San Miguel de Allende
I started reading about San Miguel de Allende in Mexico several years ago in a magazine. I was intrigued by its architecture and the growing number of people moving there for the climate, creative community, good health care and the overall lifestyle. I was really fascinated with the style and interiors of the houses. Behind those colourful façades and enormous old wooden doors are extraordinary homes, with stone courtyards, soaring arches, beautifully furnished rooms and gardens filled with palms, fountains and bougainvillea. Here are a few of my favourites that I came across whilst researching the area.
Casa San José is an 18th-century residence with interiors by Rachel Horn. A series of beautiful stone arches surrounds a leafy central courtyard, with a fountain and shaded terraces leading into the house. The rooms are layered with antique furniture, beautiful fabrics, carved timber and carefully chosen contemporary pieces. The old stone walls and timber ceilings are beautiful, and I love how the rooms open onto the terraces and gardens.
Then there’s Casa Acanto, belonging to designers Andrew Fisher and Jeffry Weisman. Once an 18th-century tannery, it’s now a richly decorated home filled with art, antiques, patterned textiles and furniture collected over the years. Rooms open onto courtyards and lush gardens, with fountains, shaded sitting areas and a pool. The contrast between the old stone architecture and the more playful interiors is beautiful. I love the Ikat type fabric on the chairs in this bedroom and the contrast against the dark timbers and tiled floors with the rugs.
Casa Valentina is a five-bedroom colonial villa just a few streets from the main square, with a flower-filled courtyard, outdoor dining spaces and a rooftop terrace overlooking the town. Casa San Miguel has been rebuilt around the original adobe walls of a 300-year-old house, with antique and wicker furniture, fireplaces, quiet courtyards and terraces overlooking the terracotta rooftops.
San Miguel de Allende sits high in the central Mexican countryside, its narrow cobbled streets winding between buildings painted in dusty pinks, ochres and deep terracotta. Ornate carved doorways open into hidden gardens, church bells ring across the rooftops, and the pink neo-Gothic spires of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel rise above the main square. Much of the town’s architecture dates from its prosperous colonial past, and its historic centre is now UNESCO-listed.
There’s a thriving community of artists, designers and craftspeople here, with galleries, workshops and antique shops tucked into old buildings.
There’s no shortage of lovely places to settle in for a long lunch. A couple of popular restaurants that appeal to me are Áperi which serves inventive seasonal cooking using regional ingredients and chef Donnie Masterton’s The Restaurant which occupies a beautiful old courtyard, with a menu influenced by produce from nearby farms.
Casa Bonavita, Malta
This week I came across Casa Bonavita, a beautiful new 17-room hotel in Attard, Malta, and the interiors are quite beautiful.
The house belongs to Suzanne and Christopher Sharp, founders of The Rug Company, who bought the neglected 18th-century residence in 2010 and spent years restoring it as their family home before opening it to guests this May.
Original limestone arches, frescoed ceilings, carved stonework and shuttered windows have been preserved, while Suzanne has filled the rooms with antique furniture, richly patterned fabrics, Murano glass, artwork and beautiful hand-painted wallpapers. There’s a wonderful mix of Maltese, Italian and English influences, with rooms that feel individual and collected.
I love the look of Sirocco, the hotel’s restaurant, with its hand-painted floral walls, rattan chairs and stone archways opening onto the courtyard. Beyond are the walled gardens, filled with old olive trees, citrus and palms, with fountains and shaded terraces tucked among the greenery. And those butter-yellow umbrellas by the pool, against the pale Maltese limestone, are just gorgeous.
There’s also a gorgeous little bar wrapped in hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, a working house kitchen where fresh pasta and pastries are made, and a small subterranean spa decorated with Moroccan tiles.
I’d happily spend an afternoon here, lingering over lunch in the garden, followed by a dip in the pool and a cold glass of wine beneath those yellow umbrellas, with the scent of citrus in the air.
Saturday Morning at Carriageworks
We spent the morning at the Carriageworks Farmers Market in Eveleigh, Sydney. Such a good way to start the weekend.
The market is held every Saturday in the enormous old railway workshops, built in the 1880s as part of Sydney’s Eveleigh Railway Yards. Once filled with the noise of blacksmiths, machinery and workers building and repairing trains, the beautiful industrial space is now home to more than 70 farmers and artisan food producers from across New South Wales.
There was a really lovely atmosphere this morning. Cuban style music playing in the background, queues forming for coffee, people perched on wooden crates outside eating breakfast, fresh juices in hand, and dogs galore. All against the backdrop of the old brickwork, towering steel columns and enormous workshop doors.
We picked up coffees from Single O, who serve them in reusable Huskee cups. I love this little initiative. Rather than throwing away a takeaway cup, you simply return it to one of the collection bins on your way out.
We stopped to look at everything from freshly shucked Sydney Rock oysters and beautiful cheeses to pies from Broomfields, grass-fed beef, seasonal vegetables and loaves of sourdough and other baked goods.
One of our loveliest stops was Wormticklers Nursery, where we got chatting to Jordan, the very friendly owner, about his organic seedlings. He’d previously lived in Byron Bay and was talking with my sister-in-law Sophia, who lives on Thursday Island, about the very different growing conditions around Australia. Sophia bought some parsley, dill, bok choy and beetroot seedlings.
I was also impressed by The Food Farm, run by Tim and Hannah on the Central Coast. They use regenerative farming methods to raise 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, along with pasture-raised chickens. Their emphasis on farming practices, animal welfare and knowing exactly where your food comes from is something I always seek out when sourcing produce.
Carriageworks has been hosting its farmers market since 2009, and the quality of the produce and the setting make it a lovely Saturday morning outing.
Carriageworks Farmers Market
245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, Sydney
Every Saturday, 8am–1pm
At the Table: Enchiladas del Portal
A traditional dish from San Miguel de Allende, enchiladas del portal were once sold by women beneath the covered arcades around the town’s main square.
Corn tortillas are dipped in a rich, smoky guajillo chilli sauce, lightly fried and rolled around fresh cheese and onion, then served with potatoes, carrots, shredded lettuce and a little Mexican crema. Some versions include chicken.
I found a lovely recipe from Sazón Cooking School at Casa de Sierra Nevada, where chef Rubén Yáñez Hernández has been documenting the traditional recipes of Mexico’s Bajío region.
Find the full recipe from Belmond.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s finds. Have a lovely Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.
Anna xx
An interesting read. I shall try the recipe!
Another interesting read Anna. I shall delve more into these articles. Thankyou