Today’s post is 1200 words, 56 photos, 1 video, a 6 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
Welcome back to Traveling with Tom. This week I’ll take you to the Coyoacán borough of Mexico City to the Frida Kahlo Museum or the Casa Azul, the Blue House where this famed artist was born and spent her final years. If you missed the two previous stories in this series, click here and here.
The Trail to Coyoacán
After breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and loaded our bags onto the bus that would take us to Puebla, the next overnight stop on our tour and eventually to Oaxaca.
But first we made a stop in Coyoacán (co yo ah can), a borough in south-central Mexico City. The bus dropped us off at the historical center where the church and city hall surround a large, beautiful, open plaza. I was struck by the quiet and calm of the plaza and surrounding area. Sure there were people around and shops were open, the atmosphere was so pleasant I immediately felt a connection, one I’ll always remember.
Coyoacán comes from a native word that likely means the place of coyotes. The coyote symbol was all around us beginning with the fountain in the plaza to the city hall.
The gardens in the plaza were nicely trimmed and added a lot to relaxing ambiance. There was a city truck watering the landscape.
Even at this early hour, friends were having a coffee and visiting on one of the many benches that line the plaza.
Since we had a bit of free time, my Traveling Partner and I stepped into the San Juan Bautista Church and Monastery. This is the main church in central Coyoacán and one of the oldest in all of Mexico City. Building began in the 1550s and ended around 1800. The exterior is nice but the interior is quite elaborate and beautiful. It has a couple of side chapels and altars. 
Frida Kahlo Museum
Soon it was time for our group to gather for our 11:15 AM timed entry to the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known at Casa Azul (Blue House). As you can see in the third photo, there was a queue to enter the museum. I was surprised how popular this museum was on a Tuesday morning in January.
We were entertained by this fellow while waiting in line until we were allowed to enter.
Frida
To be honest with you, I knew the name Frida Kahlo but didn’t know much about her. I learned a lot about her life and her art on this tour. Frida was born at Casa Azul in 1907. Her father was German, her mother mixed race with indigenous ancestors. As a child she suffered from poor health having contracted polio at age six. She was bedridden for several months and was left with one leg much thinner than the other and a slight limp. To hide this disfigurement, she wore long dress for the rest of her life. Frida attended the National Preparatory School in Mexico City where she developed an interest in science and medicine. It was there that she saw the work of muralist Diego Rivera. She even suggested that she might marry him someday.
At age 18 she was injured in a bus accident that left her with lifelong pain and medical issues. It was during her convalescence from this accident that she renewed her interest in art. Her mother had a special easel made so she could paint while lying on her back. Her father gave her brushes and paints. After her recovery, she joined the Mexican Communist Party and got reacquainted with Diego Rivera. They began a romance and then married. She was 22, he was 42. It was his third marriage. During this time, her art progressed. Her style is labeled today as surrealism, magical realism, and primitivism (simple and unsophisticated).
After marrying Rivera, Frida moved frequently to accommodate Rivera’s work as a muralist. They spent considerable time in the United States where she had her first solo exposition in New York. More exhibits followed including one in Paris where one of her paintings was acquired by the Louvre, the first Mexican artist to receive that honor. Her first solo exhibit was in Mexico City in 1953, just a year before she died. Her death was attributed to a pulmonary embolism, no autopsy was completed. Others speculate she died of an accidental or intentional overdose of pain killers. She was bedridden for most of the last year of her life.
Frida and Diego had an unusual marriage. They kept separate homes and studios for years. Diego had several affairs, one with Frida’s sister. Frida and Diego divorced in 1939 but were remarried a year later. Frida also had her own affairs with both women and men. She once had an affair with Leon Trotsky, the former leader of the Soviet Union. Frida and Diego had petitioned the Mexican government to grant Trotsky exile.
It was during their separation and divorce that Frida moved back to her childhood home, Casa Azul, where she spent the rest of her days. In 1958, this place became a museum dedicated to the memory and art of Frida Kahlo. After her death, her reputation as an artist continued to grow. She’s considered one of the most recognizable artists in the world with her unibrow that she emphasized in her self portraits. She’s been the subject of books and even a Hollywood movie, Frida, starring Salma Hayek as Frida and Alfred Molina as Diego. It even won some awards. It’s now on my list of movies to watch.
The Museum
Upon entry to Casa Azul, I’m struck by the size of the house and the beautiful light. No wonder Frida was comfortable here and did many of her most famous paintings in this house. There are ten rooms of exhibits, but first of all it was her universe, a place larger than life. The following photos tell us little about this place. 
Here are some of the exhibits we saw during our walk through the museum/house. Frida used many of the objects, now on display, in her artwork.
One of the exhibits I found interesting was of her dresses. Some were quite elaborate while others were simple, peasant like. She had a distinctive style about her.
Then there was the connection between Frida and Diego Rivera, a very interesting couple. 
We really enjoyed our time at this museum, it was one of the highlights of our tour. For those near Chicago, the Art Institute is featuring an exhibit of Frida’s work and her friendship with Mary Reynolds, an American artist. Looks interesting.
As we left Casa Azul, there were vendors trying very hard to make a sale of something as a reminder of our visit to the museum. 
To the Market
After our time at the museum, we were ready for some lunch. Rafael, our G Adventures CEO, took us to the Coyoacán market where we walked past stalls of fruit, vegetables, meat, clothing, a tortilla maker, and souvenirs to a lunch counter where the proprietor was waiting for us. Today, we tried tostados. I had two, a shrimp and a beef that I washed down with a sangria soda. The shrimp was excellent, the beef ok, and the sangria soda very tasty.
After lunch we were back on the bus for a three hour drive to Puebla where I’ll pick up the story next week.
Until then, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM