Saturdays in San Angel

After visiting many of the standard sites around the city, spend a Saturday strolling around San Angel. In addition to some fine eateries, most of your entertainment will be had visiting with local artists and craftspersons.

Plaza San Jacinto offers great opportunities to purchase some lovely fine art offered by local artists.

Sculpture, paintings & photographs!

 

Tribute to Diego in Plaza San Jacinto

Not far from the Plaza is the studio museum of Diego Rivera. Take the time to leisurely walk the narrow, cobblestone streets of San Angel.

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As I may prefer wandering from village to village when in Mexico, many of my favorite spots can be found near water. In particular, I have come to love the beaches around Huatulco. Check out a few of these hidden gems in this article.

Mexico's Hidden Beaches

 

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The Gardens of the Casa Azul

Any first visit to Coyoacan usually includes a visit to Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul. In addition to a lovely home and interesting museum, the gardens are well worth the trip in and of themselves.

Of course,since this is a popular tourist destination, it's all the more pleasant when you can find yourself relatively alone in the gardens on a day when the crowds are light.

Wander along the paths surrounded by the most lucious flora one can find in a relatively compact space in any city. Sprinkled throughout are numerous artifacts that only increase the exotic feeling the owners themselves must have once felt as they passed time in this paradise behind stone walls.

After visiting the museum, treat yourself to a coffee or cold drink at the small cafe on the grounds. No need to hurry back to the more frenetic atmosphere found at the central square. Better yet, after visiting here, head a few blocks away to the Trotsky House/Museum for another repite from the madness of the city. Thanks for these great photos brother Bob.

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Last year a tacopedia of Mexico was published. Check out the map below of different types of tacos found around Mexico. As I've said in erlier blogs, there's nothing like a good taco crawl around DF to taste the wide variety of tacos avsilable to the adventurous.

http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/05/mexico-taco-map.html

 

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The Palacio National

A trip to Mexico City wouldn't have been complete without a stop at the Palacio National to see perhaps Rivera's best murals. I say best, and not necessarily my favorite, because of the complicated nature and size of this project. This set of murals was begun in 1929. The staircase mural is a real masterpiece showing Mexico Through the Centuries.

Inside Courtyard at the Palacio National

The size, the angles, and the crowds make the staircase particularly difficult to photograph. Nonetheless, the amount of detail in the mural shows why it took Rivera six years to complete it. Rivera returned to the National Palace to complete the project between 1945 and 1951. In the set of murals at the top of the staircase on the first floor, he has a detailed presentation of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico. The vision of ancient Tenochtitlan (modern day downtown Mexico City), gives the viewer a sense of how expansive and advanced this civilization was.

Detail from the Staircase Mural

Detail from Images of Ancient Tenochititlan

Tattoos & Piercings! So, what's so different today?

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Just when you think that there couldn't be any new archeological discoveries, something new pops up. Check out this article on previously unknown cave paintings in northern Mexico.

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2013/05/5000-cave-paintings-found-in-northern.html

 

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Palacio de Bellas Artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes

Built around 1905, the Fine Arts Museum is one of the showcase buildings in Mexico City. Located next to Alameda Central park, it houses some of the finest art found in the city. In addition, the Ballet Folclórico de México regularly performs here on Wednesdays and Sundays. From the Palacio, it's just a short walk down Madero Street to the Zocalo.

A Touch Of Modern Art In Front Of The Palacio

On Sundays after 10 am, one can visit the museum for free. Between the park, numerous museums, and its proximity to the Catedral Metropolitana and other city center sites, one can easily wile way the better part of a weekend.

Choc Mool Meets Art Decco

Inside the museum, one is treated to the mural masterpieces of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros Above all of them, Rivera's Man at the Crossroads stands out. This piece was recreated after the original one commissioned for the Rockefeller Center was thoughtless destroyed due to anticapitalist themes.

 

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Mercado Abelardo Rodriquez

A pleasant little market for both shopping, lunch and great art is the Mercado Abelardo Rodriguez. From the Plaza de Santo Domingo, just take a right down Rep. de Venezuela street. In just three blocks or so, you'll come upon the market. As with most markets in the city and throughout Mexico, numerous small eateries offer some of the tastiest and least expensive food in town

Mural Inside the Mercado Depicting Class Struggles

However, what makes this market stand out are the murals found at the entrances and on the second floor. Depicting scenes of class struggle and inequities, muralists from the 1920s, under the tutelage of Diego Rivera, practiced their trade and left a lasting and historically important picture of Mexican life. Unlike at the Palacio Nacional, you'll have these murals all to yourself as the locals go about their daily activities. Don't forget to try a chili rellano if you are there around lunchtime.

 

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Inside the World of Diego Rivera

Following my guidebook, I strolled through the cobblestone streets of San Angel on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. My goal was to reach Diego and Frida's Studio/Museum. Narrow streets and lovely colonial architecture characterize this up-scale neighborhood.

Inside Diego's Studio

One can easily imagine what life was like in the San Angel house for the artists. Many of Diego's creations are still in place just as they were when he worked here from the 1930s until his death in 1957. The whimsical paper-mâché figures are amazing and so representative of Mexican culture and art.

The Amazing World Created By Diego

The museum is free to teachers with a valid ID. However, there is a nominal charge if you want to take photographs.

