Welcome

 This lovely mural and door surround was found on a house in the Guadalupe area of San Miguel De Allende and to me it all says "Welcome".  I love all the colours.

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

Annex Semis

 

It is a dull time of year but it is also a good time to take pics of houses before the leaves come out on the trees. I like this pair of large semi-detached homes in the Annex neighbourhood. Each side is so different except for the large arched windows. I like the big porch on the right side but love the little turret on the left.

Strong As Steel

While wandering along a laneway (as is my habit) I spotted this fierce raccoon atop a fence by one of the laneway house. It probably means that the house gets a lot of visits from real raccoons which is not surprising in this city with a huge population of them.

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

A View Of Casa Loma

 

I don't think that I went up to Casa Loma at all this winter but this week I happened to pass by several blocks down the hill from it. This view looking along the laneway behind some townhouse condos always reminds me of an European scene. I will have to go by the Casa now that the weather is starting to get better.

Black Beauty

 

I was walking past a shop that does hand wash car washes when I spotted this beauty parked out front so of course had to stop. It is an Austin-Healey 3000 Mk111 and was in perfect condition inside and out. They were only made from 1964 to 1967 and so are quite collectible. I loved it.

Books

 

There are still independent book stores around and this one on Bloor St W in Koreatown has been around for a long time. There are a few more within walking distance which is a good thing.

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

A Deco Delight

 

 I have always loved this Art Deco style apartment building on Eglinton Ave. Built in 1939, it looks like a place that Poirot would live in don't you think?

Scary Eyes

 

I spotted this slightly scary beast in a local laneway. There have been a lot of coyote sightings and encounters all over the city and I think this is what the creature is meant to be. I have been lucky not to see any of them. The artist info is ANART45M.

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

I Found Some

 

I finally found some crocuses last week. Our weather has been so up and down with lots of cold weather that the spring flowers have been hiding.

Catching Some Sun

 

I watched this squirrel for well over an hour and for a while thought that it was dead and had somehow caught its neck on something and was strangled. It was motionless and the tail was blowing in the breeze. I made some noise and there was no reaction but then a noisy garage door opened and the little creature finally moved to see what the noise was. It was a cool day but the sun was strong so I think it was doing a bit of sunbathing. After a while the squirrel stretched and left for home.

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

Happy

 

On yet another dreary day here it was nice to happen upon this smiling face in the playground of a school. Playgrounds are so colourful these days.

Snowdrops

 

It feels like it has been a late spring but I finally spotted some snowdrops last week. They had a warm spot with some large rocks behind them which they seemed to like. 

Warmer Weather

When the weather gets warmer all the fruits and veggies appear outside of the corner stores and fruit markets along Bloor St W. It is always a welcome sight and a good place for buying fresh produce.

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

Finally Some Flowers

 

We had a bit of a warm day a week ago so I went out looking for some spring flowers and found a patch of Winter Aconite in someone's front garden. My Mum always had large swaths of these in her garden and they often emerged from the snow with buds ready to open. These ones just needed a bit of sunshine to get them opened up. It was nice to see some colour at this dreary time of year.

Lovely Lady

 

This lovely lady was found in the Guadalupe area of San Miguel De Allende and imagine how she would look when those vines are blossoming. This area was teeming with great murals.

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

A Serene Church

 

This simple white church seemed so serene in comparison to the many ornate ones found in San Miguel De Allende. I never did get inside of this one. 

Balance

 

This little dog was spotted balanced on the edge of the second floor wall of a house in San Miguel De Allende. It looked like an older dog and it seemed quite comfortable up there so I think it must be a favourite perch.

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

Hello There

 

These very tall puppet-like figures called Mojigangas (I think) wander around the town square of San Miguel De Allende on the weekends. Apparently it is an old Spanish custom. There are several different figures and they are so tall that the people inside are actually looking out from around the navels. Great fun to see.

Beautiful

 

Imagine coming home to this gorgeous door and its surrounding vegetation. This was spotted in the Colonia Guadalupe area of San Miguel De Allende. I loved it.

World Cup

 

While I was in San Miguel De Allende there were fellows putting these banners up all over town promoting the 2026 World Cup of soccer since some of the games are being played in Mexico. Soccer is really popular there so it will be a big event for the country. There will be some games played in Canada too, 6 in Toronto. 

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

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.