recuerda mi corazon

savoring san miguel

 

 

september and san miguel is drawing ever near.

how it drapes itself around my heart

like a favorite season.

 far from the familiar landscape of my childhood

mexico opened me

with the first long bus ride

into wild terrain.

   traveling deep into the interior and indigenous regions

i found myself at sixteen

 forever changed.

 

 

women with babies wrapped close to their hearts

in ancient robozos

weaving bright flower laden textiles.

nimble fingers forming baskets

in intricate patterns 

sitting in a circle of friends their stories and laughter

filling the air like bird song.

luscious fruits, pungent spices, blossoms fingering

 the tight paths through crowded market stalls,

strands of guitar trellising

 ballads belted into the welcoming air.

stacks of mocajetas in the shape of round volcanic pigs,

water jugs where quirky mermaids smile

open mouthed, pouring refreshment in a

fountain of abundance

for eternity.

 

everything comprising this world

handmade, divine and delightful,

full of love, history, a sense of place.

 i was then and am forever more

a cloud drifting into its rightful sky.

 

 

my folk art tours and art retreats

grew from a true love and

  genuine desire

to share the enchantment of this inspired culture.

not only to spread a deeper appreciation

for her people and traditions;

also for the sweet chance to return and give back

to a land and her people who have enriched

my perception of life.

my hope is to offer you the most supportive,

nurturing home at casa carmen,

to reveal and endear you to the heart warming culture of san miguel

and to share a rich soul filling creative adventure

that i believe will continue to fulfill you

long after your return home.

 

  

 

if you have longed to share the road less traveled,

in the company of a small intimate group of kindred souls,

if you are hoping to embrace mystery,

fill your soul cup, be inspired countless times a day

in nothing shy of paradise;

come away with me!

 

 

 La fiesta de San Miguel

Celebration of Arch Angel San Miguel

September 25-October 6, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tactile and Visceral explorations with Orly Avineri

November 15-22, 2014

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

 

 

La Fiesta de San Miguel Sept. 25-Oct. 6, 2014

 

 La fiesta de San Miguel

Celebration of Arch Angel San Miguel

September 25-October 6, 2014

 

 

After the rainy season subsides when everything is blooming under azure skies there is no better season to return to the wonder that is always waiting in San Miguel de Allende! Recently voted top destination in the world by Conde Naste Travelers  San Miguel is a rich mosaic of stunning architecture, vibrant culture, thriving traditional and contemporary art, warm inviting weather, delicious cuisine, and beginning September 26 a fiesta to end all fiestas! Together we will enjoy eleven glorious days; filled with an out pouring of love, processions, and traditions. Be prepare to be astonished as an entire city celebrates their beloved patron saint. The nights will be laced with fireworks and the days long with colourful processions, as the entire country arrives in elaborate traditional garments, sharing music, dance and happiness that last long into each night.

 

 

 

The Feast of San Michael is celebrated on the 29th of September every year. As it falls near the equinox, the day is associated with the beginning of Autumn and the shortening of days. San Michael is one of the principal Archangels, protector against the dark of the night. As we move into the edge of winter - the celebration of Michaelmas is associated with encouraging protection during the dark months ahead. San Miguel's combat with evil is acted out each year in front of the Parroquia in a grand fireworks battle that lights up the dark of night; when, just before sunrise, the victory of good over evil is won once more and everyone stops to sing out their thanks as peace reigns over this beautiful town once more.   

 

 

 

 Come away with me and fill your soul cups with the 

 rich exotic flavors of San Miguel de Allende!

 

 

On Sept. 25 Casa Carmen, our charming home away from home, will be waiting for us with open arms, flowers, candles and a welcoming fiesta under the stars and that's just the beginning! Here is just a smattering of some of the joy we will share.....

 

a full day out into the countryside of Guanajuato to an ancient working hacienda; a photographers dream of a life time!  Jesus, our guide for the day, will share the rich history and captivating folklore of Mexico, hacienda life and the and mysteries of mescal.  We will travel back in time to rest in the cool shade of bougainvillea and enjoy a leisurely traditional meal swapping stories, wandering through the ruins of the once richest land owner of all time. Enjoy sweeping vistas, stunning fountains, towering arches, gorgeous gardens, tapestries and opulent wall murals that all reflect Mexico's romantic past. From here we will travel to a traditional mescal distillery to witness the age old process of mashing the roasted hearts of blue agave with burros walking the giant round disk of volcanic rock slowly around. We will have the honor of tasting the heart of roasted blue agave and sipping this mythical, mysterious, medicinal elixir of Mexicos past.

