Category: Blog

In the past painters got their pigments from nature. For example, raising a family in the Low Country, indigo was the in demand blue dye raised on plantations.  Here in the San Miguel de Allende it was red cochineal, a cacti-dwelling bug that expanded scarlet’s appeal. This particular shade of red reached …

Following recent jumps in popularity as the Mexican Maria doll has floated around the world to international landmarks like the pyramids, Big Ben and the Sydney Opera house, Maria’s popularity continues to soar. This month both the Smithsonian and Unicef have sponsored the locally made Mexican Maria Doll Coloring book.  Each coloring book sale through Unicef provides vaccines …

Recently on a tour was an antiques collector that I asked “Out of all the vintage items she collected over a lifetime what was a unifying design element?” Without missing a beat she replied “Acanthus”. Acanthus is a flowering plant that does well here in …

A type of art seen all over town called painted wood, or polychrome, statues have entered the world stage as desired collectibles in museums and private collections.  Why?  What does that mean to the art scene in San Miguel de Allende? Up until the 16th century wood, terracotta and alabaster were …

Vultures are making a comeback in San Miguel de Allende.  Normally they stay in the nearby Picachos mountains but lately the Mexican Black Vulture been seen, eerily enough, in the cemetery. For example, just over the course of the weekend I spotted several on cemetery tours growing from just two vultures …

Holiday History and Culture Tours Every Monday in December 9:30 AM Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26 500 pesos/25 USD Spend Monday morning enjoying San Miguel de Allende’s unique history, culture and Christmas traditions.  The tour is led by Joseph Toone, author of the best-selling Christmas book in the series San …

It is interesting to be at the forefront of a cultural change so you forever know you remember when things were done quite differently before and for a long time.  Think of all the times we needed film to take a picture or knowledge of …

Attending a pal’s funeral this week I learned a bit more about Mexican funeral customs that I had somehow missed in previous ultimate masses (that is, funerals). There is no Biblical or theological reason for the way coffins enter or exit church, rather the tradition is that they enter …

Often folks leave home to have a big, splashy career.  Even Jesus left the confines of Nazareth to start preaching.  Entertainers, in particular, often need to immigrate to find their big successes. Locally we imported from the pampas Margarita Gralia who soared to Mexican soap opera stardom …

Join the longest-running and best rated Day of the Dead tours led by the lad that, literally, wrote the best-selling book on Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende. Explore San Miguel de Allende’s oldest and still active cemetery to enjoy: Why San Miguel de Allende is the epicenter for both the cult of …