Bougainvillea

San Miguel de Allende is frequently listed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And it is a lovely place. . . but it's a little different when you live in the non-ex-pat areas of town. We live up in Santa Julia, a working-class neighborhood with a little more "real life" than you see in travel magazines.

Some interesting things to note:

• Cobblestones. The root word "cobb" here is old English and means "loaf" as in loaf of bread. Cobbs are therefore rounded stones about the size of a small loaf of bread. Cobblestone streets are super charming, but a bitch to walk and drive on. San Miguel is also nicknamed the City of Broken Wrists because they are so easy to trip on.

• Rebar. See the rebar sticking up on the upper left corner? If you are a property owner you leave part of your house "unfinished" so that you save on your yearly taxes. If you have wondered about that in Mexico (I did), now you know.

• Big iron doors. San Miguel de Allende has a lot of long stucco walls occasionally punctured and patched by large double doors that open onto courtyards. You'll see one of these doors on the left. In the more affluent areas of town these courtyards often have fountains, sitting areas, and gardens. In my neighborhood you are more likely to see a car parked or a workshop or laundry hanging.

• Bougainvillea. I struggled to keep them alive in Texas. They grow easily here and it's not unusual to see them grow up and over trees and houses.

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato México

March 2018