Last post from Mexico (do I hear a trumpet?)

Well - here we are - three months down the line. Heading home tomorrow to I know not what. All objectives fulfilled: speaking, writing, reading and understanding (mas o menos) Spanish. All done: studying; travelling alone, and with company; new places; new foods; new friends, new experiences. And today I went alone for the first time on the Metro and spent most of the day wandering about (without incidence I'm glad to report). Quite proud of myself.
So: to bring you up to date: Monday was Dulce's birthday. To start the day Fausto played the birthday song on his piano and then followed it up with the piece of Bach which was played at our wedding, which of course reduced me to tears: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. We went to 'L'Opera' restaurant downtown for lunch. It's an old cantina where Pancho Villa is alleged to have discharged his rifle into the ceiling. Lovely old building with old fashioned service.
I've just realised that I haven't told you about our visit earlier in the week to Xochimilco. The Aztecs, when they received the sign of the Eagle with the snake in its beak, built the city of Tenochtitlan on an island in the lake which covered much of the floor of the Valle de Mexico around 1325. They built it on a grid plan with canals as throughfares and causeways to the lakeshore. They created artifical floating meadows, chinampas, which gave 3 or 4 harvests a year. Some of these still survive at Xochimilco, Nahuatl for 'place where flowers grow', and are now used as nurseries. We took a trajinera for an hour or so. It's a Unesco World Heritage site but, to be honest, I found it very dirty and polluted. Maybe some one needs to come back from UNESCO for a follow up visit.
On the other hand, on Tuesday we went to Polanco - what a contrast. There is a huge, huge gulf in Estados Unidos Mexicanos between the rich and the poor. Polanco is a very affluent district, north of Chapultepec and the Castle, with beautiful California Colonial style houses and very modern restaurants, hotels and bars.
Thursday there was a parade of all of the schools in the district which started under Dulce and Fausto's balcony. How handy! Because I'm quite blond (and other colors) now some of the children couldn't help but stare at the 'Guerrita' taking photos. A wave made them smile :)That night we had Chiles en Nogado prepared by Dulce and watched 'el grito' by the President on TV.
Yesterday, Dia de Independencia - 16/9 - we watched the military parade on TV and then Dulce and I took the Metro to Reforma to watch it for real. The day celebrates the success of the movement, 200 years ago last year, which overthrew Spanish rule.
Today I took the Metro to Auditorio and, from there walked down Reforma to visit the Anthropological Museum, saw the Voladores in the buff (not literally but as opposed to the statue of them in Veracruz), went to Chapultepec Park and walked around one of the lakes, visited the Auditorio (where they have all of the big concerts - Tears for Fears on 24/9. What a pity I'll miss them) and then came back on the Metro via Parque Bicentennial, opened for 2010 and very ecology conscious, which is on the previously polluted site of the old Refinery where Dulce's father worked.
So, I think that's us up to date. No plans as yet for tomorrow during the day - I would like to go into the historic centre for a last look around. My plane hopefully takes off at 21.45 arriving in Amsterdam at 15.00 on Monday. Thence to Dublin with Aer Lingus and home by bus.
Thank you all so much for sticking with me - it's been really lovely receiving your emails and comments. And knowing that you were all there for me. Hand on heart I didn't feel lonely or homesick once due mainly to the fact that I had my Blog, Album and emails to work on in the evenings. And my music from home of course.
So - maybe you'll join me again next time?
xx