By Leonardo Diaz
“A perfect day is to wander about Centro in the morning.”
I never get tired of living in San Miguel. That’s why I decided to stay. In the morning, I walk around Centro, then sit in the Jardin for a few minutes before continuing with what I was doing. All this without the unnatural rush that used to haunt me years ago in Mexico City. Drinking coffee on a terrace or on a bench makes one feel as if time had stretched far away: I’m in a state of almost spiritual calm. Those moments can be replicated any day at any time, Monday to Friday. However, it’s almost impossible on weekends because all the spaces are stolen by the visiting hordes of tourists. Those outsiders that turn up in San Miguel, disguised in pink handicrafts, with pink faces, and equally pink manners. In spite of that, the city continues to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration, a place that tells legends. It’s still a magnet that attracts writers, filmmakers, sculptors, and painters. The capital of retired foreigners, although now it seems to look younger and more contemporary (or maybe I’m wishing out loud?).
San Miguel gives me a constant gift—I can paint whatever I am inclined to paint here. That’s why I decided to stay.
