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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months

San Miguel de Allende
No. 2 Destination of 23 (this is not a ranking)
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House and Garden Tour - originally written by Barbara in San Miguel while "Lobo" was taking a nap 
(2nd of 3 blogs about San Miguel)

We were fortunate to begin our stay in San Miguel on a Sunday as the volunteers of the Biblioteca
Publica de San Miguel de Allende host a House and Garden Tour on that day
almost every week. This group of American and Canadian ex-patriots charge a nominal fee for the tours, provide
buses and serve as escorts at all the homes on the tours. The monies collected provide Spanish
and English books for schools in and around San Miguel. This program has been going on for
about 50 years. The patio area of the library is also open to the local children to do their homework or take classes in English, music, art and computer skills . 

We were greeted by Americans as soon as we entered the courtyard area of the library. Donning nametags we mingled and chatted with other Americans and Canadians before boarding one of four buses and heading to the
first home about 20 minutes outside of town in Cieneguita.  

The first home we visited was the Quinta Casa Luna belonging to Dianne Kushner. She has created an oasis of beauty, tranquility and functionality in this countryside haven. It houses a cooking school with 3 kitchens, a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms, a living room area and a huge dining room that can seat 50 guests. It is decorated in beautiful Mexican folk art pieces and lots of color on the walls, furnishings and window coverings. There is a copper tub in one bathroom and the basins are hand painted ceramic. There are lovely handmade
metal-framed mirrors in the bathrooms. There are fountains and lovely gardens around the home making it a
totally majestic setting. 

When the volunteers finally pried all of us out of the house and back onto the buses, we were driven to another gem in this neighbourhood . This second home, called Casa de las Ranas, belongs to visionary artist Anado McLauchlin and art historian Richard Schultz. This house and the surrounding gardens and pathways are chock full of color, mosaics and whimsy. The outside of the house welcomes visitors and passers-by with huge blocks of bright colors and faces and geometric patterns in mosaic tiles. Inside, bric-a-brac adorns lamps, chairs, tables, mirrors, walls - you name it! It is a jumble of exuberance expressed in art. I couldn't help but smile and laugh every time I turned my head and saw another original "objet". One visitor was looking intently at a dining room chandelier covered with beads and baubles and declared "I'm getting ideas for what to do with all the stuff I've
collected". Indeed!! Things are glued onto everything, it seems. Every surface including window frames is painted in lively colors. Mosaic tiles are used extensively as are wine bottles and parts of wine bottles in walls, furniture and even stairs. There were 4 burros in a large pen near the house, waiting to be petted by friendly visitors and adding a soft touch to the cactus filled terrain .

This was a great way to get a peak behind the outer walls and see the lifestyles of the "rich and famous" while at the same time providing aid to local children. 

Coming soon: San Miguel de Allende - A Walking Tour
(another blog written by Barbara)