First Week in San Miguel
Our first week in San Miguel started with a wonderful visit with American friends Elaine and Moose, who live part of the year in San Miguel. Elaine and I had met online years ago through a Princeton alumni group. We were delighted to learn that we were neighbors in San Miguel, and Elaine promptly invited us over. Her house was both stylish and comfortable, with locally made furniture and colorful murals painted by local artists. Just beautiful! Elaine and Moose served drinks on their rooftop, and their neighbor Paul joined us for a little happy hour. The panoramic views were gorgeous, and we could see the distinctive cupolas of our casa, just a block away. Elaine and Moose have been nomads much longer than we have, though their traveling was mostly in an RV. It was fun to trade road trip stories and learn about the quirky characters they have met and befriended over the years. On our way home, Elaine introduced us to Victoria and Gary, another American couple who also have a house in the neighborhood.
It was mid-December, and Zona Centro was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We wanted some festive decor for our apartment. We browsed the endless stalls at the artisans market and chose a long string of colorful lights and a hojalata (punched tin) Christmas tree. That tree was much taller (4 feet, or 1.2 meters) than I had first envisioned, but it was absolutely right for the two-story downstairs living room. We also found some hojalata stars and two cute burritos de Madera (wooden donkeys) for the dining table.
Our family has an annual tradition of decorating for Christmas while playing our favorite holiday music. Our tin tree had built-in lights and colorful glass gems, and didn't need any trimming. So we got into the holiday spirit by playing A Charlie Brown Christmas on my phone while we wove the string of lights through the wrought-iron railing of the upstairs living room.
As with any new home city, we needed to get a feel for where to procure groceries and other necessities. Right near our apartment, we found a variety of specialty stores: farmacia, ferretería, panadería, tortillería, and carnicería. There was even a papelería selling individual sheets of holiday wrapping paper. Mercado Ignacio Ramírez, just a short walk away, had cut flowers, fresh produce, and fast food. A short Uber ride brought us to the Tianguis de los Martes (Tuesday Market), where we picked up some household items and inexpensive clothing (it was chilly at night, and I wanted more socks and sweaters). And another short ride took us to La Comer, a megastore carrying international brands. We loaded up on groceries, jigsaw puzzles for me, and a board game (in Spanish, of course) for the family.
Throughout the week, we tried a variety of restaurants and made note of those that we thought the kids might enjoy. It was fun preparing to celebrate Christmas with our family in a new city.