 

 

We will visit the newest home of Mente Cacao

for a demonstration of the harvesting and traditional preparation

of one of many soulful gifts to the world from Mexico;

 cacoa and the birth of chocolate.

Trust me, you will never forget the aroma and taste of this day.

 

 

We will visit Fabrica la Aurora  for their new "working Artists"

open studios program, a chance to see art works in progress and

brush shoulders with the muses of some of

Mexico's hottest contemporary artists. 

 

 

We will share a Sunday pilgrimage to

El Santuario de Atotonilco

one of the most cherished devotional destinations in

the northern hemisphere, with time to also slueth for

milagros in the thriving outdoor religious market.

  

Closest to my heart is the chance to open doors to off the beaten path age old treasures and best kept secrets of San Miguel. While we will enjoy many not to be missed favorites within the town of San Miguel we will also leave the bustling cobblestones behind to scour the back roads into the ancient heartbeat of this intriguing culture. It is my pleasure to introduce you to traditional and contemporary artisans in their private ateliers, for private demonstrations, heartfelt conversations and a chance to experience Mexico, behind the veil; as only an old friend can. 

 

 family silver tallier

 

 We will revel in each moment as San Miguel

unfolds her endless charm,

her warm endearing inclusion of each of us

in the rich embroidery of a soulful life.

Be prepared to fall in love!

There will be heart opening adventures, celebrations

with new friends, sumptuous meals, tuesday market, folk art,

mariachis and time to savor all things Mexico!

 

  

 

High in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Guanajuato

waits the 400 year old colonial town of San Miguel de Allende.

Rich tradition, exotic colors, enticing aromas,

where the old and contemporary converge in a rich offering of art, culture and charm.

San Miguel sits on a hillside,

with inspiring vistas and glorious architecture.

Declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site,

San Miguel de Allende is a bustling colonial community with a perfect climate and elevation of 6,300 ft.

Visitors are greeted with blooming flowers,

fresh air, blue skies, cobblestone streets, rich colonial architecture,

gourmet restaurants and an experience to savor forever.

 

La Fiesta de San Miguel

 

welcoming party, eleven nights accommodation, delicious breakfast, lunch as a family each day,

group transport from Leon, Guanjuato to San Miguel and transport back to airport at the end of our tour,

group adventures and the inspiration of a lifetime.

room for 12 

Price of tour for double occupancy $2,200.00

 

please email for more details and to join us at

recuerda_mi_corazon"at"yahoo.com

con abrazos,

rebecca 

 

 

 

 

 

san miguel de allende through the eyes of ann carter

 

I have a rug now hanging on the wall in my dining room.  It’s full of birds and a little magic as well.  You see, I bought it in Mexico on The Day of the Dead.   

San Miguel de Allende seems made for magic—the narrow cobblestone streets where only the Hispanic women would dare to wear high heels, the door knockers shaped as delicate hands that seem to reach out and grab you, the sunsets over the cathedral towers and distant hills (even better seen from a rooftop while drinking margaritas)—-all of this seems otherworldly.  But I was there during the holiday that truly goes beyond this world, where there is a belief that the souls of those passed over come back to revisit those still on earth—El Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead.  The images are spooky, from the skulls made from sugar (some topped with sombreros which sadly didn’t make it home intact in my suitcase) to the dressed up skeleton figures in storefronts and the ghoulish painted faces of the people on the street, but the day is strangely not about the horror of death as much as an acceptance of it as part of life.  Alters are set out by the front entrances of home with photos of ancestors, flowers and objects special to those now gone.

Our group made such an altar.  A table was set up with levels and covered in cloth.   Marigolds were put in vases or laid on the floor under the alter, for the goal is not to see how long they can survive but to enjoy their ephemeral beauty.   We had brought photos from home of family and friends, parents and grandparents, and in some cases husbands.  I had one of my mother and father on their wedding day, standing next to each other and looking so young, with their mothers, my grandmothers, beside them.  I put it in a purple frame that Helen made in pre-school for a Mother’s Day gift.  And when we stood at dusk and lit the candles, it did seem that the spirits were there.  It seems to be a thing that happens in Mexico.   There was something different in the air.  A man and his son, strangers to us, stopped and stood in front of our altar, paying their respects.  I thought about these people in the photos, also strangers to me, but loved by the new friends standing beside me.  And the magic didn’t come just from the objects before us.  It came from being in a place that believed in the magic.  A place where families spend the whole night by their ancestors’ graves.  It is a magic that comes from somewhere deep within.

