Sunday, October 3, 2010

Saturdays in San Angel.....


















One of my favourite ways to spend a Saturday here in Mexico City is to go down to San Angel, an old neighbourhood in the south of the city, to visit the art market and Bazaar Sabado (which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary). The tour starts in Plaza del Carmen where the art market begins...






















Then it is on to the larger part of the art market in Plaza San Jacinto where there are even more stalls, and here too you can buy original artworks for very reasonable prices....




















There is a great variety of different styles to suit most tastes.... I have bought from 6 or 7 of the artists here such as Jag Sanchez and Victor Uhthoff whose vibrant works now adorn my apartment walls......




















When you get a little weary of browsing, there are infinite cafes, restaurants and street stalls to enjoy a snack or meal. After snacking on the very best of quesadillas inside Bazaar Sabado, one of my favourite places to get some refreshment is a tiny tea place called "La Esquina de Te"....




















Many of the restaurants have live music on a saturday which could be salsa, marimba or mariachi.... and this saturday there was also tango music and dancing in Plaza San Jacinto...




















As well as original artwork from local artists, you can also buy a huge range of other craft wares including these gorgeous textiles...




















In addition you can buy jewellery, folk art, mirrors, ceramics, papercuts, basketry - indeed it is the perfect place for present shopping in the city... (for others or more likely yourself...)





















San Angel is also worth exploring beyond the markets, as it is a quiet neighbourhood with gorgeous colonial architecture and tranquil cobbled streets...





Justify Full















Plus there are some interesting churches to explore with peaceful gardens....such as El Convento del Carmen...




















After San Angel, I always walk down three of my favourite streets, Avenida de Paz, Calle Arenal, and Calle Francisco Sosa to reach the delightful neighbourhood of Coyacan... but that is the second part of the Saturday Tour which will continue next week.... In the meantime Feliz Cumpleanos Bazaar Sabado....


To see what else is happening around the world this week, check out My World Tuesday posts by clicking here.... Enjoy! What is your favourite way to spend saturday in the city where you live??

13 comments:

Beverley Baird said...

I thought this was you SSS entry! lol
What a gorgeous place - so much art and culture to choose from! Thanks for sharing this place.

Gary Denness said...

San Angel is a great place to while away a few hours. I tend to prefer Sundays though. But the prices can be steep...last time we went we found an 'arcade' style of shops selling traditional boxes, jewellry and the like for the most outrageous prices I've ever seen in my life! Some of them ten times the normal goes rate...

Anonymous said...

and all this on one saturday? how fun.

lovely collages.

Sylvia K said...

Oh, isn't Mexico just the best! What fun! And your photos are fantastic as always -- the very next best thing to being there myself! Have a great week, Catherine!

Sylvia

Indrani said...

Beautiful collages created. Lots to explore around.

Unknown said...

It's been way too long since I stopped in for your gorgeous views of Mexico City.

It's on the list...

This is my World!

Kay L. Davies said...

Catherine --
I just sent a link to this post to my brother Rob who is a Mexican and an artist, but I got back an automated message from his studio saying he's away all this week.
Sigh.
He and his wife seem to be in the habit of taking their children to Hawaii for a holiday every winter, and they've never even taken them to Baja, where Rob grew up, and I think they're missing a lot, but what do big sisters know?
Thanks for visiting my blog. I'd trade autumn for a chance to see Bazaar Sabado in San Angel.
-- Kay, Alberta

BlossomFlowerGirl said...

It looks like a great place to be and so full of life.

 gmirage said...

hola! You got wonderful photos here! I find Mexico interesting so thanks for sharing!

Joyful said...

It looks like a fabulous way to spend a Saturday!

Lynne with an e said...

I think I would overdose on happiness if I got to spend a Saturday in the art market of San Angel!

Expat Arrivals said...

Hi -


I'm the editor of Expat Arrivals.com, a site devoted to developing comprehensive destination guides aimed at easing expat transitions abroad. I came across your blog while doing research for the Mexican portion of our site, and i was hoping I could convince you to contribute. We're always looking for expats on the ground to share their insight by helping us create unique content sections. In exchange, we offer our writers promotional profile space where they have the opportunity to levy exposure for themselves, their blog and their business.

Let me know if you'd be interested! Thanks for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you!

Best-
Stephanie
stephanie@expatarrivals.com

Catherine said...

Hi everyone - thanks for all the great comments this week - much appreciated - gary take your point that San Angel is relatively more expensive compared to other places in mexico - but I am trying to persuade international visitors from overseas to come and give mexico a whirl and think beyond the bad publicity for DF as a travel destination...