San Miguel de Allende - 2
This influx of Americans had almost ruined our little breakfast under the arches of the main square (coffee + huevos rancheros for 200 pesos). A few minutes wandering around the center and we’re back in good spirits. The colors red, ochre, and pink dominate, the streets are covered in cobblestones or large flat stones. Spotless cleanliness, as always. Around noon, we ate two dishes with half a liter of fresh orange juice at a snack bar on Collegio Street, right next to Plaza de la Soledad (150 pesos).
Speaking of Americans, we got in touch with some friends who are also American and live in San Miguel. Not all Americans are unbearable, of course! Our friends arranged to meet us in the evening on the Rosewood’s terrace. It’s a "classy" hotel located a bit outside the city center, which, given San Miguel’s size, is really only about a ten-minute walk from the main square. Since we had plenty of time, we took a little detour through Benito Juárez Park. A very pleasant spot, shaded and wooded, where people come to play, jog, picnic, sit on a bench ("thousands of them…", remember?), read a book, etc.
I recommend checking out the Rosewood—it’s a magnificent building with an original architecture I’d describe as Italian-inspired. Inside, a large circular hall features several high-quality works of art that are worth the detour. It’s almost like a museum! That’s where our friends were waiting for us.
There were a lot of people on the terrace ("rooftop"), but we found a good spot. After the usual small talk, we went to take some photos because the view was simply stunning. The warm colors of late afternoon, the red-tiled roofs, the pine trees piercing the greenery, the churches standing out in the background—it all felt very Mediterranean. Again, Italy came to mind.
Our friends took us to another "cantina", El Manantial, at the corner of Huertas and El Chorro. It would’ve only taken 10 minutes to walk there, but our friends insisted on taking a taxi (they *are* American, after all!). We tried one of the house specialties, ginger margaritas. Not bad, but Y and I agreed: we prefer classic margaritas. Since we’d only nibbled on appetizers at the Rosewood’s terrace, we ordered food. For four people, the bill came to the highest amount we’d seen during our six weeks in Mexico: 800 pesos (40 €). But that was for four.
The next day, following our friends’ advice, we took a local bus, a "camión", on Calzada de la Luz, at the end of Calle Relox. Destination: Atotonilco, about twenty kilometers away. It’s a village of fewer than a thousand people, famous for its church (and what else, we’re in Mexico!). The Santuario de Jesús Nazareno is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Baroque architecture and decoration (dating back to the 18th century). For Mexicans, it’s also a spiritual landmark: during Mexico’s War of Independence, Father Miguel Hidalgo took up the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe to lead the insurgent army.
It’s nice, but we were a little disappointed by the naivety of the interior after all the wonders we’d seen in Querétaro and San Miguel. From the outside, it looks very "Mexican": bright sun, white and ochre colors, paved road… Oh, and public benches, of course!
Our American friends had raved about the charms of a spa just outside Atotonilco. "10 minutes on foot," the nuns running the café next to the church told us. It took us more than half an hour to reach Escondido Place under a sun that was gradually becoming relentless. We hugged the walls where there was a bit of vegetation. Still, it was pretty at times—check out these beautiful religious statues framed by tall cacti we came across along the way.
Entry to Escondido Place was 150 pesos each. Not cheap. Plus, we had to buy swimsuits. Not much choice in a tiny shop, and that’s how we ended up spending 1,000 pesos, even after a little haggling. We weren’t too tempted by the pool—the place was nice, but the water looked cold. And Y is really sensitive to the cold (she’s Thai). No problem, though—there were these "caves" with very hot water, naturally heated, if I understood correctly. The caves weren’t natural, though; they were built. Bare brick walls and vaults—it was quite pretty. We were almost alone enjoying the place. At the back, the water gushed out hot and in powerful jets. It was bliss to stand right in front and let it hit your face—like an intense massage. There was enough space to take a few strokes.
On the way back, which we were a little nervous about—it was almost 2 km and very hot—we were lucky enough to get a ride in a pickup truck. The driver must’ve been surprised when he realized we were foreigners! But it’s just one example among many of how kind the locals are.
In the "downtown" of Atotonilco (see the JPEG below), we had to wait a good half-hour for the "camión" that would take us back to San Miguel. We made a farmer’s day by buying his fruit. We paid 20 pesos for two delicious avocados—"there are millions of avocados in Mexico"—and 15 pesos for something weird but tasty called "camaca" if I remember correctly.
The "camión" literally took the scenic route back to San Miguel. There must’ve been about twenty teenagers on the bus, fresh out of school. The people’s features clearly showed the importance of indigena blood in the countryside. We passed through small roads in a few villages. The rural setting reminded me of Isaan, Y’s province in Thailand.
