Travel and Tours

The colors, the colors, the colors of Mexico. These bright hues have been drilled into my head by years of viewing the amazing canvasses of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. But never did I know how deeply these colors moved me until I found myself spellbound, again, by the amazing Ballet Folklorico of Mexico.

The twice-weekly performances occur in one of the world?s most beautiful theaters, the Palace of Fine Arts. Built when Diego and Frida were young, it explodes with color and revolutionary sentiment. Murals by Diego and others, the famous Tiffany stained glass curtain, the European Art Nouveau design?all of these features primed my eyes for the performance itself. The very traditional elements of the performance?its rhythms, its musical instruments, its costumes, its superbly trained and choreographed dancers?help me see all that is conservative in the works of Frida and Diego.

Lord knows, I have read enough books and seen enough films to convince me of their revolutionary credentials. It requires Mexico City itself to show me the deep roots of these artists in a national tradition. Indeed, only after viewing the costumes of these dancers do the amazing dresses of Frida in her many self-portraits begin to make sense. Logical, conservative sense. By the way, the gift store and book store at the Palace of Fine Arts have the city?s best collection of Frida and Diego souvenirs and English language books.

And who were Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera? Americans by the million have been learning about these two. Recent exhibitions in major US art museums have drawn large crowds. A new motion picture starring Salma Hayek draws a new generation to these artists. Suffice it to say that Frida inaugurated a tradition of psychological art that brought sanity and depth to a twentieth century struggling to breathe under a dumping ground of Modernism. Diego rose above the Abstract training that he received from European masters and began a nationalistic tradition that brought art directly to his people and lifted them up. I can imagine no other artist as beloved by common people as Diego.

Three important sites give us an insider?s view of Frida. Before visiting any of them, a traveler ought to give some consideration to how to get around in this large city. Ideally, a small group itinerary would include a private of one site, an after-hours dinner or reception at another, even a cooking lesson focused on one of Frida and Diego?s favorite meals. I remember the small private groups, fresh from private receptions with lectures or stars–swirling into the lobby of the Palace of Fine Arts minutes before the evening performance. Certainly, the right tour operator can arrange sumptuous events that could only be called muy exclusivo.

The first location, the Dolores Olmedo Museum, presents canvasses of Frida and Diego in a logical context, surrounded by pre-Columbian artifacts. Within the beautiful rooms of the Olmedo hacienda, we see how comfortable these canvasses are in their very casual setting. Usually we can only see their work in formal museums. In Senora Olmeda?s home, I realized more than ever the social dimension of Frida?s and Diego?s work. They painted for their friends. And their friends were many and loyal. The Olmedo hacienda is south of the city in Xochimilco, famous for the canals and flower gardens that most visitors want to see. Indeed, the colors of Xochimilco help our eyes better appreciate how natural and unpretentious the colors of Frida Kahlo actually are. The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, featured in the film Frida, provide an excellent venue for an elegant, private dinner onboard a boat.

The most famous set from Frida, Frida Kahlo?s home, Casa Azul, is nearby, in the beautiful suburb of Coyoacan. The home is filled with objects from her everyday life. Each of her admirers will seize upon something different. For one person it?s the kitchen. For another, the garden. For me, the books on her shelf, classics of Mexican history next to each other, just where her hand left them. In the same suburb, you can find the small park dedicated to her, presided over by a statue that I found tender and moving.

In the nearby suburb of San Angel, famous for its restaurants, we find another site featured in the film the studio where Frida and Diego often lived and worked together. Their living spaces are entirely separate buildings, connected by an aerial walkway. It is an architectural testament to the independence each maintained during their years of marriage.

Of course, while we are in Mexico, we must see several of Diego?s greatest murals. The National Palace, on the city?s main square, holds his most important murals depicting the history of his country. The nearby Ministry of Education building, formerly the Convent of the Incarnation, houses many Rivera murals, perhaps the most famous being the one that shows Frida handing rifles to revolutionaries. Between the two sites, at the Theater of Bolivar in the Museum of San Ildefonso, we can see the place where Frida first met Diego. Diego was painting his first mural, Creation; Frida was there to admire him.

Across Alameda Park from the Palace of Fine Arts, we find another of Rivera?s most famous murals: The Dream of Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. Here I saw the next generation of Rivera interpreters being born. I will always remember from my hour before this mural the Mexican parents and grandparents explaining to small children their own interpretations of this magnificent telling of a city?s history. Rivera the revolutionary? Not here. Here we have just an artist who loves his city and knows how to speak to its people.

Now let me show you the way to a Frida and Diego dinner. Because Rivera?s daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marin, has written a splendid cookbook about Diego?s and Frida?s favorite dishes (Frida?s Fiestas), we know quite a bit about their gourmet tastes. Few chefs can reproduce these, but Carmen Ramirez Delgollada has developed an international following doing just that. Recently, she prepared a Frida Kahlo dinner for the gourmet table at the James Beard Foundation in New York City, and she has delighted diners around the world as she has collected impressive international awards. Amazingly, her creations can be had for a modest price at her extremely unpretentious Restaurant El Bajio, open only for breakfast and lunch. My experience there helped me to deepen my appreciation for Frida especially, as I savored the aromas and flavors and colors of her favorite dishes. Ask for the Cornish game hens with white pipian mole sauce. Here at El Bajio a group can savor a private dinner, discuss food and Frida with a celebrity chef, and even enjoy a special lesson or demonstration.

Certainly, the independent traveler is able to visit these sites and dine at El Baijo, but the most remarkable experiences await those who join a deluxe private group. For those travelers, the dancers and the flowers and the spices of Mexico City reserve their most affectionate kisses.

by Paul Hunter