There aren’t many tours I choose to take twice. Culinary Backstreet’s food tour of Xochimilco is an exception. The town of Xochimilco is one of the last remaining bits of the lakes that once covered most of Mexico City. It’s only about seventeen miles from Mexico City’s historic center, though getting there feels longer. Mexico City traffic rivals New York … Read More
Mexico City – Day Three
The Museo Soumaya’s architecture alone makes it worth a visit, even if art museums aren’t your thing. The windowless, metallic six-story building looks a bit like a surrealist hourglass covered in thousands of gleaming silver tiles. It’s impossible to ignore. It’s the centerpiece of Nuevo Polanco, a very modern, very wealthy section of Mexico City that’s still growing. The museum … Read More
Mexico City – Day Two
If you collected many of my favorite things, folk art, outrageous color, quirky objects, and wonderful craftsmanship, and out them into a museum, you’d have the Museo de Arte Popular. It’s one of my favorite museums in Mexico City, and I have several. Though relatively small, I can spend many happy hours there. On this visit, there were two special … Read More
Mexico City – Day 1
There’s something exhilarating about flying into Mexico City. As the plane descended yesterday, the city seemed to stretch forever, a vast carpet of buildings spilling toward the mountains. Mexico City is enormous, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, but from the air what struck me that unlike New York, relatively few skyscrapers puncture the skyline. Instead, enormous … Read More
Market Day – Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico
Sunday is market day in Ixtapan. The center of town transforms from narrow streets lined by small shops to narrow streets made even narrower by the presence of vendors’ displays. People from the town and surrounding areas crowd into the market to do their weekly food shopping. Some sellers hawk their wares by walking through the crowded aisles and calling … Read More
Metepec, Mexico
Yesterday’s post was about the fabulous botanical garden in Toluca. Here’s where we went from there. Leaving Toluca’s lush botanical garden behind, we drove a short distance to Metepec. It’s one of Mexico’s 177 Pueblos Mágicos, places honored for preserving a mix of history, culture, and tradition. The designation fits, Metepec has an energy that is both old and alive. … Read More
Toluca, Mexico
After an early morning stretch class in a heated mineral water pool (divine) my friend Sue and I set out on an excursion to two nearby towns. Our first stop was in Toluca the second was in Metepec. Today’s entry will focus on Toluca. That was where I most wanted to go ever since I saw photos of the city’s … Read More
Mexico – Day 3
Yesterday was mostly consumed by getting to the airport to meet my friends and get the van to drive to Ixtapan de la Sal. Ixtapan de la Sal is located southwest of Mexico City in the mountains. It’s about fifty miles as the crow flies, but seventy-five miles to drive there. You wouldn’t think that it would take very long, … Read More
Mexico City – Day 2
The Museo de Arte Popular has been on my radar for a while. I’m a great fan of folk art and any museum dedicated to exhibiting the “people’s art” is one I must check out. It was better than my wildest hopes. After three hours I’d done a quick sweep of all the floors. I could have stayed for a … Read More
Mexico City – Day One
I arrived in Mexico City early yesterday afternoon. The first order of business after checking into the hotel was a siesta. When I woke up, the sky was ominous looking. Within minutes lightening and thunder made their appearance with great gusto. I could hear hail pounding against the window. Staying in and eating at the hotel’s restaurant seemed prudent. It … Read More