Unfortunately, the homes tour has morphed into a visit to "trophy homes", frequently outside the city limits, and many times taking you to commercial establishments: B&B's, homes for sale or rent, cooking school venues, etc. What was once a charming glimpse of the abodes of real people who did their own decorating--with all the foibles that entails--has now become a page out of Architectural Digest. Owners used to be present to talk to guests as they went through their home. I seldom see that now. (I've been going on the tour for over ten years.) One used to go through a minimum of three homes; now it's often just two. Even so, the fact that the income from this activity benefits local students encourages one to participate. But it doesn't have the appeal it once did.

You either love San Miguel and end up buying a house there or you hate it and end up buying a house anywhere but in San Miguel. The polarization of opinion about San Miguel will give you a clue if you should go there or not. If you like "natural", "authentic", "unspoiled places full of local colour" then I was suggest you try Patzcuaro. If you want all the comfort of home with some of the discomfort of travelling in a foreign county then you will love San Miguel.

Either point of view prejudges travel. I have been surprised that the word Gringo is used by a certain type of Gringo to show disdain for Stuff Gringos Like. By the same token other Gringos seems to believe that some expats have entered the Heart of Darkness and fully assimilated into the culture even to the point of speaking Spanish.

I am in the middle group. I like San Miguel for the very reasons some like it and some hate it. I can get the comfort of home but experience Mexican culture at the same time. San MIguel is the perfect stepping stone for further travels in Mexico. It is like staying at 9000 feet for a few days before you travel to higher altitudes.

It has a large enough expat community that the critical mass needed for an English Speaking Arts Community to flourish. It is nice to be able to go to a play in English. Yet there are enough language schools to start you on your road to another language. (I took Level 1 Warren Hardy and found it brilliant and was speaking Spanish the first week).

It is a nice base to explore the outlying communities such as Guanajuato, Queretaro and Dolores Hidalgo.

Rent a house that you can find on line by typing in Houses to Rent San MIguel De Allende. They are expensive but not more than a hotel would cost for a lot more room.

The restaurants are varied and culinary delights for any foodie. Many have a delightful twist on traditional Mexican foods.

You can take art courses and fill you day with lots of activities.

I have done a blog on this you can find my typing Gangs of San Miguel. It is irreverent but behind it is my great affection for this town and its expat gang members.

Casa de la Noche: There are many nice places to stay in San Miguel. Wonderful warm appointments, Great views from your bedroom wall of windows, State of the art Radiant Floor Heat and Water Filtration System!!! Imaculately kept. If you have traveled enough to appreciate a place with energy and personality look no farther! Call Barbara, arthousemexico.com What a woman!! Steve.

We rented the Antigua Casa del Angel (San Miguel de Allende) from June 6 to July 5, 2008. We were quite disappointed in the house. It clearly has not been well maintained by the owner and it was quite dirty when we arrived. The kitchen was especially unpleasant. Upon arrival the refrigerator light was out (as were numerous other light fixtures and lamps throughout the house). The interior of the refrigerator was dirty -- sticky spills (probably juice or jam), lots of crumbs and remnants of fruits and vegetables. The kitchen shelves and refrigerator top had a thick, somewhat greasy layer of dirt and dust and the cupboards smelled to high heaven! One cupboard smelled strongly of gas. We spent our first afternoon there cleaning all of this. Once we started using the stove and oven, the gas smell began permeating the entire kitchen. Although we complained to the owner, it took 2 and 1/2 weeks for the gas leak to be remedied. Plumbing was also a problem with stopped toilets, drippy showers, plugged up showerheads and the like. For a few days, there was no water at all in the downstairs bathroom. Other problems included a broken door lock (we had to call a locksmith on a Sunday night), a patio door that could not be closed (or it couldn't be opened again), a maid who shrank several items of apparel and complained to us that she didn't make enough money within 24 hours of our arrival. These are only a few of many problems we encountered while staying at the Antigua Casa del Angel. We certainly won't be returning.