At the end of the day, we had a great meal at Café de la Parroquia. The place was nice, the service friendly, the food good, and the margaritas excellent. Y was happy—you can tell from the photo (though I’ve blurred her face for privacy). Out of our entire trip in Mexico, this was where we had our best margaritas. The ones at the "cantina 21 Única"—just a stone’s throw from Café de la Parroquia—were also fantastic.
Hi everyone,
We traveled to Norway in the summer of 2025, from July 17 to 29, to visit Senja Island and the Lofoten archipelago with a rental car. The common thread of these twelve days was clearly hiking, along with a few visits and experiences, and nights spent in a tent or in the car (which made it possible). We chose Narvik Airport for both arrival and departure for several complementary reasons: the desire to visit nearby Senja Island, slightly more affordable airfare, and finally, the rental price of the vehicle—especially the car model we were looking for. We only made one reservation, for the first campsite, as sleeping in a tent made things much easier. But we had the whole structure of the trip planned, a flexible outline that could adapt to the weather conditions we’d encounter. Senja Island isn’t part of the Lofoten archipelago, and during the early stages of planning this trip, we hadn’t planned to visit it. But its relative proximity to Narvik Airport and, above all, its unique geography definitely made us change our minds. We arrived in Evenes, where Narvik Airport is located, nearly 60 km from the city itself. Our first stop was 40 km further in Bjerkvik on the way to Senja, where there’s a Rema 1000 (a very common supermarket chain in Norway). We needed to buy some food and a gas cartridge for our stove. I’d emailed the store manager beforehand, who told me they didn’t sell them but that the two gas stations in the village were likely to have some in stock.
It was only at the Esso station that I found what I needed, but unfortunately, only one cartridge. Luckily, we quickly realized that most campsites (like in Iceland) have a shared kitchen with hotplates. That single small cartridge was just enough for the few nights we spent outside of campsites... We got our first taste of Norway’s characteristic landscapes:
When we arrived at the Senja campsite, it was already 9:30 PM. A sign announced it was full, but luckily, I’d booked it 10 days earlier. By 10:30 PM, as we settled in to eat, it was still broad daylight, and the thermometer read 25°C—despite being at a latitude of 69° North! We went to bed around midnight, exhausted but under the light of a sun that was still very much present. Thanks to Earth’s tilted axis. We’d anticipated this by buying opaque sleep masks because, yes, at this time of year, it’s daylight all the time.
Friday, July 18:
Today, we planned two hikes on the island and a few stops along the way. The map clearly shows that the deepest fjords are in the north and west. Due to time and accessibility, we focused on the northern part of the island. Our first stop was at the viewing platform in Bergbotn:
Then we headed toward Skaland, the starting point for our first hike. Along the way, we found plenty of reasons to stop—especially since, on this first day of travel, our thirst for Nordic landscapes was far from quenched.
The town of Skaland is very practical: free parking, picnic tables for after the hike, and a Joker convenience store right next door. Our goal was the summit of Husfjellet: 670 m of elevation gain, between 8 and 9 km in length, and an estimated 4 hours and 30 minutes.
This hike offers two major viewpoints. The first overlooks the Bergsoyan islands to the west:
At the summit, the view shifts to the Steinfjorden fjord:
You can even clearly see the "Devil’s Teeth," which we’d see from below later:
In total, the hike took us 4 hours and 30 minutes, including all the breaks. We treated ourselves to an ice cream in Skaland to recharge for the next hike. We hit the road again and stopped at Tungeneset to get a closer look at the Devil’s Teeth:
We continued to Fjordgard, the starting point for our second hike. Fjordgard isn’t very welcoming. There was a time when you could park right at the start of the hike up Mount Segla. Now, everything’s blocked off, and locals have even taken to blocking all possible parking spots nearby. You now have to park outside the town at a paid parking lot (90 NOK for 3 hours), adding an extra 2 km (round trip) of walking. Still, that was just a minor inconvenience because the hike that followed quickly made us forget all about it. The hike is fairly short (2 hours) but still has 520 m of elevation gain. This hike was a stark contrast to the first. This morning, we had sweeping views of the vast landscape. Here, Mount Segla, perched on the edge of the cliff, dominates the foreground:
For those prone to vertigo, it might be best to stay at the foot of the mountain, as the trail climbs right along the cliff edge. And from that point on, you quickly understand what verticality really means...
In total, we took 2 hours and 50 minutes, including breaks and the extra walk to the parking lot. The day was already well underway, and with 1,200 m of cumulative elevation gain, it was time to find a spot to eat and sleep. Since we hadn’t made any reservations, we’d planned to bivouac for the night. We weren’t too picky—just practical—so we decided to sleep in the car at the parking lot for tomorrow morning’s hike, just 5 km from Fjordgard.
