Finding Diego and Frida in Mexico City

Jim and I joined a tour organized by Norma Schaefer called: Looking for Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in Mexico City: an Art History Tour. If you follow this link you will find an explanation of the tour and a promotion for the tour in 2016. You'll find me and Jim in several of the photos. I won't go into details of the tour since Norma does such a good job of that. I'll share some of my feelings and experiences with the tour and the city.

Frida and Diego lived in this house 1929 - 1954.

I have wanted to visit Casa Azul (Frida's home) for quite some time. But, it never seemed to be on anyone else's agenda when we traveled to Mexico to buy for Chiripa. Norma is a mutual friend of some weavers in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca and I thought this would be a good way to learn how to navigate in Mexico City. I was pleasantly surprised when Jim announced that he would go with me. (He's not a big Frida fan.)

A most impressive Rivera mural at the National Palace.

A full-size draft for a piece of a mural
(on display at the Olmeda museum, also on the tour).

Taking a break with Norma and Valeria at the gourmet food market.

 I don't know why I had been apprehensive about traveling to Mexico City. It's just like every other place we've visited in Mexico, only bigger. The people are super friendly if you ask them questions; the city is clean; and it feels safe. 

Our room at Cillout Flat.

 We stayed at a B & B called Chillout Flat. It was perfect: centrally located, pleasant people (who also speak English), great food, comfortable bed. What else could you want?

Sunday at Alameda Park in the Diego Rivera Mural Museum just off the park.

Close up from mural. Notice Frida and the young man is Diego as a boy.

The first two days of the tour are spent visiting some of the impressive murals created by Diego Rivera. There are also murals on the tour that are done by Diego's contemporaries. The history and the contrast puts Diego's in perspective. I gained a new appreciation for his work.

Our group at Casa Azul (Blue House) with Norma in the center.

Visiting Casa Azul, the home where Frida and Diego lived was the highlight of the trip for me. (Jim was not so impressed.) I like seeing the perspective of the house, the size, the open spaces, the kitchen. It is very much like it was when she died (1954). Her rooms were sealed for 50 years. When the historians and restoration people had access to the rooms they found treasures that are now shared with the public. 

Photograph of Frida Kahlo by Nickolas Muray

Art supplies in Frida's studio.

Her studio is up a stairway and opens with windows on two sides. Her paints, her brushes, her easel, her wheelchair . . . it's all there as she left it. (I don't really believe it was left that neat.) 

Mirror above bed in the daytime bedroom.

Frida had two bedrooms, a day bedroom and a night bedroom. The bed in the day bedroom has a mirror above the bed so that she could work while in bed. Above the bed in the night bedroom is a collection of butterflies. As I walked out of her rooms and down the stairway to the courtyard I felt very emotional. . .

Frida's studio windows from the inner courtyard.

A new documentary was playing in an area of the courtyard. It's good, but I shouldn't have spent so much time watching it. There is a separate exhibit of Frida's clothes and accouterments including some of her medical devices. If you love Frida, you MUST go.

Our art historian guide Valeria was a delightful addition to the group. She is a native of Mexico City, speaks English, and shared freely her insights and opinions about art, history, and Mexico.

Valeria Alejandra Espitia Ducoing speaking with the group.

Valeria's boots the day we went to Frida's. Cool!

Food was good. We made a couple choices that I'd revise on another trip. The subway was great going to Chapultapec park. Coming home at rush hour was almost impossible. It took three trains before we could squeeze on and then we kept getting more and more squished. Getting off required determined pushing. It would have been better to have had dinner near the park and taken a later subway train.

Jim ordered Fish Balls at El Mayor, a restaurant that overlooks the Templo Mayor
(the Aztec ruins on top of which the Spaniards built). Best meal for him.

The Anthropology museum is overwhelming. It's great, but I can only take in so much ancient stuff. 

Mayan codixes.

 Luckily, there is also a modern art museum nearby. It houses a Frida Kahlo painting (Two Fridas) that is huge! I'm glad I got to see it. 

Young woman photographing Two Fridas

We stumbled upon a temporary exhibit of the works of photographer of Lee Miller. She was married to Man Ray and learned the art from him. She went on to become a celebrated photographer and worked as a photo journalist in WW2 in Europe. She was there for the liberation of the death camps in Germany. Some of the images are hard to view. I did not know of her work. 

