A Fine Patio

 

It was early morning in San Migel De Allende and this restaurant was not yet open but the door was open so I peeked in and found this beautiful patio with a green wall and colourful lanterns hanging down.

Tank Mural

 

This mural was painted on a tank at an art centre in San Miguel De Allende. The centre was located in an old textile mill that was turned into spaces for studios and galleries. I visited a couple of times on my holiday. The artist was mjmuralart.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world. 

Altar

 

I didn't take a lot of interior shots of churches when I was in San Miguel De Allende since I was there during Lent so there were a lot of masses being said and people praying on their own at other times. This is the altar in the church behind the carved door that I showed you on Friday. There were so many wonderful details.

Having A Ride

 

This fine bright armadillo was spotted in a gallery in San Miguel De Allende. I forgot to get the artist's name but do love the piece.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

What a Door!

 

There are a lot of churches in San Miguel De Allende and this one had the best door that I saw. The carving and details were wonderful.

Come On In

 

Just inside a small wooden door this was the scene as it turned out to be the entrance to one of the small hotels in San Miguel De Allende. You never knew what could be through an open door there. The weather has not been the best here at home so I will be showing holiday pics  for a bit longer. Hopefully spring will bring some nice photo ops soon.

Welcome

 

This was spotted just inside the doorway of a shop in San Miguel De Allende and it certainly covers a lot of the language needs. 

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

Anyone Home?

 

There are a lot of fine door knockers in San Miguel De Allende which makes sense since most of the doors are made of old heavy wood. I liked this one.

From The 50s

I remember taking this shot but don't remember where I was in San Miguel De Allende when I took it. The 1950s style was so good to see and no tagging after all of that time. There was another mural on the opposite wall from this one but it had suffered some water damage and was being restored. 

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
 

Many Churches

 

There are a lot of churches in San Miguel De Allende and I loved the contrast between the  old stone structure of this one and the new cross. There may have been a bell in that opening at one time.

First Robin

I saw my first Robin of this spring on a cold afternoon outside the patio doors. It sat there for about an hour, sometimes all puffed up like this. It looked like it was begging to come inside.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
 

Ribbons

 

I saw a lot of doorways and windows in San Miguel De Allende decorated with rows of colourful ribbons like this one was. I asked around and apparently they are often used by shops to attract attention since large or flashy signs are not allowed by the UNESCO guidelines, to bring good luck, or just as decoration. This door could use some good luck but it seemed that there often wonderfully restored places behind such doors. I loved the ribbons.

Looking Downhill

 

I think that every street in San Miguel De Allende is built on an incline as you can see in this shot. Some of them are really steep so get you get a lot of exercise. It is good that there are a lot of cafes and restaurants to sit at for a break. Those pipes sticking out horizontally near the top of the buildings are for draining the water used to refresh the plants on the roof decks which seem to be on most buildings. In the morning you have to keep your eyes open for the runoff. The woman on the right sidewalk is washing down the sidewalk which everyone does each morning outside of their place.

Art District

 Colonia Guadalupe is an area of San Miguel De Allende known for the huge number of murals in the area. I have lots of shots of them. I loved this entrance way into a home there.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

A Walkway

 

This is the walkway and entrance into one of the hotels in San Miguelle De Allende. It also has tables and chairs set out and serves as a restaurant too. I saw no high rise flashy hotels there and it seems that the UNESCO heritage regulations might be responsible for that. Instead there are lots of smaller hotels that blend into the city centre perfectly.

Pretty Lady

 

There are murals all over San Miguel De Allende and this is one I discovered on my first afternoon there. This beautiful face would be a fine welcome home each day. The artist is Erick Mota.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world. 

The Pink Church

 

The centre of San Miguel De Allende is dominated by the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel which towers over the main square in town. Constructed of pink limestone it is beautiful inside and out. Out front of it is the main town square where everyone seems to gather at some point during the day just to sit or to try some of the ice cream being sold by vendors. 

Great Egrets

 

I was walking along by our hotel in San Miguel De Allende when I came upon a large group of Great Egrets nesting in several trees. They were calmly sitting on nests as the activity of the city went on below them. I did see some of them flying by over the next days.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

A Winter Escape

 

I escaped winter here for a while by going to San Miguel De Allende in Mexico. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site north of Mexico City in the interior of the country and it is a wonderful place. This is a typical street with cobbled roadway and narrow walkways, all very hilly. I will be showing you some of the sights over the next while.

Typical Scene

 

These are typical semi-detached houses that you will find along Bathurst St in the downtown part of the city. This is a main commuting street in the city. Some are divided into flats but most are single family homes. Our snow is gone now.

New Tower

 

They are building a timber tower as an addition to one of the athletic buildings at U of Toronto. When I went by in November it was covered in tarps so I will have to go back to check out the progress.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

Fire Station 344

 

This is Toronto Station 344 which was built in 1910 as Station 1910. It has undergone renovations and is fully modernized but still has that stately look about it.

A Winter Laneway

 

Before spring gets here I wanted to show you what our laneways looked like during winter. The city does no snow clearing in the lanes so it is up to each homeowner to clear in front of any garage being used. This winter the resulting piles almost covered any murals on the doors.These 2 abstract ones still stood out.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world. 

Slow Progress

 

Construction of this condo building has been going on for years now so they must be doing a lot of fine details on the interior. A Starbucks sign has appeared on the ground floor which was a bit of a surprise since it looks like a long time before it will be opening.

