D.F. Mexico, Day 1

During this adventure in Mexico, I was partly on my own and partly in the company of an old student and his girlfriend. The student is part of a family I have known for many years, and after a few conversations and emails, we worked out a plan. I arrived at Terminal Two at the airport in Mexico City midday on July 22. This terminal is modern and efficient, so I had a quick and smooth transition into this new country. From my student, I had detailed instructions on how to correctly arrange a cab so I would select one that was government regulated. All went well and within an hour I was in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Zocalo, in the middle of the historic district, the Plaza de la Constitucion.

Determined to get out before the rain, I walked across the square to see the Catedral Metropolitana with its huge gilded altar. It felt good to be out in the cool air after such hot weather in NJ! But, I was hungry and soon headed to the hotel's sixth floor outdoor terrace for pozole (corn soup) and quesadillas.

At 6:30 my student, Jay, met me for dinner. We walked a few blocks out of the heart of the historic district where traffic is horrendous and picked up a cab to get to the trendy neighborhood of Condessa. There we ate at his favorite restaurant, La Capital. Somewhere between lunch and dinner, my view of Mexican food completely changed. Again and again throughout the week, I would feel that someone had been holding out on me because Mexican food in Mexico is nothing like Mexican food that I have eaten in the United States.

http://www.opentable.com/la-capital

Pre-History/Pre-Mexico

Hola mi amigos!

I'm writing this post a week after returning from Mexico. I didn't blog when I was away, but did send a few emails about my activities. Now, time to "formalize" the writing.

This first entry is called "pre-history" and essentially refers to me because before I went to Mexico, I knew very little about the history of this country: there was a revolution; there are ruins; many people travel to the beach resorts on the coasts; there are drug cartels and killings; it's the homeland of Rivera and Kahlo, two artists of which I knew some biographical information. I don't speak Spanish and before I went to Mexico, I didn't love Mexican food. You might wonder why I went? Simple: it's long been on my list of travel destinations and a perfect opportunity arose.

To start: Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, with a population close to 22 million people. In Mexico, there are 31 states and one federal district (Mexico City). Often in writing the city is referred to as D.F. (Distrito Federal). I read that the city itself is 30 times the size of Manhattan and the country three times the size of Texas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm

San Miguel de Allende

After four days in Mexico City, I boarded a first class bus (Primera Plus) to head to San Miguel de Allende, a small, colonial silver city and artist colony approximately 3 1/2 hours from D.F. The bus service is inexpensive ($44 round trip), punctual, and very comfortable. Included in the price are large seats that recline, a small lunch, and movies. On the way out I saw "El Estudiante", a tear jerker, and on the way back I watched "A Time-Traveler's Wife".

The bus terminal is in a newer part of town. When I first saw the modern surroundings I was a bit nervous, but in the distance I could see the grand "pink church". I got into one of the three waiting cabs and within minutes arrived at my hotel, Casa Quetzal. Like all of the entrance ways in the city, Casa Quetzal is marked by only a small plaque on the exterior wall. But inside it was a tiny paradise: plants, flowers, terraces for eating and sunbathing, and a wonderful friendly staff. The hotel was in both Frommer's and Lonely Planet and it had rave reviews on TripAdvisor. I also got a great discount on my room, aptly named after Diego Rivera. 

How did I spend my days? I started with a luxurious, leisurely breakfast either on the terrace or delivered to my room. (Vacation, right?) Then, I would set out to explore. My first day I signed up for a cooking class that included a market tour and demonstration. The chef guided us through the market area, purchased ingredients for the snacks and appetizers he was going to prepare, and brought it all back to a Williams-Sonoma style kitchen to cook for the ten participants. Cheese, carnitas, gorditas, red and green salsa, avocados, hibiscus iced tea in Mexican blue glassware, frozen sliced cactus for dessert. Afterward, I walked with the chef to the pastry shop that he owns (Petit Four) and enjoyed a buttery assortment of cookies and biscotti.

San Miguel is a perfect city in which to lose oneself. It is completely walkable, safe, inviting. Many shop owners speak English, and are patient if you want to practice your stumbling Spanish. Some reviewers in guide books claim that the city has become too touristy, too much of a "playground" for Americans, and there is some truth to that.

Frida Kahlo

This morning when I opened Google, I saw an unmistakable face surrounded by vines embedded within the logo. I clicked on it to find that today, July 6, is the birthday of the famous Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907-July 13, 1954). I'm sure many of us became familiar with her with the release of the movie "Frida" starring Salma Hayek, or through her relationship with the Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. Kahlo seemed to be a formidable woman, surviving for a short time a life of much pain, heartache, and beauty. A couple of years ago, I attended the exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was surprised to see that her oeuvre contained many still lifes in addition to the self-portraits. A small, colorful print hangs in my kitchen!

In a couple of weeks, I will travel to Mexico. One of the destinations on my itinerary is the Frida Kahlo exhibit and La Casa Azul. I'll take along the book The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, which is set in Mexico and features Kahlo, Rivera, and Trotsky as fictionalized main characters. I also plan to visit San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuoto, which coincidentally is the birthplace of Diego Rivera.

http://www.fridakahlo.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

PS- On July 7, 2010, Ringo Starr turns 70! He wants everyone to show two fingers in a "peace" sign at 12 noon and say aloud, "Peace and Love." Happy Birthday, Ringo.

The Real Start of Summer

For me, today felt like the real start of summer.

I went to the Montclair Farmer's Market and bought my favorites: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, zucchini, lettuce, fresh bread. (You can surely imagine what I ate for lunch when I got home!)

Then, a bike ride around Montclair and over to the Avis Campbell Gardens next to the Montclair Public Library.

On nearby Church Street there was a sizable crowd at the outdoor tables, though there was space at both Raymond's and 32 Church. Judging from the empty streets and tables, is half of Montclair on vacation this weekend? I also noticed two new spots: a cupcake bakery where Gimme Jimmy's used to be and a gelato shop in the place of a photography studio. Both will certainly satisfy a summer sweet tooth.

Now, I'm finally wearing my "Cruzan hook" bracelet from St. Croix, which for the past two years I've put on at the start of summer and removed on the first day of autumn. In a little bit, I'll make a big salad, cook burgers on the grill, and enjoy the backyard. Am I finally relaxing?