We walked down to the Zona Rosa from our hotel because we are moving into an apartment there on Saturday and wanted to get a preview. It turns out we will be close to the Bosque of Chapultepec, a large park with several important museums. It is a lovely area, and we will be able to buy lots of lucha libre masks. I think a lot of people will get lucha libre masks for Christmas this year.
Part of the Altar de la Patria (more photos below) Brian asked if Mexico knows the USA likes to claim the eagle.
You know you are in Mexico when Burger King gives jalapeno salsa with the catsup. I wanted to take one more photo of the sauce, but Colin had other plans for the packet. We were offered chile sauce for some popcorn we bought. Last night we went out and found some real Mexican food and the guacamole and salsas were great but much hotter than we are used to. Brian had me ask for some sour cream to tone things down.
The next two photos are more of the Altar de la Patria. I should learn more about it before I make comments as I am not very up to date on Mexican history. This is the most blue sky we have seen all week. It was a lovely day.
We arrived to Districto Federal on Sunday night after a nice plane ride where not only did we get bumped up to Business Class, but Colin slept for about 80% of the trip. It was some kind of special miracle (and we needed it because I am getting very sick of travelling). On Monday, we were greeted by many Mexicans parading in the street to welcome us. We hear there are big demonstrations every week where we are (right up the street from many government buildings). This is the view of the protest from our 20th floor hotel room. Colin and I had to walk back to the hotel in the middle of this. As you can see, it went on and on. But everyone had their clothes on. On the other side of the Opera house, Brian was privileged to see some angry sugar factory workers, most of whom were completely naked, some with underwear. I'm not sure what nudity has to do with their corrupt union boss, but it was getting some attention. I saw a sole naked artist protesting on the Zocalo today. Too bad I didn't have a camera.
View of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (where Brian will be performing) from our hotel window. This is actually a time of the year when the air is cleanest, because it rains virtually every evening (6pm sharp).
Another view from the hotel. This church makes me a little sad. Mexico City is a very different beast than we are used to. It really makes me miss Tel Aviv because it was such an easy city to be in with a baby. It is nice to speak Spanish and all, but Tel Aviv was great, and strangely felt exponentially safer than DF. We have seen maybe three mothers with strollers in Mexico City since we arrived, and Colin's blondeness gets a lot of gawking. Strollers were everywhere in Israel. I do not miss being close to Gaza however.
We leave for Mexico in a few hours, but here are a few last shots from my sister's. We have had a very nice and relaxing time trying to recover from recent travel and getting ready for the next leg.
Mary's family has a new very sweet puppy. Colin loves dogs, and the two have been cute together. The puppy seems to be entering his teen years because at times he tries to love Colin too much.
Twin cousins with puppy.
Brian has been trying to get ready for the guitar part of Barber of Seville, and Colin likes to help him.
We have been lucky to be in Chicago during the end of the 17 year cicadas. Sadly, I was lucky enough to experience them in Indiana a couple of years ago and I thought I did not need to worry about them for another 17 years. But Indiana and Illinois cicadas seem to be on different cycles. My sister said they are not as bad now as they have been, but they are everywhere and gross. Colin likes to step on them in his new light up sandals. (Crunch)
Not only do you have the huge live bugs, but they leave their shells everywhere, as you can see in these two photos. If you are interested, our friend has a recipe for cicada pie: http://pieofthemonth.org/archives/arch_5_cicada.html
The Pie of the Month Club is one of our favorite things. They have great t-shirts and you can buy a year pie membership to get a crazy pie post card every month for a year, as well as a cool mug and membership card. It is a fun gift that gives all year long.
All that waiting for 17 years just to try and ensure a future population of cicadas. Where will we be in 17 years?
We arrived in Chicago yesterday and are very happy to spend a few days with my sister's family. Since we all woke up at 3 am Chicago time, we have been catching up on the blog with some details from our time in England. Brian wants me to say something clever, but my jet-lagged head will not let me.
Wells is England's smallest city (if there is a Cathedral, it's a city- therefore, Wells, which by all other indications is a cute little village, is actually a city). It is one of our favorite cathedrals. The architecture is very clean and the sweeping cross supports going up to the vault (see below) are really unique and elegant.
This is the world's 2nd oldest clock, but the oldest with original working dials. Every 15 minutues, some little knights go around in a circle on the platform above the face and joust with each other. The same one always loses.
A bit of highly decorated vault in the Lady Chapel (dedicated to Mary). English Cathedrals usually save the most decorative elements for the Lady Chapel, positioned at the far end of the Cathedral. It's kind of like dessert.
The stairs up to the Cloisters chapter house. Worn by centuries of use.
Terry and Pat Box, the lovely people in Bristol who hosted us there- Colin's new British grandparents. Terry (left) was baptised when Brian was in Bristol on his mission. Colin loved them and will miss them.
This is a usual view of Colin's time in England. When he gets out of his stroller, he runs. This is outside the cathedral of Exeter and in Wells.
On our way to Exeter we drove through the Cheddar Gorge. It was beautiful scenery (although we forgot to take photos) and the cheese was also beautiful. This is what cheddar cheese is supposed to taste like. We got an oak smoked variety, nice and sharp and very smokey. It was a bit too strong for Colin, but we ate it in the car like little mice.
Brian and Colin in the cathedral.
Colin loved the organ music in the cathedral. He would even stop and listen for a bit. We went to evensong, but Colin wasn't too interested in sitting still for the music. Brian could hear little squeals from various points in the Cathedral during the service as I was chasing him around the nave. It is quite amazing and a little sad that they perform these gorgeous sung services nearly every day for about 15 or 20 people. We hope Colin was influenced by hearing the boy choristers. They sing with such incredible precision, it seems contrary to the nature of little boys.
The Exeter Cathedral was quite badly bombed in the war. We overhead a tour guide explaining how this monument was, as you can see, all in pieces but was put back together when they re-built. Only the cherub's legs were not found (you can see the different colored replacement legs). The epitaph is also a bit amusing because it states of this woman- "her mind possessed an energy which does not often mark the female character." How flattering.
We love Gothic architecture. After all the Crusader churches in Jerusalem (good if you like your religion dark and mysterious), the cathedrals of England seem wonderfully luminous.
Exeter Cathedral contains the longest true gothic vault in the world.
Colin and Katya were great partners in crime. He will miss having someone his size to play with.
Leah and Martin suggested we visit a town called Broadway in the Cotswolds on our way south. It was so adorable we felt like we were in Disneyland. All of the buildings are constructed of the same native golden hued stone.
Ann next to a Bentley in Broadway. The interior looked very comfortable.
Little village church in Broadway.
We love the thatched roofs. Apparently, every thatcher executes a different design along the ridge of the roof. If you know your stuff, you can tell who roofed the house. Good advertising.
We spent some time in England visiting friends last week. We first stayed in Birmingham with Brian's friend Leah and her family. They took us to Hattan Farm World, where we saw some sheep races. We placed our bet on Woolly Jumper (thanks to a tip from Leah) and he won.
Colin did not know what to think of the Guinea Pigs, but he had a great time with Leah and Martin's little girl Katya. They were very sweet together.
Babies in the Church of England. We went to a beautiful area near Solihull. 
Our Birmingham hosts Leah and Martin. They live so close to Cadbury World you could walk there from their house.
