Marcia Abramson
The parish church, La Parroquia, is another treasure that sets the town of San Miguel apart from its neighboring towns. Local historians told me that the church's builder, Cefferino Gutierrez, was inspired by a European postcard, and sketched outlines in the sand and directed his workers to build a Mexican-Indian version of a Gothic cathedral. Indeed, the bluesy overhead was ablaze with the pink spires of the church. The plaza has the flavor of an international town in a Mexican Colonial setting. Additionally, it has beautifully restored buildings, including the birthplace home of the patriot Ignacio Allende. The Allende house, a stately and graceful building, with sunlit patios is the perfect model of a San Miguel colonial mansion. Also, of particular interest to me was no neon signs, no billboards, no annoying guides and vendors and no mobs of tourists either Mexican or foreign (except on the biggest fiesta weekends). San Miguel remains an unspoiled Mexican provincial town with an outstanding university that attracts many students from the United States for their art and language courses. I found that in addition to Mexico's many national holidays, there is a festival celebration every month in Sam Miguel with processions, parades, bullfights and fireworks. The month of June has a special day, the 13th, which is the Feast Day of St. Anthony of Padua. St. Anthony is Mexico's Catholic Cupid when young men and women dress up in crazy costumes for the Fiesta de Los Locos Lunatics Fiesta). Men dress up as women and women masquerade as men. Some dress up as fantasy figures and others lampoon politicians and politics. The festivities begin a few days earlier and end on the 13th with a parade through the main streets of town. From mid-September to Sept. 29, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, San Miguel, honors its patron saint with bull runs Pamplona style, fireworks, concerts, religious processions and colorfully costumed folk dancing. There is a nightlong festival on the eve of St. Michael's Day with a parade of mojigangas (huge paper-mache dolls), followed by fireworks in front of the parish church. August is the month for classical music. For more than 27 years the town has hosted the San Miguel Chamber Music Festival. It is claimed that music aficionados from all over the world invade San Miguel to hear the internationally renowned ensembles that participate in this event. Year-round, band music is played in the late afternoon and evenings in the plaza. Mexicans also do not dine until after 10 p.m. and it is not unusual to find lines at restaurants waiting to be seated for dinner at midnight. Shopping for arts and crafts was a bonanza for me. I collect the hammered tin mirror frames, and San Miguel is a field day for arts and crafts collectors of all kinds, including lamps, boxes, masks, hammered tin, brass and copper house wares, which are excellent buys. I was also told that many shopkeepers throughout Mexico come to San Miguel to do their wholesale buying in the shops past the plaza. I ended my visit to San Miguel with lunch and a tour of the city of Guanajuanto (pronounced Wanawantoe). San Miguel is actually in the state of Guanajuanto, which is only an hour's drive away. The state capital was once a prosperous mining town and the town is studded with monuments representing its colonial era glory days. The winding cobble stone streets were filled with souvenir bell stands and led to the town hall where the bells were rung to alert the "independence from Spain fighters" that the fighting had begun. There is also a magnificent University in Guanajuanto. We did drive through the little town of Dolores Hidalgo, acclaimed for its Talavera tile and pottery center. This town is where Mexican independence began just before the ringing of the bells at the town hall.For further information on transportation, tour operators in Mexico and accommodations, contact your travel professional.
© Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