And I miss that.  I miss the magic of Mexico.  A few days ago, a damp and chilly November morning, I took the dogs on the wooded trail behind our house.  Being the poor animal trainer that I am, we started off as though we were in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race with me being the sled. But once the sniffing and territory marking began (them, not me), I had time to look around.  The path was carpeted with the fallen yellow leaves from trees that lined the dry creek bed.  With the cloud cover, a soft light was catching the edges of other falling leaves. I realized that I never walk in that woods without feeling lucky to have such a place.   The dogs found things of interest ahead and as I walked along I felt something different in the air.   I was alone but not alone. I saw my mother walking to a nearby garage sale on just such a fall day, eager to buy small presents for all of us.    I saw my dad crossing the street with me when I was six, dressed in plaid flannel and corduroy pants, to play on the swings in the park.  I saw my Grandma Rieder going to get eggs from the hen house to make rice pudding,  a special treat I requested on my visits.   And there was my Grandmother Carter, coming from the kitchen to her bedroom, where she would let her granddaughter try on all her costume jewelry. They were all there, walking the path with me.     

I traveled to Mexico for a week long art workshop and I came home with much more than I went with.   As I look at the rug now, I can still see the faded photo pinned to the stall of the man who sold it to me.  A  black and white picture of an older man working at a loom.  “Yes, it is my father,” he told me.  “He taught me how to make these rugs.” I could say build the altar and they will come, as the Mexicans believe on their glorious Day of the Dead.   But it doesn’t take an altar.  The magic can happen in the decorated doorways of San Miguel, or in a small woods in Kansas.   It’s there when you need it, waiting to be invited in.  

Special thanks to Rebecca Brooks, the organizer and host of our art retreat, who holds much magic herself.  I truly believe that the magic of the trip generated from her and spread out until we were all giving of ourselves in a magical way.     I would follow her anywhere!

Ann Carter

you can find more of ann's warmth and charm at

ann l. carter

 

for a look at this years san miguel art retreats and folk art tours:

come away with me

 

 

 

san miguel de allende through the eyes of lisa berman

 

I’m recently back from a truly amazing week in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where I went for a painting workshop (and much much more) with the fabulous Flora Bowley. Seriously, I can not think of a better way to start a new personal chapter, which for me means coming back to center.

San Miguel is an unbelievably gorgeous colonial town in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico that's as colorful as any place I’ve ever been. And Flora Bowley, in addition to being an inspiring and fabulous painter, is a truly amazing teacher, guide, and fun, generous spirit.

Our week included: meditation, dance, writing, yoga, sketching, music, poetry, "heart circles" and altars, collaboration, getting in touch with “our voice,” hot springs, jicama tacos, tequila, being brave, new tools, and of course lots of painting! In fact, I painted with my finger so much that it bled (I guess my banjo calluses aren't wide enough-yet!).

Casa Carmen's courtyard

Courtyard as metaphor:
We stayed at the lovely “Casa Carmen” near the jardín, which encompasses a gorgeous courtyard with papel picado strung across it, bougainvillea, and a lovely fountain. I have long dreamed of a home with a courtyard. They are light, open, and center. They are at times a place for tranquility, and at others for gathering. This week under Flora’s encouraging wing brought together many different parts of my life - like "the surrounding rooms" - back to center, my "courtyard." In my life I’ve meditated, I’ve done yoga, I’ve danced, I’ve designed and painted, I’ve been alone and with family and community, I’ve played and enjoyed music, I’ve been in womens' groups, and more. But usually each of these experiences was separate or perhaps only combined a few parts. I don't think I've ever brought them all together at once as part of the process of being creative. To then face a blank canvas and create from that place, it felt like magic. I feel, yes, more whole-hearted. I also feel ready, excited, and grateful beyond words. Now, my challenge is to be brave and share while I’m in the learning process and not be a perfectionist...and carve out time to paint!!

I am so grateful to and for: Flora, Rebecca Brooks, our host; and Rachael Rice (Flora's assistants), Casa Carmen and all that treated us so well there, the fabulous women in our group, and to my dear family and friends - ¡Gracias!   xoxo, lisa.

 

 

with lovely Flora on top of the Rosewood Hotel

 

 

a very kind and wise woman

 

My darling roommate & photo-taking partner in crime, Yolande, from South Africa

scenes from the Tuesday market

 

 

 Lisa Berman

 

for more stunning photographs, wonderful art work, 

and part two of lisa's visit to san miguel please visit her at

 

Lisa Berman design

 

 

 

with registration beginning valentines day

for 2014 folk art tours and art retreats

i thought it would be 

lovely to share san miguel through the eyes of a recent 

traveler. 

special thanks to lisa for sharing her heart in this ode 

to san miguel de allende!

 

Come Away With ME