Serendipity in San Miguel de Allende 2019

Me and famous Mexican artist and muralist
David Leonardo. 

The Jacaranda trees, a gift from Japan to Mexico, are blooming among the bouganvilla in San Miguel and surrounding mountains, a lovely purple world infusing our soul and spirit. 

It was serendipity, for which San Miguel de Allende is famous, among the thousand other delights  that make this beautiful World Heritage city in the Mexican mountains such a treasure, so beloved.
When you're in San Miguel the soul and spirit of the place envelops you. You bump into happy circumstances and people, make discoveries that you weren't looking for but welcome, unexpected surprises that delight. A form of good Karma.

We were walking back to our hotel Ruisenor, Sophie, Linda and I, after a fabulous birthday (felicidades) dinner, which included a luscious dessert with one bright candle courtesy of the 13 Cielos restaurant. We strolled past shop after shop brimming with arts and crafts hecho en Mexico, wonderful cafes and restaurants bustling with activity and happy people, and through the Jardin, the central square, the heart of the town. The iconic Parroquia stood in awesome splendor, lighting up the night. 

The Parroquia.

"Let's sit a minute."  We went around the Mariarchi band, dressed in azul splendor, trumpets and violins in full voice, loud and joyous, to a nearby bench. We breathed in the spirit. Sophie poked me, nodding her head to the right. "Isn't that David Leonardo?"  I looked. Wasn't sure. It's been many years.  I walked up to him (brazenly, maybe because I had just turned 79), and asked.  "Are you David Leonardo, the fabulous artist?"

He had been playing the violin, the sound drowned out by the Mariarchi. He looked up, and smiled. "Yes, I am." 

Oh good heavens! The famous artist and muralist David Leonardo right next to us in real time. I told him I had bought one of his paintings, long ago, during his romantic Conquistador period, and that it still brings me great joy after all these years.  He was pleased. Genuinely pleased. That beautiful sexy smile. "It's nice to hear from people who have bought my paintings and still like them." Born in Mexico City, he speaks perfect English, and he was happy to talk with us.

Brunch at a lovely courtyard
cafe.

I introduced Sophie and Linda. "Sophie moved from California to San Miguel, 10 years ago. She made this beautiful necklace," I said, fingering the jewelry around my neck. "I was friends with her mom Zuzu, an expat from New York, an artist, my San Miguel connection of the heart for many years, along with our old friend Estelle."  David thought he recognized Zuzu's name. "And this is Linda Furney, pioneer Ohio politician, Ohio State Senator, happily retired, my Toledo friend and fellow traveler."  "Toledo?"  "Not Spain, Toledo, Ohio!"

He was enchanted, and enchanting. It felt like we were floating on a lavender Jacaranda cloud.  We embraced the night this way.  Sang and danced and laughed. "I have to play music. The harmonica, and the violin...also the piano...other instruments. It inspires me."   "Do  you still paint?" "Of course, they go together. I have to do both."

The powerful artist, impelled from within to create. "Fran, Fran!" he sang, between the notes of his harmonica.  "Linda, Linda, Linda!"   "Sophie, Sophie, dance. Dance!" Such exuberance. Such joy. Serendipty. In San Miguel. On my birthday.

My David Leonardo, the romantic Conquistador, and next to it a Vermillion, "Tango," over my fireplace.
A Mexican mirror, painted frames, Talivera, arts and crafts I've collected over the years, are on the mantel.
After this period, David went full throttle into his powerful murals of the indigenous Mexican people conquering 
the Spanish and reclaiming their land. The murals are at the Biblioteca and the Instituto. 

 My birthday dessert.  

SMA street on a typical blue sky day.

This is how I spent a fantastico eight days in San Miguel with Linda Furney. The start of it might have daunted other travellers, but not us.  Turns out the Airbnb I had chosen was on top of one of the steepest hills in town, high up on cobblestoned Garita street. In fact it was a such steep climb that after one attempt down it, slowly, carefully, and a cab ride up (I laughed), Linda made reservations at a Hotel Ruisenor, and there we went. We spent the rest of our days in this nice little place on Mesones street, near Relox, just a few blocks from the Jardin, near everything wonderful about San Miguel. 

We had lots of little adventures, like you do in San Miguel, like bumping into David Leonardo. Serendipitous adventures. One sunny, blue-sky day, after a few hours imbibing the beauty of the Bellas Artes Cultural Center, I happened by chance to walk past the studio of artist Vermillion on Canal street. I had forgotten it was there. Wow. Something must have pulled me there. I had bought paintings from Vermillion as well. I went in and there he was. I told him I had some of his paintings and loved them still. We chatted for almost an hour, philosophizing about how time goes by, how he has become interested in theatre, how we learn and grow.

Colorful Talavera ceramics at the Mercado de Artesanias.
Linda saw lots of it on a trip to Delores Hildago, bought
some beautiful tiles.

When Linda and I compared notes at the end of the day, it turns out that while I was chatting with Henry Vermillion, she had gone into the Instituto, the historic, iconc art school, and guess who was there? David Leonardo! They shared more time and conversation, to Linda's delight. I think this was Linda's first real San Migueleno serenditous experience!

On another afternoon we went to a popular corner cafe on the Jardin, one my sister and I love, me for a marguerita, Linda for tea and shared quacamole. Shoot, no place to sit. Two women at one of the tables motioned to us and said we could sit at their table, no problem. And we did, and this is how we made new best friends with two wonderful southern California women.  Linda (yes, another Linda) is originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, and Pittsburg, we learned, and Ilya, originally from Panama, bilingual. We were meant to connect. California Linda and I share an Italian heritage and an Ohio sense of place. Ilya has a long-planned business trip to, of all places, Toledo, Ohio! She'll stay with me when she gets here.

This is the way to spend late afternoons in San Miguel, enjoying the setting sun, toasting to happiness, enjoying the moment, making new friends. We bumped into them again a few days later, on our last day there. Hugged and kissed.Talked up a storm. It was their last day too. We ended up having a farewell dinner together at an Argentine restaurant, good food, great service, great fun. We said goodbye, adios, hasta luego. See you in California one day soon, Linda, and see you in Toledo, Ilya!

Serendipity. The joys of San Miguel. The "fun side of the wall," where the people are kind and caring, the culture is vibrant and welcoming of all visitors, the atmosphere authentic, down-to-earth, honest. The soul and spirit of Mexico. It was hard going home.

David Leonardo murals, Biblioteca, San Miguel de Allende