Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s Houses & Studios Museum in Colonia San Angel

We decide to take a taxi to our next stop which is the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s house-study museum. It is located in the Colonia San Angel. There is a taxi stand outside Frida’s house and we ask if the taxi is metered. The taxi driver informs us that it is not and that the rate for where we want to go is 80 pesos. We agree, and get into the taxi, and watch the driver unplug the meter!! He then appears to drive round in circles for 15 minutes so that we will be happy with the fare, before depositing us at our destination.
The entrance fee to this museum is much less, a mere 10 pesos, but within minutes we wish we hadn’t paid it. This is the living quarters Frieda and Diego moved to after they left Frida’s house. It is built by Juan O’Gorman and is two three story houses connected by a roof top walkway. The style is Functionalist but the only interesting room is Diego’s studio, and the work on display is mainly by other artists of the same period, and not nearly as interesting. We are only there for 15 minutes.

We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of Colonia San Angel. This looks to be Mexico City’s version of Beverley Hills. The streets are lined with huge impressive mansions in huge impressive grounds. Most of them have armed guards and gatehouses. They are built in either a Mexican Colonial Style or an Art Deco style, and are quite fabulous in an over the top sort of way, which is the only way to be quite fabulous in my view!
The main shopping street is lined with glitzy stores bearing the names of famous designers. The side streets are narrow and cobbled, often ending in small beautifully kept squares surrounded by large beautifully kept houses. Palm trees are everywhere, their trunks often wrapped in towering bougainvillea. If one had to live in Mexico City, this is clearly where one would live, given an appropriate bank balance.
The nearest Metro station is some way away and we walk for about 20 minutes, finally coming to an area near the university. There is a street full of bookstores selling books both old and new, and the sidewalk is lined with street vendors selling old books. We spot one with a few interesting looking prints and Gordon excitedly recognises one by G. Fernandez Lodesma, one of Mexico’s leading early 20th century artists. Closer examination shows that it is a signed and numbered original print with plate marks. We look around for the owner but the stall is completely unattended. We wait a few minutes, with Gordon getting more excited by the moment. Finally we see a rather scraggly looking man in a violently red sweater running towards us waving a coffee cup in his hand. Of course, by this time it is impossible to pretend we are not really interested in the print, but just wondering how much it is. He looks us up and down and quotes $250 pesos (about $20). Gordon turns to me and tries to look shocked and appalled but the grin on his face gives away his true feelings. But I insist we don’t pay him the asking price and offer $150 pesos. The man readily agrees and snatches the money away from us. He clearly thinks he has scored. And so do we. The perfect arrangement.

Frida Kahlo’s House in the Colonia Coyoacan

After our interesting breakfast we head to the metro again. This time we are going to see Frida Kahlo’s house in Colonia Coyoacan. The metro is far busier than it was yesterday and we are crammed in like sardines. Today we have assorted buskers hopping on and off the train, hoping to earn some pesos. The first is an elderly man who plays a harmonica, which actually is a rather generous term for what he does. In fact he only blows a few notes, unrecognizable as any tune, and then comes round with his hat. Unsurprisingly the hat stays empty, and he gets off at the next stop and changes cars.

The second busker is a little more realistic about his talents. He has obviously realized that he has none, and instead brings on a small boom box and plays snatches of Frank Sinatra singing “I did it my way” which seems totally appropriate. He has some minor monetary success and decides to stay in the carriage for another stop. This time it is Frank singing “New York, New York”. The man has a sense of humour and gets a few more pesos.

We get off at our station and have a 20 minute walk through the streets of Colonia Coyoacan to Frida Kahlo’s house. Her house can be seen from blocks away as it is painted in that famous deep blue and there is a large tour bus parked outside. We have read about the tour. It takes you to Frida’s house, gives you lunch and then goes on to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s House and Study Museum in Colonia San Angel. For this they charge $150 US. We have spent 2 pesos on the Metro and the entrance fee to this house is 55 pesos (under $5)

Fortunately for us, the bus is just leaving, and we enjoy Frida Kahlo’s house with just a handful of other tourists. The house is large and basically in two parts. One half feels like her and is painted in that wonderful blue and green, with yellow floors,

while the other half evokes Diego Rivera and is built with imposing volcanic rock and is much more severe. We christen it Monumental Mayan deco .

The house is shaped like a square “W” with her famous gardens all around.

The rooms are all large with amazingly tall ceilings. Some rooms are laid out with their furniture and house wares to show how they lived,

while others are full of their art in a permanent exhibition. Some of the walls are inscribed with a few of her more poignant quotes. Much of the art is well known to us, but there are some portraits by both artists that we have not seen before and are, of themselves, worth the visit.

We love the feel of the house, the art and the gardens and spend all morning there.