Rental Overview

2010-02-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Location:
CONTACT: robincpowers@gmail.com
Colonia San Raphael, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Central Mexico, Mexico (1 Hour and 20 Minutes from the Airport in Leon to SMA)
Shuttle service available and reliable: viajessanmiguel.com

Other sites:

smamapa.com

portal sanmiguel de allende

Accommodations:

Casita, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths (Sleeps 4) ; 1500 sq. ft. Casita

1 Bedroom, 1 bath; 1000 sq. ft.

Both casitas are:

Colorful - uniquely designed two bedroom casita.

Colorful - use of windows and French doors for lots of light.

Colorful - vendors, fresh flowers and fruit from the local market.

Colorful - neighborhood living with laughing kids and tiny tiendas.

Colorful - rustic, Mexican style, traditional tiles, boveda ceilings.

The casita gives you an opportunity to go beyond a brochure-planned experience. Living in Colonia San Rafael opens a door to a bit of immersion into the culture, the language and the authenticity of life in this historic city.

The casita is on a street that is quiet, narrow and dead end--a privada. No buses, cars or restaurant noise. Forget parking here. Impossible. Forget bringing your dog or small children. Impractical. The casita is perfect for the traveler in you that is seeking the pulse of the city.

A big local market is just down the street. Little local tiendas line the street at the end of the privada. You can catch a bus or a taxi here for a quick ride into the city center, the main bus station, the large 'mega' store or a trip to the other side of town to meet with new friends.

ON YOUR CHECK LIST WILL BE:

-Spanish immersion with people on your street .

-Exposure to culture and day-to-day living for the working people of the city.

-Good shoes for a 20 minute walk to the jardin central; 15 minutes to Belles Artes, 7 minutes to the Warren Hardy Spanish Language School and 5 minutes to the wonderful San Juan de Dios market.

-The Warren Hardy Spanish Language School is an idea place to take a fun class in Spanish and practice in your own neighborhood. They offer cooking classes, lectures on culture and you have an change to meet new and interesting people.

-Enough money for a taxi when you're tired

- less than $2.50 US.

-Taking a class in learning tin making, paper maiche and more at Belles Artes.

-A 20 minute taxi ride to some relaxation in one of a number of hot springs in the country.

-A plastic shopping bag for fresh fruits, beans, vegetables at the market.

-Neighborhood stores where they make furniture and sell paint. There's a hardware store and a place to buy party goods. You might want to buy a piece of paper or just one aspirin.

-Your personal collection of memories with a "twist." You will have the kind of memories that coax a smile and a sigh for the time when you saw the world from a different perspective.AND

DON'T FORGET:

Breath-taking views of churches, mountains, sunrises, sunsets, neighborhoods and if you're lucky, time for festivals and stunning thunderstorms.

Vacation Rental Features-

Linens Provided
Off Street Parking
Beds:
King Bed
Double Bed
Entertainment:
DVD
Kitchen:
Full Kitchen
Cooking Utensils Provided
Refrigerator
Microwave
Outdoor Features
Balcony
View/Location:
Monument View
Communications
Cell Phone
WiFi (Wireless Internet)
Suitability:
No Pets Allowed
Not Suitable for Children
Activities (on site and nearby):
Golf
Tennis
Shopping
Sightseeing
Restaurants
Hiking
Health/Beauty Spa
Cinemas/Movie Theaters
Live Theatre
Museums
Horseback Riding

SPECIAL DISCOUNT RATE for Long Term

Two Bedroom Casita

Rate Details (In US Dollars)
$950/mo

Long Term Rental--3 Months or Longer: Discount

Two week rentals/$650.00

Check, Money Order, PayPal. Rental Agreement and References.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT RATE FOR Long Term Rental
One Bedroom Casita

$650. US, 2010

Long Term Rental--3 Months or Longer: Discount
Two week rentals: $450.00

The one bedroom casita is separated and secure from the 2 bedroom house. There is a colorful yellow wall between the two with private gates for entry.
Off the street, the casitas are entered by the same secure door.

