Fitbits, Masks, Sunscreen, Walking Map… We’re Ready!
Hat Vendor Selling his Wares in San Miguel de Allende
Imagine the Exercise He Gets Walking and Carrying His Hats!
One of my strongest beliefs is that walking and other
exercises are essential to maintaining good health. Letting the COVID-19
pandemic prevent us from getting exercise will only lower our bodies' defenses against
the viral infection. So, we walk for our health using safety measures. We wear
our masks in public as required here in San Miguel de Allende, but more
importantly, we practice safe distancing while we are on our walkabouts.
Terry in Front of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
While Jon took my photo in front of the famous Parroquia,
the neo-Gothic 17th-century Catholic church, many other people walking in the
plaza politely waited until he was finished before resuming their strolls. Young
and old, most Mexican people are kind and courteous.
View of the Back of the Parroquia
Several blocks and turns later, we had a great view of the
back of the pink limestone towers and elaborate architectural features. The
clear, bright blue sky and puffy white clouds made a perfect backdrop.
A San Miguel de Allende Centro Neighborhood
Our route took us through a colorful, quiet neighborhood in centro.
The yellows and rusty-reds seem to be the predominant home colors here, often one color above and an accenting color below. Away from the plaza, there weren’t
too many tourists so it was easy to distance ourselves from others. I love the
flowers and trees growing from balconies and rooftops.
Roof Water Drains Come in All Shapes in SMA
I’m intrigued by the variety of water spouts above garage
doors that drain rooftop rain onto the streets here in SMA. I could do an entire
post of photos of the different, interesting types.
More Beautiful Cathedrals and Buildings in SMA Centro
Back at the Beginning of Our Tour, Jon in his Flip Flops
We arrived back at the beginning of our self-guided tour and I noticed that Jon was one of few wearing flip flops, the only "walking shoes" he will wear. After walking the loop, our Fitbit pedometers gave us
positive feedback for our healthy walk at the 6200 feet altitude of SMA. We had
each walked over 5000 steps, over 2.5 miles. The hills we trudged up and down were
recorded as the equivalent of 14 flights of stairs. I had obtained 21 minutes
of aerobic exercise and Jon had 42 minutes. Time for a sit-down rest.
El Jardin in San Miguel de Allende during COVID-19
Sadly, El Jardín, San Miguel de Allende's main plaza, across
from the Parroquia was closed, the benches and park blocked with yellow caution
tape. We found space away from others on the side steps of the Parroquia to sit
and rest while people watching. Being Saturday, it was getting a bit too crowded at
5:30 in the afternoon to stay comfortably distanced. Next time, we’ll avoid this area on the weekends. After
watching a little girl blow bubbles with her new bubble-gun for a while, it was
time to navigate the maze of streets to find our dinner restaurant.
Our View from Our Table Inside Firenze Restaurant
Our Italian meal and the wine at Firenze (meaning
Florence) restaurant were delicious. At 6:00, we were the only diners inside,
though their delivery person was busy taking orders out the entire time we were
there. The service and care with cleanliness were exceptionally good. We highly
recommend Firenze and will return.
Our Self-Guided San Miguel de Allende Walking Tour
San Miguel de Allende’s summer weather has been perfect for
afternoon walks. Temperatures in the low 80s, humidity 30 to 40%, and air quality
so clear that the photos from my inexpensive Android phone just pop!
After a healthy walk and an artistically presented meal of
antipasto and Chicken Marsala, we called Uber for a restful, safe (masked) ride
home. We can’t wait for our next self-guided walking tour and dinner afterward!
For more information on “Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico” and my “In Sickness and In Health Novels”, set in México, see my Amazon Author Page. Please leave a review or rating on Amazon to help others find my
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