Many people are familiar with the craft market in Ciudadela but few know that there is much more to this Plaza than just Mexican souvenirs. For Photo Walk Nº84, we went to explore what else this historic Plaza de la Ciudadela has in store and found a stunning public library too.We met by the monument to Morelos in front of the Biblioteca de México and learned a bit about the history of this place. The low, stocky building which looks like a military construction (hence the name "Citadel" given to it by the locals) was actually designed as a tobacco factory in 1807. However, over its 200 years of history, it was also used as military headquarters during the Mexican War of Independence, a prison where Morelos, one of the Independence leaders, was held captive until he was executed, a place to store weapons and even a hospital. One of the most macabre events occurring here was the execution of dozens of people during the Ten Tragic Days in 1913. Also forming part of this building is the Centro de la Imágen, a photography centre running temporary exhibitions, which unfortunately is now closed on Tuesdays, and at weekends in the park nearby hundreds of people can be seen dancing the tango, dressed in all their finery.For the second part of the photo walk, we crossed the street and entered the Ciudadela Craft Market, a maze of over 390 stalls selling vibrantly coloured crafts from every corner of Mexico and one of the best places to buy authentic Mexican items at reasonable prices. On site, the skillful hands of craftsmen create works of art and we were able to watch and photograph some of them at work. To finish off, we sampled hot chocolate from Oaxaca and coffee from Chiapas, a fitting way to end the walk.
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With Mexican Independence Day coming up at the weekend, we headed to Coyoacán to capture something of the spirit of the "Fiestas Patrias" and explore the "Barrio de la Conchita" along with its renovated Frida Kahlo Park. Photo Walk Nº83 ended in Coyoacán Market where we sampled their famous "tostadas".We met by the Coyotes Fountain and spent some time wandering around the squares photographing the symbols and colours of Mexican Independence and learnt about some of the history as well as the main dishes eaten at this time of year... "chiles en nogada" and "pozole". After that, we headed to the Barrio de la Conchita and took photos with the larger-than-life statues of Frida and Diego in the Parque Frida Kahlo, photographed some new street art and made a visit to the Hacienda Cortés with its bright colours.On our way down to Coyoacán Market, we popped into a few places, including a new bakery and the Museo de Culturas Populares where they had an outdoor photography exhibition of different popular fiestas in Mexico.Our final stop was at the Tostadas de Coyoacán in the market where we ate delicious "tostadas" washed down with "agua de sabores" before making our way to the section where Mexican Independence outfits were being sold for those who needed some inspiration for their children's costumes this week. |
Margaret MetcalfeBorn to travel, explore and share photos and experiences Archives
May 2019
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