We traveled to Norway in the summer of 2025, from July 17 to 29, to visit Senja Island and the Lofoten archipelago with a rental car. The common thread of these twelve days was clearly hiking, along with a few visits and experiences, and nights spent in a tent or in the car (which made it possible). We chose Narvik Airport for both arrival and departure for several complementary reasons: the desire to visit nearby Senja Island, slightly more affordable airfare, and finally, the rental price of the vehicle—especially the car model we were looking for. We only made one reservation, for the first campsite, as sleeping in a tent made things much easier. But we had the whole structure of the trip planned, a flexible outline that could adapt to the weather conditions we’d encounter. Senja Island isn’t part of the Lofoten archipelago, and during the early stages of planning this trip, we hadn’t planned to visit it. But its relative proximity to Narvik Airport and, above all, its unique geography definitely made us change our minds. We arrived in Evenes, where Narvik Airport is located, nearly 60 km from the city itself. Our first stop was 40 km further in Bjerkvik on the way to Senja, where there’s a Rema 1000 (a very common supermarket chain in Norway). We needed to buy some food and a gas cartridge for our stove. I’d emailed the store manager beforehand, who told me they didn’t sell them but that the two gas stations in the village were likely to have some in stock.
It was only at the Esso station that I found what I needed, but unfortunately, only one cartridge. Luckily, we quickly realized that most campsites (like in Iceland) have a shared kitchen with hotplates. That single small cartridge was just enough for the few nights we spent outside of campsites... We got our first taste of Norway’s characteristic landscapes:
When we arrived at the Senja campsite, it was already 9:30 PM. A sign announced it was full, but luckily, I’d booked it 10 days earlier. By 10:30 PM, as we settled in to eat, it was still broad daylight, and the thermometer read 25°C—despite being at a latitude of 69° North! We went to bed around midnight, exhausted but under the light of a sun that was still very much present. Thanks to Earth’s tilted axis. We’d anticipated this by buying opaque sleep masks because, yes, at this time of year, it’s daylight all the time.
Friday, July 18:
Today, we planned two hikes on the island and a few stops along the way. The map clearly shows that the deepest fjords are in the north and west. Due to time and accessibility, we focused on the northern part of the island. Our first stop was at the viewing platform in Bergbotn:
Then we headed toward Skaland, the starting point for our first hike. Along the way, we found plenty of reasons to stop—especially since, on this first day of travel, our thirst for Nordic landscapes was far from quenched.
The town of Skaland is very practical: free parking, picnic tables for after the hike, and a Joker convenience store right next door. Our goal was the summit of Husfjellet: 670 m of elevation gain, between 8 and 9 km in length, and an estimated 4 hours and 30 minutes.
This hike offers two major viewpoints. The first overlooks the Bergsoyan islands to the west:
At the summit, the view shifts to the Steinfjorden fjord:
You can even clearly see the "Devil’s Teeth," which we’d see from below later:
In total, the hike took us 4 hours and 30 minutes, including all the breaks. We treated ourselves to an ice cream in Skaland to recharge for the next hike. We hit the road again and stopped at Tungeneset to get a closer look at the Devil’s Teeth:
We continued to Fjordgard, the starting point for our second hike. Fjordgard isn’t very welcoming. There was a time when you could park right at the start of the hike up Mount Segla. Now, everything’s blocked off, and locals have even taken to blocking all possible parking spots nearby. You now have to park outside the town at a paid parking lot (90 NOK for 3 hours), adding an extra 2 km (round trip) of walking. Still, that was just a minor inconvenience because the hike that followed quickly made us forget all about it. The hike is fairly short (2 hours) but still has 520 m of elevation gain. This hike was a stark contrast to the first. This morning, we had sweeping views of the vast landscape. Here, Mount Segla, perched on the edge of the cliff, dominates the foreground:
For those prone to vertigo, it might be best to stay at the foot of the mountain, as the trail climbs right along the cliff edge. And from that point on, you quickly understand what verticality really means...
In total, we took 2 hours and 50 minutes, including breaks and the extra walk to the parking lot. The day was already well underway, and with 1,200 m of cumulative elevation gain, it was time to find a spot to eat and sleep. Since we hadn’t made any reservations, we’d planned to bivouac for the night. We weren’t too picky—just practical—so we decided to sleep in the car at the parking lot for tomorrow morning’s hike, just 5 km from Fjordgard.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
When it comes to the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, it's customary to praise its coastline and dreamy beaches—and they certainly deserve it.
But in this story, I’d like to highlight other memories, aspects, and impressions for a slightly different change of scenery.
Enjoy the read—some text and, above all, lots of photos.
« Byenveni sou zile Sen Maten! » (Welcome to the island of Saint-Martin)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
A little sneak peek?
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
2- Around San Pedro
