of a devil’s advocate but not in a bad way. He was challenging us to explain our points of view especially regarding both Biden’s and Trump’s use of Executive Orders. It was a good discussion and it was fun to talk to smart well-informed people, but honestly part of the reason we were in Mexico was to escape our vitriolic politics. We did feel a common bond with this group over our beliefs in human rights, support for Ukraine, limited presidential powers, the dangers of fascism, 47 (I refuse to say his name) and Elon Musk.

Hotel Terra Vista

patio where our discussions took place at Terra Vista

Steps: 7,669; Miles 3.25. Weather: Hi 73°, Lo 50°.

Tuesday, February 25: We ate breakfast and said goodbye to Endre after he gave us a piece of bark from his woodworking shop where he wrote a number of recommendations for San Miguel de Allende and Querétaro. Before we left, he also gave us a tour of a house he’s building on the property which he intends to sell, for an asking price of $280,000. The design of it wasn’t especially to my liking, but the price sure seemed good.

breakfast at our Terra Vista apartment

Endre and Mike at Terra Vista

Endre’s recommendations for San Miguel de Allende and Querétaro

On our way out of town, heading on a northerly route toward San Miguel de Allende, with stops planned in Santa Rosa de Lima and Dolores Hidalgo, we saw a colorful but strange building. We had no idea what it was, possibly a church repurposed into a restaurant?

a colorful place just north of Guanajuato

We drove on to Santa Rosa de Lima, our first stop of the day.

IsVeranillo here?

Homebody stuff

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Mike carries on with consulting & I begin a new blog

A new used car: 2014 Mitsubishi ASX

Shopping for big stuff in Liberia

Monster Gym and exercise options

Tilarán & Tronadora

Exploring local cuisine

Local drives

Peninsula 1 in Tronadora

Two nights in Playa Hermosa

Errands in Liberia

Back home in Buena Vista

Meanwhile, back in the homeland …

Another walk to Tronadora

Expanding our local connections

A month of the rainy season. Veranillo soon to come.

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Templo y antiguo convento de San Antonio

Plaza de la Corregidora

Museo de Arte de Querétaro (MAQRO)

Bistrot Chez Julien

San Sebastián Bernal & Peña de Bernal

Querétaro

Centro Histórico de Querétaro

Temple and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Fountain of Neptune

MUCAL, Museo del Calendario

Temple of San Felipe Neri (Cathedral of Querétaro)

TEMPLO Y EX-CONVENTO DE SANTA ROSA DE VITERBO

Temple and Convent of Santo Domingo

Yougan Sushi

Museo Regional de Querétaro

Jardín Zenea

Mercado de la Cruz

Terraza la Grupa

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Arrival in San Miguel de Allende

Some tidbits about San Miguel

Mike’s birthday celebration

La Gruta

Nirvana

Santuario de Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

Tres Raíces Winery

San Miguel de Allende

Templo de San Francisco

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción

San Miguel wanderings

Oratorio San Felipe Neri

Baja Fish Taquito

El Charco del Ingenio

Mineral de Pozos & Mine of Santa Brigida

Hank’s in San Miguel de Allende

Meeting fellow bloggers of Green Global Trek at Mercado Sano on the Ancha

San Antonio neighborhood

Fábrica la Aurora

Museo la Esquina del Juguete

El Manantial

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Driving from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende. First stop: Santa Rosa de Lima

Dolores Hidalgo

A day trip to Mineral de Pozos

The ruined Mine of Santa Brigida

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A clothing decluttering & a new closet

Wrapping up yoga

Hear, hear!

Dining out

A new iPhone