On a lighter note, we found an artisan market and did some shopping. It felt like Chiripa all over again!

Walls around the Zocalo illuminated with holiday lights.

We arrived in Mexico City as the city prepared for it's holiday festivities. Surprisingly, there was skating on the Zocalo (the famous center of the city) and one of the pedestrian streets hosted parades and performances. On our last night there was SNOW falling from the sky. It was manufactured, but people were ecstatic! 

Skating on the Zocalo.

SNOW in Mexico City!

I'd go back again! There are way too many museums and sites and restaurants to take in in a week's time. Don't be afraid. It's a great city. And, if you don't want to do it alone join Norma's tour.

Fall Experimentation 2015

As the first snowfall of the season winds down I'm reminded to document what's been going on in this season of change. I will call this my fall of experimentation. I began a couple volunteer positions, I took an art class, and I attended a couple lecture/luncheons, and we got in a quick trip north. Read on if you want some details and insights.

Saturday, November 21. Lovely to look at; wonderful to NOT have to shovel at Chiripa.

Volunteering  

After attending a training session at the Overture Center for the Arts and shadowing a couple ushers at performances, I became an official volunteer usher. Jim's reluctance to attend musical performances and his continuing evening teaching schedule made me think that this might be a good opportunity to both support and see the arts in Madison. As it turns out, it is not very easy to find openings on the evenings that I want to volunteer. But, it's a work in progress. I like getting a taste of the different kinds of performances (from Broadway productions, to comedy, to symphony) and to have the freedom to leave before the end if I choose. (Most volunteer positions are not required to stay beyond a "second seating" for performances.) The facility is spectacular and one Madison can be proud of.

Schools of Hope is an Americor program using volunteer tutors in an effort to bridge the diversity gap in the public school system. Although I applied at the end of August, I did not get a placement until November. But, I'm on board and it feels good. I read with three first graders for about fifteen minutes each one day a week. It's not much at this point, but it's a start. I find the little chairs a bit uncomfortable, but I enjoy interacting with the kids. I'm sure I'll have more to say on this topic later.

Mixing a color wheel. Second try. I love the basics.

A Class  

Watercolor Fundamentals taught by my friend Cynde Quinn in the Arboretum Visitor Center was hard to pass up. I knew Cynde would have a well structured and inspiring class. We met for six weeks. I borrowed and bought supplies and enjoyed the learning process. I had never used watercolors before. They're fun and unpredictable. I hope to incorporate the techniques in some journal sketching.

First try; so many mistakes I quit. But, I caught the bug.

What I really took away from the class was how much I enjoy being immersed in the process of making art. When creating and learning and practicing I can think of nothing else.

Luncheon/Lecture

When working one often looks at posted activities and thinks, "Oh, if only I had the time to do that." Well, the UW Arboretum Luncheon/Lecture series was one of those for me. So, this year I signed up for the series. Each event starts at 11:30 with the luncheon, then a "break", and then the featured speaker. They end around 1:30. I realize now that I don't want to spend that much time eating buffet food and listening to presentations that may or may not be well done. I could read or view a documentary quicker. I signed up for this alone, so I don't have the socializing that most come for. I must admit I've met some nice people and reconnected with a former Chiripa customer and that has been nice. But I'm too impatient for luncheons at this point in my life. Maybe later.

Ned and Kathy with Sophie on a rise where you can see all the way to Lake Superior.

An early November weekend trip to Cable, Wisconsin to visit Kathy and Ned saw us hiking to scenic northwoods sites, dining with friends, and eating at an amazing diner. Great trip. Hadn't visited since pre-Chiripa.

Delta Diner, north of Drummond, WI. No tipping, just a straight 20% added to share with the whole staff. All were happy!

So, the lovely fall has ended. Thanksgiving was at the Walz's home in Holmen, WI. Skip came up from Arkansas, sadly without Marilyn who has moved out of his life.

A Visit to the Cemetery

September 13.  I wanted to mark the anniversary of my parents' death with a visit to the cemetery where they are buried in La Crosse. Drawing on my Mexican experience I created an offrenda on and around the monument.

