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"Casita Animas"
(San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, MX)
Located
near the Mercado Ignacio Ramirez (the artisans' market) and a
leisurely 10 minute level walk from the Jardin, this small
house ("casita") is well-appointed and close to most major
attractions in San Miguel de Allende. When we first started
looking for houses in this area, we found the designation
"Centro" to be misleading, as it encompasses a large area --
and many of the houses are located at the very bottom of the
rectangular-shaped Centro area on the maps, including the
Parque Juarez and Guidiana. Casita Animas is much nearer to
the action! It is located on a relatively quiet street, with
most of the surrounding dwellings owned by an extended Mexican
family, including the bakery and barber shop next door.
Sandwiched between a bakery and the garage of the adjacent
house, it is in the heart of a working Mexican neighborhood.
Entrance to Casita Animas
is at street level, through the green mesquite double doors
shown in the photo above. The doors open onto a small entryway:
The first thing you see is the coat rack and a wrought-iron
divider separating this area from the living room (photo to the
left). The living room features a built-in banquette and chair
arrangement that is surprisingly comfortable. The seat cushions
and pillows feature "Provencale" colors that complement the rug.
(picture at lower right) We had the green tiled and wrought-iron
table made up during our stay (our first!) in the house July
2005. There is a phone and CD player in the living area, and the
wall above the couch features painted plates from nearby Dolores
Hidalgo ("the" ceramics center, a short drive from San
Miguel). The facing wall consists of two large arches (typical
of Mexican architecture); the one closest to the door features a
large brass candle box, while the one nearest the dining area is
mirrored and houses a vase with dried silk flowers. Track
lighting accentuates these decorative features. The shelves below
the arches contain local figurines and reading material. The
room is finished with textured masonry and hewn beams, and the
two mirrors afford the room a spacious feel.
Passing through the
archway at the far end of the living room brings you to the
dining area. The square room features a wrought-iron dining
table with four padded chairs and a hutch for extra dishes.
The room is brightly lit by a copper chandelier, and the
opposing walls feature a second copper-framed mirror, along
with an embroidered textile from the Ignacio Ramirez market.
The wall under the textile is reserved for a gas heater which
will be installed early in November, before the onset of
chilly weather. This room, too, features hewed beam ceilings.
The dining room opens to the kitchen through another
large main archway. The kitchen is large and well-appointed,
having both the space and the accoutrements to whip up
wonderful dinners. We speak from experience, as we cooked some
6 meals there in the 12 days we spent in the house. It was
important to us that people would have a positive cooking
experience here, and so we are happy to provide new,
heavy-duty cookware, along with possibly the only pot-holders
in Mexico that work! There is a standard-sized sink next to a
new six-burner stove with oven. The counter space is ample for
food preparation, and there is plenty of storage space.
Solid wood cabinets above and below the counter space
(and a free-standing set of shelves opposite the sink) contain
everything you'll need: heavy all-purpose flatware, plenty of
knives, plates, bowls, mixing bowls, mugs, cups & saucers,
glasses and a complete set of quality cookware. The kitchen is
equally well-stocked in terms of appliances, with a blender, a
juicer, a toaster, a toaster oven, a tea kettle and coffee
maker. A full-size refrigerator and microwave and bottled
water dispenser round out the kitchen equipment. The kitchen
embraces the "pollo" (chicken) theme, with a colorful tiled
"splash" wall and terracotta birds.
Behind the kitchen
and through the double glass doors is an anteroom that houses an
attractive powder room and the spiral wrought iron staircase
that leads to the upper rooms and roof top terrace. The half
bath is comprised of a free standing wrought iron sink with a
colorful Mexican-tiled washbasin in the corner of the room, and
the enclosed toilet area adjacent. The small bathroom has a
wrought iron door with a frosted glass window. Above the
powder room is a flat surface which we found useful for to
storing our luggage. This last downstairs room opens above to an
atrium that extends two floors to the roof; therefore, it
receives a great deal of sunlight. The walls are decorated with
terracotta figures. The photo to the left gives an overview of
this area, and was shot from the sun room above. It shows the
location of the wash basin (also featured in the photo to the
right) the open door leading to the toilet, as well as the two
and one half story spiral staircase that leads to the next two
levels.
