Mexico City 2018

Last fall, during the Mexico Modern exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center, we made plans to visit Mexico City, but the earthquake happened, reminding us all of the vulnerable location of that country. It wasn't until this summer that we regrouped and traveled there. Mark and I found the history and culture fascinating, and the people we met, so warm and welcoming. We visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan with the Grand Avenue of the Dead, and wondered at the reaction of the Aztecs discovering this magnificent site. At the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we learned of the apparition of the Virgin to San Juan Diego and that her miraculous image is the most visited pilgrimage site in the Catholic world. We were within walking distance of Chapultepec Park and Chapultepec Castle, and the renowned anthropology museum, a place so fascinating we could have stretched our hours to days. Of course, we made it to the Zocalo, the central main square (the largest in Latin America) with the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Palace and the Templo Mayor Museum -- built on the Aztec temples of Tenochtitlan, ruins discovered in the late 1970's. It was exciting to jump out of our Uber at the Palace when a crowd was gathering and cameras started rolling. The new President of Mexico, who was elected the day before, stepped out of his car in front of us. Of course, the real public attraction was the gigantic screen in the square where all eyes were fixed on the World Cup. We took our time seeing the sights and then relaxed at the wonderful Cafe de la Sirenas with killer views of the Zocalo and the cathedral. Sipping my margarita and watching the scene below, I imagined the entire Centro Historico as the surface of the ocean, the entire Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan lying beneath, laid to rest by Cortez. Mark and I walked on to the Palace of Fine Arts, gorgeous in its own right apart from the treasures within, and finally to Azul restaurant. It would be my favorite dinner, for the seasonal (mushrooms!) Mexican food and the courtyard of twinkling lights. Other memories to savor:  walking in the neighborhoods of La Condesa -- our rooftop mojitos at Hotel Condesa -- and then Roma Norte -- our delicious Italian dinner at Rosetta. Visiting Diego Rivera's studio and watching the elegant people at nearby San Angel Inn was also unforgettable. More on Diego and Frida next.