Waiting For Spring

 

This pic was taken last September on a warm sunny day. Even the Sparrows were enjoying the sunshine. There have been very few birds around this winter. We are all waiting for spring.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

Sitting Empty

 

Almost directly across the road from yesterday's post sits this small apartment building that has been sitting empty for years now. This is a very expensive part of town so a speculator must be waiting for something before going ahead with a development of some kind. It is a shame for it to sit empty.

A Favourite

 I have always liked this 8-plex building in the Annex neighbourhood especially in summer when the residents hang lots of planters on those porches. Even in winter it looks great.

Colourful Bins

 

The city has been decorating the garbage and recycling bins that are placed in parks. At first I thought neighbours were doing it but now realize that the decorations are official. It's a good idea.

Taking part is Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

A Dress for Spring

 

This dress was spotted in the window of a dress designer along Bathurst St and it looked so happy and springlike that I had to take a shot. It is quite a contrast to the snowy reflection.

Bird In The Snow

I was walking along the street and happened to notice a bird along the wall along a laneway so of course headed down to check it out. The bird poking out of the snow turned out to be a beauty painted by the artist Alfalfa. I love it.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
 

Details

 

When walking through the Annex neighbourhood it was the little 'hats' on the roof pillars that caught my eye on this pair of semi-detached homes. Then I noticed how the home on the right had painted the details below the eaves to highlight them while the house on the left had just painted them over with the grey paint. I still like the pair even with the differences.

Autumn Flashback

 

I have seen few creatures this winter so it is back into my archives for this one. This is the unusual Eastern Grey Squirrel that I had spotted in the autumn when wandering around at U of Toronto. It was a lovely genetic mutation and a first for me.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

Welcome In

 

This house in the Annex neighbourhood looked very welcoming to me. I'm not sure if it is the wonderful porch & balcony or the winding walkway leading to the door. I'll try to go back in the summer to see how it looks with the garden showing rather than snow.

More Icicles

 

I have become totally fascinated with all of the huge icicles there are around this year. This house had a particularly large group of them. I don't remember a winter like this one. 

Fun Vintage

 

It is such fun to poke about in a vintage shop and see all the things that you remember from your childhood. This place is a good one for that.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

A Popular Bench

 

This bench in a local park is usually a popular place to sit but it has been unavailable for much of this winter. We are all looking forward to spring by this time of year.

I may not be commenting much for the next week so stay warm. Posts will be up though.

Scene From Past Times

 

This door was found just along the laneway from the mural I showed last week of the kids playing in a snow storm. It feels to me like a scene that might have been in the lane years ago. The art is Brother Moises again.

Thaking part In Monday Murals.  Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Giant Ice

 

This giant ice formation on a commercial building started out as an icicle hanging from the eaves but as more water melted then refroze it finally reached the ground and has continued to grow. It is quite a sight. The sun has melted the snow on the roof but the air temperatures are so cold this year that it freezes as it drips.

Blending In

 

I was walking through a local park that has a lot of trees when I heard hammering above me. It took a couple of minutes to locate this Downy Woodpecker which was flitting from side to side in the trees. I never did get a clear shot as it never stayed still for long.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

A Community Rink

 

Members of the community in the Annex neighbourhood create this skating rink each year and the city provides access to water for flooding the surface. Often it only lasts a few weeks but this year it has been so cold that the kids have been skating and playing hockey here for weeks on end. It was looking really good one afternoon this week.

A Cold Bath

 

When I first saw this birdbath the sun was out creating a great shadow but by the time I got my camera out a big cloud had covered the sun. I waited a few minutes and was rewarded with these shadows which really highlighted the soft contours of the snow around the bath.

On A Cold Winter Evening

 

Actually this is a good idea on a warm summer evening too! It is a once a week treat for me all year.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

Icicles

 

There are an extraordinary number of icicles around this winter some hanging quite dangerously over walkways into homes. It has been so cold that when the sun has melted the snow it freezes up before draining down the downspouts. It makes for some interesting sights.

Kids

 

I spotted this mural along a laneway back in September and at the time thought it looked like snow falling down onto kids at play. Now with all the snow we have had it seems quite suitable. I really like the colours. The artist for this one is Brother Moises.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world. 

Parked

 

These bikes won't be moving very far anytime soon. I never understand why people leave them out where this can happen. At least they won't be stolen.

"I'm Cold"

 

This is the first squirrel that I have seen in the trees behind our roof deck for about a month since the deep cold hit here. He didn't look happy with the world and didn't stay out for long. It has warmed up a bit this week.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world. 

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Getting Ready

 

Anything that you might need for the big day tomorrow could be found in this store. I couldn't believe the amount of things there were for Valentine's Day. I wonder if the kids still give out cards in school?

After The Storm

 

This pic was taken a week after the big snow storm and many cars are still covered in a lot of snow. It is going to take a lot of digging to get these two out onto the road. Most people in the downtown parts of the city park on the street.

Winter Streetscape

 

This is a recent shot of Bloor St W in Korea Town. You can see how the snow becomes piled up between the road and the sidewalk. That one shop at the right has been ambitious and shovelled right out to the roadway. Most shops do nothing or do a small section but theirs is really wide.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

He's Back!

 

Our 2 ft of snow hasn't really melted much but it has compacted and blown away a bit so that Frank has appeared again. It has been so cold that he might have liked a bit of snowy insulation around him.