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Last Day in SMA, Mexico

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We visited two wineries on our last day in San Miguel de Allende. Rosa hired a driver to take us to the wineries that were located just outside of SMA. The first was Vinedo San Miguel, a pretty large vineyard with an impressive showroom and a well organized itinerary. We opted for the tour with 5 (or 6?) tastings plus a cheese and charcuterie board. The price per person was very reasonable. Since it was hot and sunny outside, we took an umbrella from the stand before our guide led us out for a tour of the vineyard. The tour continued inside: we saw where harvested grapes were pressed, transferred into barrels, fermented and then bottled. The grand finale was the tasting. It was a very enjoyable experience. The next winery was the Viñedo Los Remedios, a much smaller operation than the first. The tour was not as extensive but it was still a pretty winery. We tasted a few wines with snacks. It was a very relaxed group that went back to the villa! Dinner that evening was leftove...
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Second Day in SMA, Mexico

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Today was filled with activity. I took a long walk by myself in the morning, to use up the extra calories consumed the past few days. Explored downtown and found the mercado. This is what I like to do: visit fresh markets to check out what local residents shop for. I also found the mercado de artesanías, where artists displayed their arts and crafts for sale. Took a lot of photos of the colorful buildings. It got hot very quickly, so I had to walk back (uphill) to Rosa's villa. We went downtown for a light lunch since we had reservations for dinner at another roof top restaurant later. Then we went to the mercado again as one of the ladies wanted to get some gifts and souvenirs. Following that, Rosa took us to City Market, which was a big upscale supermarket, a direct contrast to the small stalls in the local mercado. We had coffee in a little cafe inside City Market. The store was similar to a high end H-E-B: nicely packed and presented groceries and dry goods; expatriates ...
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A Birthday Party in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

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The day after the wedding banquet, I checked out of my Airbnb early in the morning, drove back to YVR, and returned the rental car. Flew to Queretaro (QRO), Mexico. This was a long travel day with a layover in Houston. Arrived QRO around 7:20 pm, got my luggage and found a driver holding a sign with my name. We waited for another lady who was also going to San Miguel de Allende. Found out that she was from Arizona but lives in SMA months at a time. She had traveled all over the world, and we spent the 1.5 hour drive exchanging travel stories. My three friends, Rosa, Paulette and Susie, were already at Rosa’s house near downtown. This is the group of ladies that I cruise with for the past 5 years. Rosa’s house was amazing, a colonial villa, beautifully restored and furnished. I had a taco as a quick bite, before settling in for the night. We were in SMA to celebrate Susie’s 70th birthday. The next morning, we had brunch on the downstairs patio. Rosa had a local chef come in to make ...
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Wedding Ceremonies, Coquitlam, BC

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The church wedding on Saturday was beautiful. The fun part: the newlyweds led the procession out of the church to the soundtrack of Monster Hunter (an online game). They came back on the stage for photos with groups of friends and family (there was a schedule). Following that was a reception in the church gym, with mocktails, finger food and cake, as well as games and activities for the wedding guests. After the reception, I drove my sister and brother-in-law (the bride's parents) to Peace Arch RV Park in Surrey so my brother could show them his new RV. We also took the opportunity to harvest wild blackberries that were growing along the fence surrounding the RV park. Then, it was time for an informal dinner at the groom's condo in Coquitlam. He had reserved the condo's ballroom and the wedding party got together for a light dinner and some karaoke. The ballroom at the top of the building provided very nice views of Coquitlam. The next day was the Chinese tea ce...
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