Portraits of Mexico: San Miguel de Allende
Posted 29 September 2007 Tagged to Mexico, Photography, Travel One Comment
If anything, I am certainly an inveterate traveler. What began as an odd trip to this country or that, is now an often-as-possible jaunt to wherever strikes my latest fancy. The latest interest was Mexico, specifically San Miguel de Allende. A pleasant town about five hours north of Mexico City, San Miguel sits roughly 2000 meters above sea-level, giving it a cool temperate climate. The landscape is equally as agreeable, with rolling lowlands interspersed with lofty hills. Here, cattle and goats lazily graze the light scrub while cowboys watch attentively. All considered, a wonderful, but all too brief journey.
San Miguel de Allende
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A pleasant town about five hours north of Mexico City, San Miguel sits roughly 2000 meters above sea-level, giving it a cool temperate climate
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The entrance to Casita de las Flores, a charming - and quite affordable - alternative to San Miguel's expensive hotels and bed and breakfasts
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The majestically spacious landscape of el Bajio, Mexico
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San Miguel's uniquely colorful colonial-era architecture
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Police still patrol the streets on horseback and in colonial uniforms
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A closely contested Sunday morning basketball game in Parque Juarez
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A welcome respite from San Miguel de Allende's buslting streets, Parque Juarez is an oasis of calm and lush greenery
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The symbolic and physical center of the town, La Parroquia, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, towers majestically over the city
Instituto Allende
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The Instituto Allende, a famed art school and long a draw to artists
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Originally an 18th century hacienda, the building houses artist's studios
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The Instituto harkens back to a less computerized artistic method
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The decorated chapel underscore the Instituto's artistic exploration
Charco del Ingenio - Jardin Botanico
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el Charco del Ingenio botanical gardens, just north of San Miguel, consists of 220 acres specifically dedicated to the conservation of local flora
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The flora is distributed over three main zones: the dry chaparral (shrubland), the canyon and the wetlands by the reservoir
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Artificial islands in the middle of the reservoir
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19th century dam that once powered nearby San Miguel
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Don't miss the Conservatory of Mexican plants
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Mexico boasts the greatest diversity of cacti species
A pleasant town about five hours north of Mexico City, San Miguel sits roughly 2000 meters above sea-level, giving it a cool temperate climate
The entrance to Casita de las Flores, a charming - and quite affordable - alternative to San Miguel's expensive hotels and bed and breakfasts
The majestically spacious landscape of el Bajio, Mexico
San Miguel's uniquely colorful colonial-era architecture
Police still patrol the streets on horseback and in colonial uniforms
A closely contested Sunday morning basketball game in Parque Juarez
A welcome respite from San Miguel de Allende's buslting streets, Parque Juarez is an oasis of calm and lush greenery
The symbolic and physical center of the town, La Parroquia, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, towers majestically over the city
The Instituto Allende, a famed art school and long a draw to artists
Originally an 18th century hacienda, the building houses artist's studios
The Instituto harkens back to a less computerized artistic method
The decorated chapel underscore the Instituto's artistic exploration
el Charco del Ingenio botanical gardens, just north of San Miguel, consists of 220 acres specifically dedicated to the conservation of local flora
The flora is distributed over three main zones: the dry chaparral (shrubland), the canyon and the wetlands by the reservoir
Artificial islands in the middle of the reservoir
19th century dam that once powered nearby San Miguel
Don't miss the Conservatory of Mexican plants
Mexico boasts the greatest diversity of cacti species
Darren,
This looks great to me. Brought back happy memories of several visits to St. Miguel. I especially liked the botanical gardens where we (visitors from UK, their pre-teen daughter and I) were roped into participating in a full moon drum circle ceremony on Easter weekend. The ceremony went far into the night. We ended up losing our hotel reservation in Delores Hidalgo, up the road, and had to stay in a drive-in love motel. What a story! Cheers, Louisa
By Louisa Peat O'Neil at 4:39 pm on 4 April 2008 (#)