Monterrey says "Goodbye Frida!"

We went to Barrio Antiguo today & as it is near the Macro or Monterrey Metropolitan Museum we had to wade through heavy crowds to get near the Barrio Antiguo district. We had read this morning that 100,000 persons have viewed the Frida Exhibition during the month long visit in Monterrey. I seriously doubt anyone was prepared for the crowds that seemed to flock to the Macro by mid day to pay their last respects. We saw helicopters in the air & police on motor cycles trying to direct the crowds. What a tribute to the exhibit! Bravo, Frida!


















A century after her birth Frida still knows how to draw a crowd. One of the strongest, if not the singular Mexican female Art figure of the 20th century. Eternally Frida!




Wonder if I will continue to see these interesting little Frida Dolls in Barrio Antiguo?

Frida, Frida, Frida

The woman who painted her own reality.



Frida-Mania has hit Monterrey!
As part of the 2007 Forum; the Metropolitan Museum of Monterrey, the Macro is host to an incredible collection of Frida Kahlo paintings, studies & letters.
Most striking in the exhibit was how small, compact & personal her most vivid portraits were that dealt with the conditions which physically affected her life & made her the artist she was.
The most emotionally moving was her incredibly personal "A Few Small Nips", it was Oil on metal & barely 15 x 19 inches.
While I enjoyed seeing "The Two Fridas" in person, my favorite had to be her "Borderline between Mexico & the United States". She painted this after traveling with Diego Rivera to the US & spending 4 years while he painted murals he was commissioned for. I am sure in those days having Mexican fare or any sense of her homeland was not the same as it is in 2007! She was very lonely for all that was Mexico. I can understand her in the reverse sense of that painting. The piece is also remarkable as she used collage techniques to lay in several images along the bottom of her painting.


Frida died at 47, yet left an incredible mark on the world. Frida both artist & icon is stronger than ever & continues to leave scholars & artists talking about her 100 years after her birth.

Bishop's Palace~top of the hill in Monterrey!

John & I visited Obispado over the weekend. This well known landmark is at the top of a high hill called Chepe Vara Hill, overlooking Monterrey. In 1846, Monterrey like Mexico City and Veracruz, was invaded by U.S. troops and occupied by forces of General Zachary Taylor. A bitter battle of the war occurred at Obispado (Bishop's Palace)when Mexican forces held out for two days after the city surrendered. Later it became the provisional capital of the government of Benito Juarez when he was chased by French.

Palacio del Obispo was completed in 1789, it was originally built as a home for retired prelates. Today it houses a museum with artifacts, clothing & documents key to Monterrey's impressive history. FYI: for anyone wanting to check out this hitorical site, the climb on narrow steps is quite steep. The day we visited it was clear offering wonderful views of Monterrey. This is also a popular spot with newly married couples & we saw several posing for photographers in front of the beautiful stone structure.


Quite the climb up those steep stairs.

Tepache, that drink they are selling in the barrel!

This weekend we purchased a clay Tepache pot in Santiago. The pots generally resemble a pineapple or at least the potter's suggestion of a Pina! Most of the Tepache pots I have seen are green or green with the barro clay glazed & showing through.

Tepache is a drink made out of pineapple core, some piloncillo (brown sugar) & sometimes beer. Tepache doesn't have a high quantity of alcohol, since it is left to ferment around 2-3 day time period. The alcohol in it comes mostly from the addition of beer, being this the most common way of serving it in Mexico. It is a drink better served cold both with or without the beer.

Tepache can be found in taquerias & on street corners in Mexico for a few pesos. Housewives sometimes prepare tepache to take advantage of the pineapple leftovers. In markets, you can usually find a vendor with a barrel full of ice cold tepache. If you are uncertain as to the water source it is a good idea to pass this beverage up! Speaking for myself many of this sort of drink may look great at the time but later the will be a physical price to pay if the water was of local variety! Whatever the case, below are two good summer recipes for both Tepache & Agua de Piña.




Mexican Tepache
1 whole fresh pineapple
12 c. water
21 oz. brown sugar
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
Wash pineapple; remove stalks at each end; cut pineapple into large cubes, including the rind. Place the pineapple cubes in a large lidded container and add 8 cups of water, all the brown sugar, cinnamon and the cloves.
Cover and let rest at room temperature for 48 hours. Strain this resulting liquid, the “Tepache”, into a new, clean container and add the remaining 4 cups of water. Let rest another 12 hours. Strain again, adding 3 cups water. Serve cold with ice cubes and fresh pineapple slices.

I've also included a very fresh non alcoholic variety of Pineapple drink.



Agua de Piña
12 ounces fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
10 cups water
1 pound ice

In a blender, combine pineapple, sugar and water; blend until smooth. Pour mixture over ice in a 1-gallon container or two 2-quart pitchers.

Villa de Santiago 1693

¡Vieja ciudad mágica hermosa!













The town of Santiago is actually where our house is located. Much history surrounds this area. The town was named, Villa de Sabinas, Hidalgo in honor of Miguel Hidalgo, the Mexican independence war starter. In 1971 it lost its villa status and is now considered a city. In Mexico people & maps tend to still refer to it as Villa de Santiago though. The little town has also acquired the designation of Pueblo de Magica. This status is something the government designates to few towns but most notably was given to San Miguel de Allende, the famed town of Tequila & Guanajuato. This title & status is given once a town has gained certain historical or tourism aspects. As we live very close John & I will probably become familiar with so much more in Villa de Santiago!