 

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Orozco and Cortés

I've mentioned my visits to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso before, but always in the context of seeing Rivera's first great Mexico City mural La Creación. However, there are many other very good reasons for a visit to more than just the amphitheater here. Other contemporaries of Rivera also contributed murals to the walls of this former 16th century Jesuit college. In particular, José Clemente Orozco's portrait of the famous conquistador Cortés and his mistress, La Malinche, can be found underneath one of the staircases on the main patio. Works by muralist David Siqueiros also adorn the many walls of this structure. Further, regular temporary exhibitions are hosted here as well as bi-monthly recitals in the amphitheater.

 

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Comrade Trotsky, We Know Where You Live!

Trotsky House. Guntower added after first assignation attempt.

Coyoacan is one of the most delightful neighborhoods in DF. This is where Diego and Frida lived. Since I had visited their house (La Casa Azul) on an earlier trip, today, my sights were set on the Trotsky House and Museum. Again, if you saw the movie Frida, she and Trotsky became special friends that ultimately lead to a most strained relationship between the Riveras and the Trotskys.

Trotsky Study Where He Was Murdered

Trotsky lived in this house just over a year. However, his grandson maintained it for many more years after his death in 1940. It's a wonderfully peaceful spot and one can only imagine what it was like in Coyoacan then as a rural area outside the city. Any history lover would enjoy a visit to Trotsky's exile home in Mexico.

Wouldn't You Just Die For A Kitchen Like This?

 

 

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The Eternal Flame

Within a stone throw of UNAM (The University of Mexico), one finds the Olympic Stadium home for yet another Diego Rivera creation. In celebration of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, this extraordinary mosaic adorns the front of the stadium. The lighting of the flame by both male and female competitors signifies both the spirit of the games as well as Mexico's long history, tradition, and the importance of sports in this country.

 

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Eiffel's Influence in Mexico

By bus, the city of Cuernavaca is only about two hours away from DF. Although I had gone there to see the Rivera murals in the Palacio de Cortes (more on the murals later), I was treated as well to the sight of a gazebo designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the tower guy) in the middle of Jardin Juárez.

Unlike most Mexican architecture, this fin de siècle French structure at first strikes one as being geographically out of place, but amazingly at home here in downtown Cuernavaca. Located in the middle of the plaza, shops on the lower level sell fruit and sandwiches. Strolling vendors sell balloons and ice cream. Plenty of benches offer the weary traveler a relaxing spot to take a break. Several nights a week, one can come here for a concert in the park. Ah, Mexico and thank you Señor Eiffel!

 

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Mixing The New With The Old

From a number of perspectives, a visit to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is always worthwhile. As it is located just two blocks east of the Zocalo, it's a convenient stop on any itinerary of the historical district. First, in the Simon Bolivar Amphitheater, you can see Diego Rivera's first DF mural "La Creación." Taking in a Sunday afternoon concert in this theater is a real treat. Second, the Colegio also is the home of many other murals by contemporaries of Rivera such as Orozco and Siqueiros. Finally, as you can see in his photo, regular temporary exhibitions find a showing here. Inside one of the courtyards, a modern sculpture installation challenges the classic lines of this 300 year old colonial structure. No admission charge on Tuesdays.

 

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Hangin' Out At The Casa Azuz

There's a wonderful picture of Diego and Frida at the Casa Azul on this porch in this exact pose. Please excuse my self-indulgence of recreating it with my wife on our visit to the museum. When visiting Coyoacan, a visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum is a must. Often, it can be crowded, but with a little luck you might be able to catch it on a week day when the crowds are less and the tranquility of the beautiful garden can offer you a glimpse of what they came to love about it. Take the time to have a coffee in the cafe, roam through the bookstore, and meander among the flowers and statuary in the garden. It's a great respite from the outside world. As everyone will tell you, Coyoacan is a wonderful neighborhood to wile away a day.

 

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Ok, Recognize This Place?

Architecturally, this is one of the coolest places in Mexico City. It was designed by architect and painter Juan O'Gorman for "famous" friends of his in the 1930s. If you saw a recent film staring Selma Hayek, this is where a number of scenes were filmed. Alright, I've probably already given it away. If you guessed that the famous friends were Diego and Frida, you're correct. This is the outside of the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera Y Frida Kahlo. Each had a separate house and studio here at the residence in San Angel. After their divorce, Frida then moved to the Casa Azul in Coyoacan. Inside, one can view Diego's studio just as it was when he worked in it.

 

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The Most Intriguing Diego

One of the very best reasons to venture into Chapultepec Park is to see the most unique and intriguing of Rivera's creations in Mexico City. The Fuente de Tláloc presents one a 3-D tiled fountain sculpture capturing the essence of the Native Mexican spirit.

The image one sees depends on which side of the fountain one views this masterpiece that Rivera started in 1952.

Inside the municipal water system building, Rivera muraled the Carcamo, the water tank designed for diverting water to the fountain.

As the murals quickly deteriorated due to the water, only recently has their restoration been completed and reopened to the public for viewing.

One may not be able to find a more peaceful spot in the city than this section of the park.

 

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Plaza Santo Domingo

Plaza Santo Domingo

 

Just two blocks north of the cathedral and the Zocalo is one of my favorite squares in Mexico City - Plaza Santo Domingo. In addition to simply being a picturesque spot for sitting and watching people, this square is the spot to go to if you need anything printed from First Communion and wedding invitations to business cards. Further, the square is surrounded by historical buildings from the 16th century Iglesia de Santo Domingo, the Secretaría de Educación Pública (loaded with great Diego Rivera murals), and the Palacio de la Inquisición which served as the headquarters for the Holy Inquisition in Mexico in the 1700s.

Historical Drawing of the Plaza

 

 

 

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