The views are from many aspects of the house. Your eyes are always open.

A "sala" is shared by both houses and serves as a common room, like a "fourier." A colonial yellow hallway leads to each private, gated entryway.

Like the 2 bedroom house, this casita also has 3 levels. The 1st floor has the bedroom and bathroom. Each room has rustic Mexican furniture, tile, decor and charming ambiance.

The second floor has the kitchen. The views from the kitchen overlook the top of the neighbor's trees, which in summer, have clusters of hummingbirds. There is also a view of the Parroquia, San Juan de Dios mercado and the lovely city views. The kitchen is open, airy and convenient.

The top floor is fun. Bring your guests! There is a "sun room" with 2 sets of french doors and generous, breezy windows. The doors open onto the "terraza," the open patio. The sun room is a great relief to get out of the hot, bright sun. It's a lovely way to spend the night, sitting on the large, comfy couch reading a book. When it's cold, the sun room allows you to close up and still enjoy the views.

A wonderful place to enjoy your stay!

Creativity and Inspiration

The casitas have been completely re-constructed. They were designed to add a new dimension of space and freedom for living. If you like it there, you'll love it there.

Perhaps, one of the casitas will be just what you want!

We are beginning in our 3rd year. Guests have been inspired in various ways. Some guests have made changes, have had a burst of creativity or accomplishment while here.

I have kept in communication with some previous guests and they have been enthusiastic to share their experiences with you. Below, is a little information about them and what they are doing:

Writer and News Commentator. The casita has been the winter home base and refuge for two years for a local Canadian humorist - Richard Lander. Safe in San Rafael he has been able to write about the effects the Magic of San Miguel have had on Expats and Tourists in his blog Gangs of San Miguel. Okay you saw the word Gangs. Before you get your rug or your pony tail in a twist and break a piece of Mexican Folkart or get alarmed about violence in Mexico, this blog is satire not a serious piece of work on life in Mexico albeit there is some truth or it wouldn't be satire. San Miguel is quirky and this blog merely takes a loving but humorous look at what makes San Miguel such a great place to live.

Even the casita has become a back drop for some on his blogposts on Art in San Miguel and a vantage point from which to observe the Magic of San Miguel. The is a widely read blog, with faithful followers and an ever-growing number of readers. Those of us who have found their way into a comment, a photo or as a member of one of the “gangs,” will get a good smile or hearty laugh. If you take yourself seriously, The Gangs will get your goat. Either way, Richard will keep writing his creative blog, The Gangs of San Miguel

Jazz Singer, Sibyl Lee English and her husband, Jay, came to Mexico for the first time in their lives. They had never traveled overseas. They chose San Miguel and stayed in my one bedroom casita.

Sibyl already had an established career as a jazz singer. She said that she wanted to create something different, change her style and direction in her music. She started her new work at the casita.

She began producing her first, full-length music release. She sang at the Jazz Festival after the first several months after arriving in San Miguel.

Sybil’s new CD has been released and it's WONDERFUL. Her work was produced with musicians from artists from Central Mexico. The heart of her music is a love letter to her husband, Jay. The CD is called: Love Comes Softly.

Contact: lovelightjoy13@mac.com

Singer-Songwriter Marcelino Garcia came to San Miguel De Allende to do a little more than enjoy the amazing town . He wanted to create a complete CD that captured the essence of his month long stay in San Miguel, a sort of soul reinvention.

Marcelino breathed in the daily ritual of pueblo strolls and sat in the Jardin to write what his senses captured. It made the experience of immediate creation from immediate environment challenging and rewarding.

His afternoon gig at La Ventana Coffee house helped him connect to the local talent. The result, a full length CD from Proper entitled, a little help here.

