Taking in The Town of Tiles......Puebla!

Puebla, at only two hours east of Mexico City with a great route out via the volcanoes, is one of the most rewarding weekend retreats from the city. With some of the most beautiful architecture in the whole of Mexico, it is indeed the town of tiles.....

Nowhere in Mexico have I seen such beautiful tiled facades such as the Casa del Alfenique above, and a whole host of others. You can also buy the most gorgeous ceramics from plates to vases to tea-sets all under the name of talavera..

Puebla also possesses one of the most lovely zocalos full of shady trees and balloon sellers and flanked on one side by the imposing cathedral boasting fine architectural detail....

In addition, check out the Barrio de Artistas with a row of scenic studios and the antiques market at Plazuela de los Sapas bordered by some of the most colourful streets in the city..

Still having doubts about paying a visit?? Well the bright blue sky below framing the Theatre should be the clincher!!

Buses run to Puebla from TAPO bus station, and recommended hotels would include Hotel Colonial, Royalty Hotel and the Camino Real. Check out other global glimpses from around the world this week by clicking here for My World Tuesday. Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 97 - Puebla

Here is a pleasant shady corner in the city of Puebla where I sat last weekend sipping a limonada and watching the world go by......There are so many delightful spots like this throughout Mexico - beautiful plazas, squares, patios, courtyards, and zocalos where you can just sit and simply be delighted by the world around you with little effort. More about the pretty town of Puebla in the next post, and in the meantime check out the rest of the Shadow Shot Sunday postings by clicking here. Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 96 - Mexico City

Shadows fall on the latest architectural addition to Mexico City's skyline accentuating the sparkling curves and glittering planes of this striking building...

Want to know what this building is?? Want to see the building in its entirety?? Scroll down to the previous post and all will be revealed!!

In the meantime check out other shadow shots from around the world that constitute the weekly Shadow Shot Sunday...Enjoy!!

Sizing up the Scales of Slim's Soumaya......

Workmen are frantically putting the final touches to Carlos Slim's Soumaya gallery due to open to the public on March 29th. Fortunately it looks like only the final two of 16,000 shimmering aluminium hexagon scales need to be slotted into place....

Telecom tycoon, Carlos Slim, still listed as the richest man in the world according to Forbes, is intending to exhibit a much more substantial part of his private art collection which in total adds up to some 66,000 pieces. Previously a small selection has been displayed at the Soumaya gallery at Plaza Loreta in San Angel, a colonia in the south of the city. The new glittery building, shown in its entirety below, is located in Polanco in a new development called Plaza Carso, directly behind the Antara Mall.

The very striking building, a little reminiscent of the Guggenheim in Bilbao in its shininess and stunning metallic planes and curves, has been designed by Slim's son-in-law; a young architect named Fernando Romero. It is indeed an impressive addition to Mexico City's skyline...

The gallery will contain a mixture of works - some by very well known Mexican artists Tamayo and Rivera, but a great deal more will be by European artists, including the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of France....

Although the private opening and gala celebration has already taken place, the overall site is still one of construction with teams of builders working round the clock to get the building - exterior, interior, and surrounding locality ready for the end of March opening.......

Slim is hoping for this new gallery to be of world status and to put Mexico City firmly on the Art map globally...I will post after the opening to report on the gallery's initial success and popularity, as well as more about the interior and the contents...

In the meantime, I quite like the shot of the building from this angle, whereby it appears like a silver spaceship just landed from Outer Space....or just about to take off!!

Entrance to the Museum will be free as supposedly Slim wants Mexicans who can't afford to travel to be able to come and see work by the European Masters. For more global glimpses this week, check out My World Tuesday by clicking here....Enjoy!

Shadow Shot 95 - Chapultepec Park

There are many places to chill out in the centre of Mexico City, many, many more than people may think. If it is Sunday then it is time to head to the boating lake in Chapultepec Park, hire a paddle boat or a rowing boat and just drift............

This is what a February day looks like here - plenty of sunshine, and plenty of shadowy green in the water to make the shots a contender for SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY!!

Chilli and Lime!! Bidding a Fond Farewell to the Red Palace...

When I first moved to Mexico in the summer of 2005, I was astounded by the amazing strength of colour everywhere in my new surroundings, and loud colour combinations that just wouldn't work anywhere else in the world. Elsewhere they would be lurid, tacky and garish, but here under the strong Mexican sunlight and coupled with the sunny nature of the people and culture, these colours just work wonderfully well....

I was particularly struck by the combination of red and green - chilli and lime, tomato and nopal, pomegranite and courgette, that recurred again and again, not only in the markets, but also in the artesan work, botanical gardens, village plazas, and public spaces...

How could this particular colour combination be resisted??? I mean take a very close look at it....

Thus, when I moved into my own apartment downtown a year later, which was a totally blank canvas of white walls, white ceramic floors, and lots of light...it only seemed natural to transform it into The Red Palace...with chilli and lime everywhere in the artwork, rugs, furnishings, textiles, basketry, ceramics, folk art, vases, plates, dishes......

Here are some of the details in greater close-up....

So it will be with great sadness that I shall have to bid a fond farewell to the Red Palace in July, as I am moving to the French Riviera to take up a new post at The International School of Monaco.....the apartment will be dismantled in 4 months' time and definitely will not "travel" well to another destination..It is uniquely Mexico City!! So here is my record. For other global glimpses of the world this week check out the My World Postings by clicking here. Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 94 - Cuetzalan

Cuetzalan is a magic village way up in the mountains in the state of Puebla at the very,very end of the winding road. There are many magical aspects to this traditional Mexican village - not least of all the markets. I love this photograph above with some tomatoes illuminated from above, and others in gloomy shadow. Look what else is for sale in the markets.....

What a colourful feast for the senses!! A very common experience here in Mexico!! For more shadow shot photographs from around the world, check out Shadow Shot Sunday by clicking here. Enjoy!!