Leaving the Land of Eternal Spring

We're just finishing up another delightful month in San Miguel de Allende - the place that's become our "go to" winter destination. Haven't been keeping up with the blog since we arrived, mainly because we've succumbed to the relaxed ambiance and pace of life here and have frankly been too lazy to do so. Couldn't even muster the motivation to tote the camera around town and take any original photos so the ones I've attached here are all taken from the SMA tourist website. 

Once again we really hate to leave here on Friday. Will be catching the local bus into Mexico City (about 3 hours), stay overnight at an airport hotel, then board our return flight early Saturday morning. Should be home by around 2:00 PM local time.  

Here are some more photos of one of our favorite destinations.

Lots and lots of pleasant walking around the pretty local streets - generally exploring the town at a snails pace and looking for someplace to have lunch...or maybe  just a cup of coffee.

We've continued to return to one of our favorite local restaurants called Sicilia en Bocca near the Mirador which, as you can see, commands one of the best views of the town. Doesn't hurt that the Italian food here is terrific. A meal typically takes a couple of hours to complete - in true Mexican/Italian style.

Even the local bars are picturesque photo ops here, as this rustic cantina attests.

And another one - just up the street from us in fact.

A favorite outing has been to the small town of Atotonilco just  a short bus ride outside of town. The Sanctuary is a world heritage site and played a role in the events of the Mexican revolution of 1810, when Father Hidalgo and his army of Campesinos stopped here on their way down from Dolores Hidalgo to collect a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which became the symbol and patron of the revolution.

The chapel inside the church, which was built in 1740 on the site of a local Indian (Chichimeca) holy place. In an age when most of the population was illiterate, the inside of the church is loaded from floor to ceiling with frescoes and allegorical scenes from the bible to assist the new converts. 

A look at just a part of the ceiling inside the nave. Atotonilco is a pilgrimage site for people throughout Mexico and beyond, and I must confess it really is an evocative place. The entire little town could be a movie set of a small 18th century Mexican village. Except for the power lines strung along the street I doubt that it looks much different from the day they laid the cornerstone for the church.

We've also been back to La Gruta a couple of times, enjoying the spa and generally soaking up as much sun as possible before our return to reality. 

As before, we really hate to leave the endless sunny days and balmy temperatures of San Miguel, but do plan to return - if not next year then maybe in 2015. Hasta Luego.