The top floor of Robin's Casa was illuminated most nights with Brilux candles and Nag Champa incense that complemented the open-window sounds of the neighborhood. The inviting ambience and Cerveza Sol helped Proper capture songs like, Last Sentiment, a slightly sped-up Bolero with English lyrics of a relationship remembered with questioning regret. American Legendary trumpet player Luis Gasca, who now lives in San Miguel, suggested the latin approach to what was originally penned as a slow American rock song. Several local musicians complemented the songs with a true Mexican soul giving the final product a very layered off-beat feel. On most of the songs, the guitar takes on the responsibility of other instruments.

Robin's casa will forever be cherished for it's ability to evoke music that simply needs to be written. Her place is like a faucet for whatever art you might want to release. Marcelino

Look and Listen: propernj

Actress and Writer, Pauline Cliff stayed at the one bedroom casita. She planned to write and continue her skills in Spanish. It was several weeks before she began writing. She was too busy! The first month, it rained like crazy. The neighbors saw her walking out, faithfully. She wrote the following letter:

Dear Robin,
   I just want you to know I had a wonderful time in your lovely clean and comfortable three- room casita. The rooms are quite a bit larger than the first impression I had from the photos.
   As a single woman, I could never have enjoyed my winter in San Miguel if there was any danger of becoming the target of any sort of unpleasntness or disrespect in the area. In fact, I felt extremely safe in La Casita de Robin and particularly appreciated the obvious vigilance of your manager, Maria-Rosario and her family. Right from the beginning, she gave me a warm welcome. All through my stay, she was right there whenever I needed anything, and there was never any waiting. She was invariably cheerful and so patient with my dismal attempts at communicating in Spanish. In addition, the surrounding families were delightful, always greeting me with a smile and wishing me good-day.
   Of course, San Miguel is an amazing experience in itself, with so much to do and so many friendly people to join forces with. Each time I've been there over the past 20 years, I've discovered new friends, new fiestas and new aspects of my favourites.
   Best of all are the wonderful families who sally out for fiestas or just for an evening. All are charming and welcoming.
   I found the casita very well appointed, with sharp knives (a rarety in rentals), plenty of towels, enough pots and pans and up-to-date appliances.
   Beyond these practical considerations, I brought home memories of a feeling of coming home to be greeted by Maria-Rosario's family and friends, who keep the narrow street so clean.
   I shall never forget the ever-changing views of San Miguel from the sun room, the terrace and kitchen windows facing the Centro and its array of churches, particularly at dusk when the lights come on and the bells ring.
   Thank you, Robin, for creating the magical space in San Rafael.

Sincerely, Montrealer Pauline Cliff

Photography, by Phil Curnow. Phil, a Cornishman, living in California, came to the San Miguel with pencils, a writing tablet and a camera.

Listening to the cacaphony of the fireworks and and the Saturday morning marching band, he was lured into the streets in the relative calm of late afternoon siesta. While others rested in their homes or sat quietly in the shade of their tiendas, Phil took pictures and made several drawings.

He became inspired by the colours and the simple sights and the quiet allure of San Miguel.

See some of his photos at:

Contact: philipcurnow@sbcglobal.net

Simple Beans, by Ursula Luna, a native of Germany, has been living for years in California with her husband. A vacationer to San Miguel with her sister, who is living in Berlin, the two were inspired by the market at the San Juan de Dios mercado. The sisters plunged into the various varieties of beans. They partners the beans with onions, jalapenos, peppers, mangos, salsa, papaya, avocado and whatever.

Ursula devised a different bean dish every night for a week. They ate voraciously while overlooking the parroquia after a day of walking, seeing fiestas, walking the Colonia and adding their footprints to the cobblestones of San Miguels streets.

They still talk about the beans, fresh tortillas, delicious fruits and vegetables which were personally selected from the beauty of the market. Ursula can give you some hints and pass along the tradition of a yummy week in the little casita. Vegetarian.

Contact: ursluna@gmail.com

San Miguel de Allende Monthly Rentals

Rental Overview