It was a lovely afternoon. Heather came from Minneapolis and some of the La Crosse/Holmen relatives joined us. Heather brilliantly thought to bring an activity. She had supplies to make knitted dishcloths. Mom must have made hundreds. EVERYONE participated.

 It was a moving afternoon and evening.

Their absence from my life is still keenly felt.

Book Group: Oct, Nov, and Dec 2015

Book: Orphan Train
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at Julie's
Dessert: apple crisp with home-made cinnamon and honey ice cream

Book group is moving to Wednesdays to better accommodate some schedules, including mine. This book was a quick read, interesting story with fun twist at the end. I liked it, but probably not as much as The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (Book Group pick Nov. 2013) which seemed a more complex story and also featured the orphan trains.

Book: Vanessa and Her Sister
Author: Priya Parma
Meeting: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at Jean's
Dessert: apple caramel tart with whipped cream

Vanessa Bell was the sister of Virginia Woolf and part of the Bloomsbury group in London. The book reads like a diary and introduces way too many characters. But, by the second half of the book I was fascinated by the story and the relationships and breezed on through it. I am embarrassed to admit that I was not familiar with the prolific art of Vanessa Bell.

Book: Guests on Earth
Author: Lee Smith
Meeting: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at Jane's
Dessert: sorbet and lemon frosted cookies

Told from the perspective of Evalina a former patient at Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.This is the mental hospital where Zelda Fitzgerald resided and where she died in a tragic fire. The group seemed to agree that the compelling story really didn't need the Zelda tie. Insulin shock therapy was used in the hospital. I had not been aware of its use. Wow! It was a standard therapy in the field in the 30's and 40's and into the 50's, I think. It has been replaced by drugs. Good read.

Tennis In My Life

Tennis gear: sweaty visor to keep sun off my face, 50spf lip balm, band for my hair. Ready to play!

Tennis is playing a very big role in my life right now. After years of knee issues, I am enjoying a relatively pain-free time on the court. (I'm knocking on wood as I write this.) Since my physical health is a big part of aging, I thought I should document the state of my health now so that there's a reference point when I reach another stage.

I believe this has not happened by chance, but by faithful almost-daily PT, less body weight, and a reintroduction of leg lifts into my routine. I began the leg lifts after a visit to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended total knee replacement for my arthritic right knee. My physical therapist agreed and said the leg lifts would help me recover from surgery. I opted not to replace the knee yet, but I assumed I would eventually and uncovered my weight bench in the basement. The weight loss I attribute to the Type 2 diabetes gloom and doom of 2 years ago and my decision to count calories along with carbs. (I'm now back to "pre-diabetic.") And the daily PT has been part of my life for years. It's what kept me on the court, or my desire to play tennis motivated me to keep up those side steps, etc. so I could play.

Why is it so important to me?

Well, tennis is really the only sport that I do with joy. I walk some, I bike some, but I do them because I need to keep moving, not because I really like them. I'll bend over backward to play tennis. I'll even organize groups and I am now captaining a team.

Brenda (on the right) named this group Yippie Skippie. We play every Tuesday night.

Tennis provides the social interaction that I need. Some of my tennis buddies have been around for twenty years or more. When I've been unable to play I get ornery and lonely. 

There's always something to learn, a stroke to improve, a strategy to try. I love the competition. I want to win and that drives me. But, I don't think I NEED to win. I'm just happy to be on the court and thankful that I still can. I wonder how many more years I'll be able to play competitively.

I like to buy a tennis shirt when I play in tournaments for the memories it brings.

That's why when my 55+ team won the state championship this summer I was eager to go to the Sectional playoffs in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. It's such a hoot to do a road trip with a bunch of crazy women, share rooms and meals, and try hard on the court. We didn't do too well, but we had a great time and I'd do it again. It's also easier to do it when you're retired! The last time I went to a sectional Jim covered my shifts at Chiripa. 

And Jim plays tennis, too. Our time on the court has changed now that he's a tennis instructor. I can no longer beat him. I get lessons, but with the schedule he keeps I'm reluctant to ask for my time. Maybe I can get him to retire and we can go back to fun tennis. Mixed doubles is the best!

A selfie with longtime tennis buddies Jennifer and Brian on great October day for tennis.

