Welcome Sister City

It’s time to welcome a member into the Vail family: Beth was part of the Vail contingent that went south of the border to formalize the sister city agreement between Vail and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The trip, and area, is full of beauty and surprises and contrasts in architecture. Traveling always brings inspiration, a chance to see the world anew and gain a new perspective. Here are Beth’s top five favorites.

The church of San Miguel de Allende is a copy of the Dome of Cologne in Germany is just as stunning as the Dome. Interesting tidbit – there are some 278 churches in this town.

Lovely outdoor dining. At 6400-feet in the Bajio mountains, the climate feels perpetual spring – perfect warm temperatures, sunny blue skies and the gentlest breeze. Restaurants capitalize on the glorious weather with organic foods creatively prepared.

The installation at the Art School. In the 1950s, an artist colony was founded, along with Instituto Allende, a renowned visual arts school. There’s art everywhere throughout the community. One gallery, in particular, in a converted textile mill had amazing pieces.

The flowering artichoke at a delicious winery. Simple pleasures, beauty all around. A glass of wine and flowering fruit – it’s easy to see how this town beckons artists.

The flower market. It has a bounty of bold pops of vibrant color, textures and every type of flower. The scent was heavenly. Meandering through the stalls, listening to the easy chatter all around, it felt like a step back in time.

A few other tidbits about our similarities: San Miguel has buildings from the 17^th and 18^th century and is more than 460 years old; Vail just celebrated its 50^th anniversary a few years ago. San Miguel has miles of cobblestone streets; Vail Village’s pavers resemble that Old World charm. It sits at 6,400 feet in the central highlands of Mexico; everyone knows Vail’s altitude is 8,150.