Around Town on Saturday

The weekend has arrived! There is so much to do, it's actually hard to make choices and fit everything in. The weather is balmy at about 75 degrees, so it's short sleeves with a lightweight jacket in the backpack as the evenings are cool. Think layering. Because San Miguel is a hill town with cobblestone streets, we wear very sensible shoes with "grippy" rubber soles.

We decide to start our day with an open house in the Historic District that we saw advertised before we left home. The house is magnificent, listed at $699K and sold. We have lots of fun admiring the cantera stone fireplaces, the hand carved stone lintels and window surrounds, magnificent bathrooms with to die for tilework, the outdoor room, the courtyard, blah, blah, blah. I could go on and on! The homes in San Miguel are legend.

We then head to the Chili Cook Off and Best Margarita Contest at the Real de Minas Hotel in the San Antonio district. We are not disappointed- the place is packed and we have a fabulous time. The chili is great and there is even a "Mix the Margarita in the mouth" sponsored by Harry's Restaurant (who else). We all know who tried this trick! There are cowgirls in the bull ring riding beautiful horses, but we do not stay for the show as there are more things we want to do.

We trek to the Jardin for the evening festivities, but Doris and I are sidetracked by a bakery that we pass by. We escape with a carrot cake and a fresh strawberry cake, both melt in your mouth delicious. We check out one of our favorite spots to eat called La Palapa and it is still there although closed for the evening. La Palapa is not like any palapa we've ever seen before. It's a plastic tarp draped over some concrete walls and you eat outside on plastic furniture. The place is very primitive, dirt cheap prices and the best shrimp tacos and carrot cake you'll find anywhere.

We spend a little time in the Jardin, enjoying the music and the lively atmosphere, captivated by the sight of the Parroquia at dusk. We chat, people watch and gaze with amazement as a clown creates incredible animals out of balloons. We are relaxed and happy. We are tired from all the walking with our "out of shape" bodies and with an elevation of 6500 feet, we decide to not push ourselves too much. We call it an early night and go find a taxi and head for "home". Tomorrow is another day!