Proceeding up the spiral staircase brings you to the
sun room, a loft. It receives plenty of sunlight from the
skylight above, while its configuration also allows light to
pass through to the lower level of the house. This room makes
a great reading room as well as an excellent studio area for
an artist. The rectangular room has a raised platform on one
side (where the enclosed hot water heater is mounted) flanked
by shelves containing a large Dolores Hidalgo vase and a
painted hand-woven basket. On the floor is a thin rug,
designed to keep your feet warm on a cool morning. The sunroom
is an essentially open room, with two wrought leather chairs
and a end table in the corner. On the wall is a single picture
frame, featuring shots from in an around San Miguel de
Allende. The room is lit by twin brass lamps, hanging above
the hallway that leads to the bathroom and then the bedroom.
The full story of open air above gives this room a
spaciousness that belies its size, and it is a wonderful place
to read, visit, or paint.
The sun room opens to the
second floor hallway which is decorated with a colorful runner
and a hand-carved/painted half-table. Opposite this is the
upstairs bathroom, which is decorated in maroon tiles extending
from the sink to the shower. The shower itself is finished in a
light beige tiling with seashell motif. There is a basin and
cupboard in the center of the room, flanked by shelves (with
lots of towels/washclothes & linens) on one side and the
commode on the other. On the far end of the room is a 3/4 tub
with shower. There is excellent lighting for the mirror.
At the end of the hall is the bedroom, which features a
double bed. It is "muy' comfortable -- just firm enough to be
supportive, but not "hard." Next to this is a small balcony
which overlooks Animas and has a lovely view of bright foliage
of indigenous trees and (usually!) blue sky behind it. The
room has good storage, with a large hand-carved armoire
(hanging closet w/ 2 drawers) and a 3-drawer dresser
next to the bed. On the other side of the bed is a night stand
with a phone; both the dresser and the night stand have
ceramic lamps, and the dresser is draped with a bright runner.
Two accents found in the bedroom are the frosted glass and
wrought iron skylight (making the room bright, even when the
curtains are closed) and the large mirrored arch at the foot
of the bed, which contributes to a more spacious feeling in
the room. Further illumination is provided by a (bright!)
ceiling light. Ventilation is provided by a ceiling fan with
more light. There is a green hand-woven rug on the floor. A
hand-carved chair which matches the hall table rounds
out the furnishings. The bedroom is equipped with a cable
television that features CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and several
English-speaking movie channels. We counted in the area
of 15 English-speaking stations at any given time. There is
also a DVD player for watching videos and listening to CD's.
By the way, if you have a way to burn your MP3's onto CD's, go
ahead and do it -- both players in the house will play CD-R's
with MP3's. Alternately, just bring your favorite CD's.
One level up the spiral staircase (from the sun room)
is a roof top terrace. It is rectangular, surprisingly roomy,
and features both an electric light and two electrical
outlets, as well as a spigot and hose. The terrace offers
views of the nearby hills and the surrounding buildings and
trees, along with the spires of some of San Miguel's churches.
The roof top has a table and four chairs. The circular table
shown here has been replaced with a colorful ceramic one, and
the skylight is now transparent. Changes can be seen in the
virtual tours below. The ledges are lined with local desert
plants. It is a wonderful place to enjoy a drink in the
evening, or to watch the (very!) low-lying clouds
as a storm approaches.
If you are planning to visit San Miguel de Allende and
are looking for a small one-bedroom house in the historico
centro, Casita Animas is listed
on Airbnb.
A Video Tour of
Casita Animas
A 360 Degree Virtual Tour of Casita Animas
Using VR technology, we have assembled a
360 tour consisting of interlocking spherical photos. This
allows you to see in all directions in each room, and provides
a more immersive tour than the video above. There is no
narration, and you may visit each room at your leisure. This
is a more recent tour than the video above. If you own a
Google Cardboard or similar VR headset, you scan the QR code
below the tour for a headset-compatible version.
There is also a
version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets
such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and
Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code
to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you
may access the VR tour by following this
link.
For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's
camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow
Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion
Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split
screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up
for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here
is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it
sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to
return to this page]
Views of San Miguel de Allende
It is hard to take a bad picture in San Miguel. Here are a few snapshots to whet your appetite!
[You
may
need to extend the browser to see the entire gallery]
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|
Looking Down Mesones |
Clock Tower Near Parque Benito Juarez |
Cowboys on the bench, Plaza
Civica
|
View of the Parroquia from |
Calle de Jesus |
Templo de San Francisco |
If you would like to learn more about the
history and Culture of San Miguel del Allende, head on over
to our San Miguel de Allende page,
where there are three VR tours, offering both a desktop tour
and VR tours with smartphones and headsets such as Google
Cardboard. You don't want to miss it! [The link will open
in a new window, so that you can return to the Digital
Photo Album if you so desire]
