Mexico City, Mexico

At the end of April, my partner, Victoria, whisked me and our son, Niko, away for a weekend in Mexico City, where our friends Anna and Jerry recently renovated a home in the Santa Maria La Ribera neighborhood. It was such a fun trip! We spent most of our days exploring the historic neighborhood on foot, seeing the sights, eating at great restaurants, and stopping at the local park for ice cream. As always, we hit up the neighborhoods of Roma and La Condesa to shop and people watch. And we paid an obligatory visit to the Castillo de Chapultepec in the city’s grandest park (Niko’s first castle!).

One big highlight was a festive cruise along the canals of Xochimilco. It was a Sunday, so the waterways were packed with the colorful, hand propelled rafts the attraction is famous for. It was fascinating watching the pilots push other boats away to stop them from colliding with each other, sometimes unsuccessfully. To move the crafts along, they used their feet to push against neighboring boats or pried them away with poles. Vendors in skinnier boats would drift up beside ours to sell all sorts of food, booze, toys for the kids, and flowers. Mariachi music filled the air.

This was my third visit to Mexico City, but certainly NOT my last. Big thanks to Anna and Jerry for being such great tour guides in one of my favorite cities in the world.

Dia de los Muertos Mural on a motorway

Mexico City street

Anna and Jerry’s new home

Niko at Castillo de Chapultepec

Victoria sporting a new shirt in Roma

Alameda de Santa María La Ribera y Kiosco

Blue corn tortilla tacos make for a great boat snack

Niko keeping watch on our boat in Xochimilco

Charcoal grill on a boat? Yes please!

Mexico City is probably the most dog friendly place on Earth

Anna and Jerry