That's the state of tennis in my life at this moment. I hope it lasts a looong time.

Montreal Road Trip, August 2015

This summer's major trips have focused on reconnecting with friends and relatives. August's trip (8/9 -8/27) to Montreal (crossing into Canada at Sault Ste Marie, MI) found Jim's brother John in fine health. We had been concerned because he had heart surgery in the winter. His friend Julie keeps an eye on him. Thanks!

Jim and John at the lookout on Mont Royal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Driving was our mode of transportation and we decided to try out our camping skills along the way. The weather was not always cooperative, but I have high praise for Michigan and Ontario parks. 

First night at Little Bay de Noc in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Some trip highlights:

Roger's Cup (tennis). Men this year alternating with the women next year who were simultaneously at Toronto. The ball goes so fast! And the big guys are so TALL! Fun day.

Jeremy Chardy vs Ivo Karlovic. Guess who won.

Watched Andy Murray play doubles on a smaller court. We were close!

The Murray brothers shake hands. Andy and Leander Paes lost.

Museums in Montreal. There are dozens of museums and we managed to see quite a few. My favorite was probably the Ponte-A-Calliere (The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History). One is literally on top of the original structures that were ancient Montreal and the museum's underground walks guide you through the building and the changes to the city. Ironically, the current special exhibit was The Aztecs with recently discovered artifacts from Mexico City and a very accessible review of the glorious and tragic Aztec history.
 

What a treat to see a special Rodin exhibit at the Muse de Beaux Arte! I think there were more pieces than what I saw at his studio in Paris. (I still look at the hands and feet and believe they were done by Camille Claudel.)

Opera in the Park. Our trip coincided with the last few days of the Italian Festival and the ending celebration: opera in the park (Barber of Seville) with Italian performers and a live orchestra. Perfect evening, amazing neighborhood. 

Botanical Garden and Insectarium. We took the Metro out to the "Espace pur la vie Montreal" where the 1976 Olympics were held. Great space! Lovely gardens and a way too chaotic insect museum. Screaming kids everywhere, but the bugs were very cool.
 

Can you see the ants carrying the leaves?

Shriner's hospital dedication. John's involvement in the Masons of Quebec is longstanding. He is a Past Grand Master of Quebec. He currently keeps busy as the Shriner's Hospital foundation secretary and a couple other posts I can't remember. 

We were there for a tour of the old hospital and the dedication of the new. They fund an amazing operation and help so many children. Although I sometimes smirk at the trappings of the Masons and Shriners, I am humbled by the good work that they do.

Walking. One of my favorite urban activities is walking and people-watching. John lives near the heart of the hip culture and walking up St Laurent and down St Denis exhausted me until we stopped for special coffees at a sidewalk cafe. So cosmopolitan. 

Coffees at Brulerie on St. Denis

A more serious walk took us to the top of Mt Royal with it's fine view of the city.

Great food of all sorts. Italian, Portuguese, Lebonese, Indian, African not to mention "the best burger in Montreal" and a little home cooking, of course. 

Julie and John at Khyber Pass Cuisine Afghane in Montreal.

Brotherly love. Electrical repairs, fence and railing painting, and lilac pruning. You can't be a tourist every day!

John's house on St Urbain, Montreal.

John volunteered the side of his house for the annual Montreal Mural Festival.

I photographed many murals as I walked the streets of Montreal. They truly transform ugly or unused spaces. Follow the link above for more information and samples.

Posing at the Westmount overlook. Me with the patient brothers.

Final thoughts on the 2+ week trip: 

It's hard to combine trips (camping and urban site-seeing). Packing and finding things in the car would be easier with one goal.

Books on CD make the driving go faster, although new scenery is always fun for me. The media of choice on this trip was Cold Storage Alaska on the road and Americanah for reading in the evening. I'd recommend both.

To truly appreciate a park you need to stay longer than one night. Our timeline or the weather pushed us on. We intended to stay longer on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but it was cold and rainy and windy. This photo's blue water was short lived. I hope to get back to the Picture Rocks.

 
The jury is out on camping. Our cabin up north was a respite on the last night before home. We pitched the tent on the pontoon, watched the stars, and listened to the loons. Fun end to the trip.

Now it's time to be home for a while.