Another great place to explore~

On the way to Monterrey

When we drove to Monterrey not for the first time in recent months I noticed all sorts of roadside spectacles. Things I think many of us living in Mexico don't notice at all after a while. I didn't capture each image with the camera but I did snap a few photos on the way. I only wish I had photographed the man herding goats on a bicycle! What priceless views down here in an average day. Necessity is the mother of invention in Mexico!















Many stops along the way offer refreshment while a few offer entertainment of the oldest sort in the world...fewer still offer all of the mentioned!



















Pray you don't have a blowout or flat tire but if you do there are many Vulkas on the way which repair tires.



















The mountain vistas are beautiful on a clear day. On those days you can't imagine a bluer sky or sharper contrast between mountains & Mexican desert.

Of late in Mexico

Recently in Mexico much has been made of the bad press; it is hard not to dwell on it or let it color each day here.

I have to laugh when I think of a phrase about Mexico told to me tongue in cheek: Life in Mexico isn't like a box of chocolates. it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow. That said on those days when the negative seems to sink into each tiny moment I try to think about those things that surround us here. There are milliseconds when I may blink & the fleeting image before me is gone. In those seconds I just may view a spectacular glimpse of something or someone I never would have seen if I had skipped Mexico altogether...If I am lucky the camera is close so I can capture the moment, keep & remember it~



Don't dance so fast, Time is short, The music won't last.





And then when I found it,
Wherever it blew,
I should know that the wind
Had been going there too.

So then I could tell them
Where the wind goes…
But where the wind comes from
Nobody knows. A.A. Milne

Zacatecas the Road back to Torreon

Pancho Villa was here!




















"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something." Pancho Villa

We arrived in Zacatecas on Easter Sunday. Zacatecas was on the last day of Festival Cultural 2007 a grand event which brought many tourist like ourselves to the historical city. Zacatecas was founded in 1546 & the historical center of town still retains the charm & beauty which drew explorers & early settlers to the area. Zacatecas more currently has several monuments & historical markers commemorating a famous battle fought during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) In June 1914, the City of Zacatecas was taken by Pancho Villa and his Dorados in a battle known as La Toma de Zacatecas (The Taking of Zacatecas). The City of Zacatecas witnessed a large & bloody battle that took place in the fighting against General Victoriano Huerta. When the battle ended, some 7,000 soldiers lay dead. In addition 5000 civilians killed. While there are Fiestas and parties going on many days out of the year in Zacatecas they still remember the past & Pancho Villa is a lingering ghost!

























"One fiesta was hardly ended when another began."
John L. Stephens, American writer and explorer, in his Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán (1841),

City of Gardens & Churches

San Luis Potosi was named after the French King Louis, originally San Luis, then the name Potosí was added (after the fabulously rich mines in Bolivia) in the expectation of rivaling the original. The coat of arms has the french king as well as the gold & silver which gave the region vast wealth. The churches in San Luis Potosi reflect the wealth from Spanish colonial period.





Each church seemed to be more beautiful than the one we had just seen. We were curious though about the Crystal Barquitos (boats) hanging from the ceiling of several churches we toured. There is one clearly in the photo of the dome in the Minor Basilica of the Virgen of Guadalupe. They were absolutely beautiful.




With all of the vendors & event tents near the churches & municipal buildings I had to resort to taking several up shots, towers & architectural features!




Nicknamed "The City of Gardens," San Luis Potosi has at least one garden in each of its seven original districts. San Luis Potosí is also known for its churches. Each of the seven districts has its own major church. Each is a relatively different style. This is because the city served as a regional capital during Northern expansion and was occupied by many different Christian groups. At one time San Luis Potosi was the capital of Northern New Spain, encompassing what was later Texas.

Procession of Silence & Hooded Garments

We were invited to see the Procesion Del Silencio while in San Luis Potosi & were lucky enough to be given spectacular seats with an awesome view to watch the spectacular parade. A staggering 3 hour parade none the less!! Our friends Rodolfo & Coco had a sister with connections to the judicial system & we were able to watch from a Balcony on the Procession route. The crowds were humming along by dusk & we really had no idea what to expect. John & Lauren milled around in the crowds & in the Plaza checking out the sights prior to the 8pm start time. What a night!




Procesion del Silencio (Procession of Silence) in San Luis Potosi has origins dating back to the 16th century in Spain. The procession in San Luis is typical of the same procession in Seville Spain. The Procession takes place every Good Friday in Holy Week, at 8:00 p.m. sharp. For a lot of people, this is the most touching procession of the whole country; it is performed by the different congregations called Confradias of the region, such as: monaguillos, nazarenitos and macarenas, charros and adelitas; all of them using their typical costumes and proudly holding up images of the church they represent. Some of the penitents were even walking in bare feet & some of the nazarenitos were walking with chains on their feet to represent Christ's suffering. The procession is always performed in absolute silence carrying torches...well almost silent. The procession has drummers drumming in cadence~quite a serious drum line they are & there are cornets played as well by the marchers. I found a site with an excellent video link that show the actual parade, sound & all.
http://www.vimeo.com/clip:2070



The regional costumes & Charro clothing were beautiful.




We were stunned by the amount of people participating in the procession, as well the size of the Religious alters which were heavy & wooden & were sometimes carried by more than 20 men. The Parade had very dramatic elements but very slow by American standards & towards the end Chris was propping himself up & actually sleeping! That boy certainly likes more action packed activities!!


Natalia seemed quite happy with her little foam Ratones John bought her & hanging with the older girls!