Sailing Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon. ....

This post has been sitting in the works for months waiting for a few small adjustments and clogging up the works in the process. Its about time it was finished, posted  and normal (ie mostly textile) programming  restored.

After Frida's house we went on to the Olympic soccer stadium and the University to see two major sets of murals. We've discovered that it has been a very significant art form here - a way of recording history for a start, especially because at the time literacy levels were extremely low.

The University grounds also seemed to be the Sunday dog park.

Then it was off to The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco to have a ride in a "trajinera" around the canals...... Each flat-bottomed party boat holds about 20 people. As our group was large we had 2 trajineras simply lashed together. One of the best things about this experience was that the tourists were vastly outnumbered by local families out to celebrate and relax.

The mariachi bands are summoned and step from boat to boat.......

.....and the shopping comes to you.

The 'bar' serves up large cups of beer and tequila with a splash of lime and the rim dipped in what looked like powdered chilli..... 

Our drinks were delivered in tubs of ice.....

Lunch came to us as well....

Bonsai anyone?

Our floating restaurant.....

I think we must have only paid for the back view......

Back on dry land to markets, entertainment and more food if you were so inclined........and colour absolutely every direction you looked.

It is way too late to apologise for the chaotic presentation. It is what it is.

Sue Xxxx

Frida's House

I  wasn't able to blog as I had hoped while we were away so I have weeks worth of adventures to catch up on. I am unapologetic about the number of photos as this is as much my diary as it is for anyone else who may pop by to read.....

After a somewhat chaotic start to the day as the tour company sorted out who should be on which bus we finally headed off to Coyocan and Frida's house  the Casa Azul - the Blue House - and it was very blue indeed.

Coyacan is a relatively quiet (for Mexico), leafy suburb of Mexico City with some delightful architecture. It was once an area of weekenders and holiday homes but the city has since spread out to meet up with it.

This rotunda is reputedly built on the spot where the Spanish  set up when they conquered the area in the early 1500s........  

........and I met poor Princessa who had a 'problema' with one leg......

 

It was busy at Frida's house - Sundays are free to Mexican nationals and our visit also coincided with extra US tourists having a mini break over their Memorial Day Weekend. (If you have plans to visit I'd suggest avoiding those times - and it's closed on Mondays, like all museums in Mexico.)

 



Our tickets - alas we couldn't keep them as a souvenir.....hence the photos.

Pesos - not US dollars......

A few other guests......

The house has numerous original works, posters and photos - in every respect a real treasure trove.

Frida's studio...........

The beds were tiny.......

Note the mirror on the canopy.......

 

The garden was an oasis of calm and of course colour.................(despite the crowd.)

We were fortunate to have Frida's clothes on exhibition.

.......and many of her original casts and braces.

I could happily have stayed for hours, reading in the garden or sipping coffee or browsing in the shop. Alas we were hustled along for the next part of the adventure. I think perhaps we tried to fit too much in for one day.

 

Sue xxxx