Sunday in San Miguel

We had a very, very slow start today, after a great night's sleep.  I must say, however, that the locals here in San Miguel like to enjoy their Saturday nights....until almost dawn.  None of this kept me awake, but I did rouse enough to look blearily at the clock at 4:30 as the soft sounds of music and happy laughter wafted in through my open bedroom window, along with a much appreciated cool breeze.

We decided that we should go to the Arts & Crafts show at the Instituto Allende.  I'd read it was going on for two days this weekend and it sounded like fun.  This very old building was on the way to the Instituto and it is all decked out with patriotic flair.

There were lots of vendors, some locals others ex-pats, selling a variety of things.  There were paintings, jewelry, needlework, purses, rugs, couches, geegaws and pottery.  A guitarist was preforming and the music lent a very festive flair to the gathering.  We spent a happy hour browsing.  Nonie found a Day of the Dead mermaid bowl to add to her mermaid collection.

You can't keep walking down any of these streets without seeing some amazing door "jewelry."  There are so many beautiful doorknockers and handles that I had to start photographing my favorites.

All these people were lined up for ice cream, just at the Jardin, the gathering place in Centro Historico---
I was sorely tempted to try some, as it was getting hot and I was hungry.

This is Parroquia noturna de San Miguel de Allende, the parish church of San Miguel.  It is the biggest, most important church in town.  It is right next to the Jardin and truly, it looks like a giant confection that should be dusted with powdered sugar!

All the streets in the Centro Historico are beautiful.  Mexican flags are everywhere as September is fiesta time here.  Mexican Independence is celebrated as well as a local festival.

Nonie read that many of the San Miguel streets in Centro were used in the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which probably explains why it all looks so vaguely familiar to me.

And yet more and more wonderful door knockers....

Embroidered clothing and tile work just add to the fun.

By this point it was well after 2 PM and we were starving, so we stopped at the Cafe San Francisco, near the Jardin.  The menu offered many tempting items, but this one caught my eye.

And it was so good!