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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Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe 3

From churches to museums to art galleries, it's difficult not to encounter Our Lady of Guadalupe. Including the Mexican flag, it is the most ionic image displayed in the most Catholic country.

This particular image of the Virgin immediately grabbed my attention due to the material from which it was constructed. The artist fashioned her image out of natural materials and gave her decidedly indigenous features. Most likely, this would have been how the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 rather than more European as she is often depicted.

 

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When in DF, I spend most of my time walking the streets in one neighborhood or another. I'll use the metro to get me to the section of the city that interests me, but from there, it's all on foot. Check out this article about walking around this megacity.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/feb/08/walking-mexico-city-dbc-pierre

 

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Deconstructing Frida Kahlo

One of my favorite painting by Frida Kahlo is her self-portrait entitled Las Dos Fridas completed in 1939. As one visits the museums around Mexico City, paintings by Kahlo are relatively scarce. However, if you venture out to Chapultepec Park you'll find the very enjoyable Museo de Arte Moderno that houses the Kahlo masterpiece. This museum also contains canvasses by Dr. Atl, Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco, and O'Gorman.

In this particular painting, Frida presents two sides of her personality. In the top image, she is in a traditional Tehuana costume and represents the woman Diego respected and loved. The bottom image shows her in a Victorian wedding dress and represents the Frida who Diego abandoned. The hearts of the two Fridas are exposed. This is a convention she repeatedly used to express her pain.

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I've always enjoyed Cinco de Mayo here in the States and usually try to catch dinner in a local Mexican restaurant or cook up some delicious recipe at home from south of the border. But, do you know what the significance of this day is in Mexican history?

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3407-cinco-de-mayo-what-is-everybody-celebrating

 

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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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Where Am I? Paris, France? No way!

Just steps away for the Palacio des Bellas Artes on one side and Alameda Park on the other is this entrance to the Mexico City metro. What is most curious is that this is one of the classic metro entrance markers still found today in Paris. Nonetheless, it fits in perfectly next to the art nouveau style of the Fine Arts Museum. No doubt, the designers had this in mind when a small piece of Paris was installed to complement the iconic Mexico City museum housing some of the greatest murals to be seen in the city. Remember, visiting the museum is free on Sundays.

 

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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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Diego's "Creation"

A visit to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is a must every time I visit the city. Although the museum now offers an array of interesting murals and temporary exhibits (see them on Tuesdays when the admission is free), I go to see Rivera's first major mural "The Creation."

As a did last year, I was able to catch a Sunday afternoon concert in the amphitheater with Diego's mural as the backdrop. Sponsored by the university, a ticket for any performance here is only $4. Wow, that's cheap entertainment by any definition. Today's mezzo-soprano and pianist were good although not quite my cup of tea. Nonetheless,a peaceful hour was sent in the shadow of one of Mexico's greatest artists.

 

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