Jun 17, 2013 - Feast of St. Anthony

It's Sunday and the Feast of St. Anthony starts with fireworks, promptly at 6:00 am. When I say fireworks, I mean equivalent to any grand finale out there. San Miguel celebrates this Feast with Dia de Loco (day of the crazies). Starting with an outside Mass at St Antonio (the whole town attends this mass the church could not accommodate them all). People come dressed up in costumes (think Mardi Gras) because the parade starts when mass is over. Most of the costumes are pretty elaborate. There is music and food and energy while the parade...

Jun 16, 2013 - San Miguel, Day 2

Fireworks and church bells woke us at 6:00 AM to start the Feast of Saint Anthony (on Sunday). There is always something going on in this town, just because. It was then we realized we survived the night, cat free. Since the door does not close properly, Debbie concocted a full proof way to keep the cats out and it worked. After breakfast (eggs, toast and fruit) we head down the cobblestone road into town. We stopped by the Parroquia St. Anthony, as they set up for the big day tomorrow. The entire church is decorated with yellow flowers,...

Jun 15, 2013 - Guanajuato, Day 2

It's so peaceful waking up to the sounds of church bells ringing and the beautiful view of the sun rising over the mountains. We are truly on Mexican time as we get ready for the day. Breakfast is served at 9:00 and Carmen is a fantastic cook. The menu consisted of mushroom stuffed enchiladas, fresh fruit, an avocado salsa and refried beans (and not the kind we are used to). I almost forgot to mention the homemade cinnamon buns, the really large cinnamon buns. This wonderful breakfast is included in the room rate! The other guests in the...

Jun 15, 2013 - San Miguel de Allende (SMA)

Church bells ring (are you listening) another day, another breakfast. Stuffed chicken (with ham and cheese), zapallito, which is a warm medley of squash and delicious, fresh fruit, avocado salsa and refried beans, Carmen is a fantastic cook. Great conversation with our new friends and a real plus they all speak English. Mirta is especially happy about that too. Saves her from having to translate for us. We leave for San Miguel, a taxi ride later ($27 pesos) we arrive at the bus station. Included in the fare ($98 pesos or $9.80 USD) is a...

Jun 12, 2013 - The journey begins - Day 1 in Guanajuato

And we're off. Thank you, Larry, for getting up with the chickens and driving us to O'Hare. We also like the job assignments you gave us in the car. Debbie, as Director of Security Mirta, as Director of Linguistics and then it's only fitting that I am Director of Situational Awareness. We are up to the task. They say traveling to Mexico there are 2 types of luggage, carry on or lost. We choose the former and head to security with our quart size ziplock bag, stuffed to the top. As a person who typically checks her luggage, I was skeptical...

Jun 7, 2013 - Belfast & Titanic

BELFAST has a history of turmoil and pain that reaches so far back that it is hard for me to digest the impact on Irish lives. Wall murals speak political volumes without words. One does not go to Ireland without sensing deep change as a cultural life style. More later... An exceptional interactive experience was visiting the Titanic Exhibition, it was spectacular! First, Belfast was/is a ship building city. The Titanic was launched here with wondrous excitement and pride. The Titanic's story started in boomtown Belfast in the Harland &...

Jun 3, 2013 - Belfast

NORTHERN IRELAND-Belfast. I arrived groggy June 1 after traveling for over 24 hours. Belfast is a city in transition from "The Troubles", verbal and visual messages abound. Six counties make up Northern Ireland which are under British rule compared to the majority of the Island called The Republic of Ireland. Wall murals are historic, political story boards, some get painted over as new voices express themselves. In front of the government building, peaceful protestors took shifts stating their causes as the rain and police managed their...

Apr 19, 2013 - Goodbye to P, P and P (Pachuca, Pepe and Philippa)

Pachuca is not a tourist destination, in fact we are the anglo tourists here. It has a BIG flag, like Mexico City and a big Jesus, like Rio but really it’s essentially a large rural city with a history in silver mining. Just as British miners came to parts of South Australia they also came here and the legacy is in the hundreds of Pastes (pastie) outlets around town and the pitched roofs of the houses in the hillside villages. Jim has joined the locals in the snack of choice on many occasions. The fillings may be sweet or savoury but his...

Apr 17, 2013 - Puerto Penasco, Sonora Mexico

We drove around Puerto Penasco again, saw a very eclectic 5th Wheel, horse riders on the beach and wonderful views. We then went to Visit "Tugboat Dave" a friend of Jimmie and Jeaine, the couple from whom we bought our 5th Wheel. Tugboat Dave got his name from captaining a Tugboat that brought Oil and other tankers into Ferndale, Washington. Jimmie was 1st mate on one of Exxon's oil tankers and Tugboat Dave's tugboat was the one that brought Jimmie into port. We drove to Ostonera Oyser Farm, run by 12 women, to eat "extremely fresh"...

Apr 16, 2013 - Puerto Penasco, Sonora Mexico

We did some touring and saw Old Town Puerto, very quaint and we found Three Guys Fish Market, Geraldo one of the owners, was extremely honest and we will eventually buy our seafood from him. We then ate lunch at the highest point in Puerto Penasco, El Casa de Captain. A wonder full view of Puerto Penasco and the Sea of Cortez. Went back to Kay & Marlins for cocktails and dinner that Reggi prepared.

Apr 15, 2013 - Puerto Penasco, Sonora Mexico

We drove to Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico. We met up with Kay & Marlin, our friends from Alaska and who we have met several times along our journeys. Marlin made Crab Cakes & Asparagus and Kay made Corn pudding, all was outstanding. We have to say that Marlin's Crab Cakes were the 2nd Best we have every had, Reggi's Crab Cakes being the Best. Now we have a challenge, when we meet again, Reggi and Marlin are going to have a Crab Cake cook off, now with Kay and Michael as the judges, the contest will be a tie.....ummm.

Apr 15, 2013 - More cobblestones narrow streets and colourful houses -San Miguel de Allende

Not long after arriving in San Miguel we were fortunate to make the acquaintance of Juan Carlos. This is what makes travel fun for us. Finding common ground with people in far flung places. Thanks to Juan Carlos, who we met at his delightful tea room Camino Silvestre, just down from our accommodation Casa Mia, we were able to access a tiny hole in the wall coffee shop for the best coffee to take home to Elise, the Buena Vida bakery which had delicious sour dough bread and the best orange doughnuts (in the world according to Juan Carlos) and...