Wednesday was devoted entirely to the fantastic Museum of Anthropology with information and artifacts relating to Mexico’s many Pre-Hispanic cultures. In the evening we went to an excellent presentation by the National Folk Ballet of Mexican dances in the magnificent theatre.
On Thursday we went south to Coyoacan, once a separate town on the shore of the lake from where Cortes mounted his final attack, and where he lived for 2 years while (re-)building Mexico City. We visited a house with restaurant on the site of what were then his stables! The owners have created a very pleasant if slight Disney-ish garden which we wandered round.
Nearby is the house of Malinche, his Mexican interpreter and mother of his son Martin, now a theatre school. A tunnel is said to connect the two, but it seems to me highly unlikely. There was no secret about their relations. The town centre seemed a world away from Mexico City, although it is now part of the conurbation. There is a low, yellow-painted Town Hall facing the large church across a little square. The church is one of the earliest Spanish buildings in the country, started in the C16th, but updated in the baroque style.
We also visited the Casa Azul, the house where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived – now a tranquil little museum with her beautiful studio. From there we went on to Anahuacalli Museum, designed by Rivera (inspired by the pre-Hispanic pyramids) to house his collection of mainly pottery artifacts. It is built of volcanic rock (teozintle) and has a fine view from the roof terrace. It also contains the cartoons of some of his murals. One I found in very bad taste depicted Stalin and Mao releasing white doves of peace. From there we went back to the National Palace in the centre to see some of the finished murals…
The bird men descending from a may-pole is an old religious rite which is still practiced – we saw it done outside the Museum of Anthropology. On our way home we walked through the beautiful National library.
Friday 14th was our last morning in the city. We went to the National Art Gallery to see a collection of Mexican painting and sculpture from the C16th-19th.
The preponderance of religious works in the first few centuries was very striking. We went straight to the airport to catch our bus to Querétaro, 3 hours NW.
Nearby is the house of Malinche, his Mexican interpreter and mother of his son Martin, now a theatre school. A tunnel is said to connect the two, but it seems to me highly unlikely. There was no secret about their relations. The town centre seemed a world away from Mexico City, although it is now part of the conurbation. There is a low, yellow-painted Town Hall facing the large church across a little square. The church is one of the earliest Spanish buildings in the country, started in the C16th, but updated in the baroque style.
We also visited the Casa Azul, the house where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived – now a tranquil little museum with her beautiful studio. From there we went on to Anahuacalli Museum, designed by Rivera (inspired by the pre-Hispanic pyramids) to house his collection of mainly pottery artifacts. It is built of volcanic rock (teozintle) and has a fine view from the roof terrace. It also contains the cartoons of some of his murals. One I found in very bad taste depicted Stalin and Mao releasing white doves of peace. From there we went back to the National Palace in the centre to see some of the finished murals…
The bird men descending from a may-pole is an old religious rite which is still practiced – we saw it done outside the Museum of Anthropology. On our way home we walked through the beautiful National library. 
Friday 14th was our last morning in the city. We went to the National Art Gallery to see a collection of Mexican painting and sculpture from the C16th-19th. 
The preponderance of religious works in the first few centuries was very striking. We went straight to the airport to catch our bus to Querétaro, 3 hours NW.
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