Falling...in Love with San Miguel

by Norma Hair and Carol Schmidt

Book Overview

Thinking about retiring to Mexico? San Miguel de Allende, for 50 years an art colony drawing many U.S., Canadian and British citizens seeking an exciting and affordable change of pace for their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0978728629
• ISBN13: 9780978728625
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Salsa Verde Press
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Interesting and thought provoking

I picked up this book with interest and some preveious experience with San Migue de Allende, having spent time there over the past few years. However, I am not able to be there for the heavy festival times since I continue to be a full time wage earner, so it was very interesting to learn what the city is like in September and for the Day of the Dead celebrations etc. Norma and Carol have provided colorful pictures of life in a new location, with the good, and the not so good clearly stated. Yes, learning a new language is not easy in the second half of a person's life, some of the other customs of a foreign land are also hard to adjust to. What I think Norma and Carol capture perfectly is the feel of the people there, their generosity of spirit and the warmth with which they make the outsiders feel welcome. As Norma and Carol said, it isn't Disneyland; there is poverty, there are problems; there are frequent small scenes on the streets that remind me how lucky I have been due to accident of birth in a comfortable place and opportunities provided by family members who had been given greater opportunites themselves, but there is much beauty and much joy as well. I am sure that there are many who do not share all of Norma and Carol's opinions about lifestyle or politics (I certainly do not share their love of hot and spicy foods!) but no matter what a person's personal codes may find acceptable, they will find good insight and advice on an area and a way of life that we certainly don't see here in the northern United States. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who would like the feel of living in a totally new enviornment as well as anyone considering the lovely city of San Miguel de Allende.

Finding your own piece of heaven

I have had the privilege of learning to love this book as it was being born, reading fragments of it here and there, learning about the authors' love for their chosen haven of love and colour and peace in a world that is full of trouble and pain. Let me just say that I have been waiting for this volume for a long time, so that I can sit back and read it all again, in full now and complete and still full of light and love and insight and delight. Carol writes with an artist's eye for detail, and I can see Norma's vision filling in the canvas. We aren't always given the privilege of finding our own piece of heaven, let alone living in it - but these two women have done it, and this book is a testament to their achievement. It's a joy to read, and a joy to share their lives in this amazing place called San Miguel de Allende. Christmas is coming. Buy this book for all your friends who want a touch of South-of-the-Border sunshine to pierce winter's gloom.

Beautiful and helpful

Falling...in Love With San Miguel by Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair is a beautiful book, inside and out. On the cover is a breathtaking view of the colorful town, and inside is a lively account of the authors' first year there, complete with favorite restaurants and shopping spots and the prices paid, converted to U.S. dollars. San Miguel is an artists' haven, and Schmidt, who tells the story from her viewpoint, is a student of art. But she is also an artist with words. Her vibrant descriptions of the parades, festivals, marketplaces and food tantalize all the senses. I felt like I was there. Anyone who is thinking of retiring to Mexico, or merely visiting, should read this book. With their frank assessment of things they love (so much to do and see, inexpensive produce, the moderate climate) and things they don't, (the unavailability of favorite brands, rough sidewalks, the language challenge) Schmidt and Hair will either dissuade you or have you calling for a expedited TripTik. ...Anne Seale, author of the Jo Jacuzzo mysteries