Day Eight

Since it was our last day, we had one or two final strolls along the Avenida Amsterdam. We also got a few more things at Rosetta and tried Cumbé coffee.

Since we had extended our vacation by a day, we were able to tour Casa Luis Barragán, built in 1948 and remained his residence until his death in 1988. Now a World Heritage Site, it is one of the most influential and representative examples of modern Mexican architecture.

For our last dinner, we ordered way too many tacos to eat in one sitting. Now we have breakfast for the morning.

To cap off our mini bar tour, we went to Baltra since it was in our neighborhood. We worked hard during this trip to earn the world’s best parents award.

Day Seven

The morning began trying to find a hole in the wall coffee place that I had seen the previous day. After a little searching, success.

Coyoacán was the main destination for today. Located about 6km south of Condesa, it is known for many things, including where Frida Kahlo was born and lived, Cafe Avellaneda, Leon Trotsky’s house, Cineteca Nacional, and Tostadas Coyoacán.

After the requisite afternoon siesta, we ventured just a short distance to Caracol de Mar for dinner.

Day Six

Today’s morning began with a visit to Panadería Rosetta in Roma Norte. There’s a lot of hype surrounding this bakery, and for good reason.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by Green Rhino, a newer bakery that I had read about. Another solid choice.

Castillo de Chapultepec, or grasshopper hill, where construction began in 1785 and has been adapted for various uses over time.

Tonight’s dinner was at Gaba, another gem in Condesa.

Day Five

First stop, coffee at Raku.

Museo Nacional de Antropología. Quite an experience, I could have stayed for days. There is just so much to take in and appreciate about Mexico’s rich history and cultures.

A quick stroll through Polanco for a bite to eat and a visit to El Pendulo.

Pre-dinner cocktails were had at Handshake Speakeasy. Fig Martini, Mexi-Thai, Coconut Negroni, Cookies & Cream, and Butter Mushroom Old Fashioned.

Dinner was at Marmota in Roma Norte.

Day Four

Teotihuacan - first and foremost, this is one heck of an archeological site. While marveling at the sheer scale, I missed paying attention to about half of what our guide was explaining. And I almost died climbing the steps half way up the Temple of the Moon (they don’t let you climb all the way to the top).

Driving to and from Teotihuacan gives one a sense of the vastness of Mexico City and the surrounding environs.

While the days are sunny and hot, the breeze kicks up in the late afternoon and clouds usually move in.

Day Three

A quiet morning was spent strolling on Avenida Amsterdam around Parque Mexico

Stopping for a cortado at Buna.

Some of the buildings in the neighborhood

We made the trek out to hill of Tepeyac to experience La Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe, which happens to be the most visited Catholic shrine.

Vamos à la biblioteca? That is, Biblioteca Vasconcelos, designed by Alberto Kalach and Juan Palomar. Super fascinating, and at times vertigo inducing.

One needs to eat. Might as well try a taqueria, namely El Califa de Leon. If you’re curious, I had the costilla and chuleta tacos.

For a little something to compliment the tacos, why not have a churro.

And to finish off the night, we decided to try Tlecan, which is basically a mezcal bar. I had the Martini Papantla, Allison had the Margarita Texcoco, and Calder a Tascalate Sour. He and I finished with a Tobalá from Oaxaca.

Day Two

Centro

But first, breakfast in Condesa. Qūentin Café for a cappuccino and pastries from Odette.

Zocolo - the heart of the Centro

Catedral Metropolitana

Gran Hotel (if you’re a fan of Spectre, you might recognize it)

Templo Mayor - the heart of the Aztec capital

La Casa de Las Sirenas

Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso: murals by Orozco, Siquieros, Rivera, Leal, and Charlot

Isamu Noguchi’s “History México” (1936), his first public artwork, in the Mercado Abelardo L. Rodriguez

Ex Teresa Arte Actual - a truly leaning church

Lina - Roma Norte

Day One

Travel day - SFO to CDMX

Discovered that we would get to not only fly on a uniquely painted United plane in the style of 1971 but on the very day of the company’s 100th birthday. Not only that, the captain came out to greet all of the passengers before we took, assuring us he had an impeccable safety record…and he wanted to keep it that way.

Upon landing, we made our way to our apartment for the week, which overlooks not much except for the rising moon to the east and Parque Espana to the west. We sought out some late night food. On our way there, I was surprised by an unhoused man on the street who silently walked up to me, put out his fist for a bump, which I indulged, and then gave me the universal “metal” hand sign. 🤘 Maybe it was my hair. The taqueria we sought was most definitely closed and looked like it had been abandoned for about a decade. We found a serviceable alternative and then returned to the apartment.