Jonathan Sa'adah

Thursday evening photos, with a blast of color

Zócalo, getting ready for the Pope Usually Mexico City seems to dwarf any event, but the Pope coming has affected big sections of the city. The Zócalo (Thursday evening, 7pm local) is already all buttoned up with small lanes for pedestrians and still car traffic. Lots of technicians, security, military and even a few foreigners milling around. The newstands have switched to selling Pope paraphernalia and a lot of the shops are displaying Pope Francis photos. I counted 15 large pens in the Zócalo and then three big viewing bleachers. The National Palace is the long building across the Zócalo, where he’ll be officially greeted, before he walks over to the Metropolitan Cathedral.

 

Several posts ago I mentioned I run into boxes from Pastelería Ideal all over the downtown. Here is an example. Not one box but two!

 

Overnight walls and barriers have appeared everywhere. This wall is creating a barrier to keep people back from the National Palace.

 

There is always a protest going on around the National Palace. These women were part of a demonstration occuring just past the trucks in the above photo – there was one panel missing in the fence and they were blasting through, creating such a loud sound that even they thought it was deafening. They were demonstrating for the right to health and welfare services.

 

These are resin-cast heads from a major show of sculpture at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefoso by the Mexico-city based sculptor Javier Marín. I’ll post more about his work later – he has already created a huge body of work and he’s only 52. The show dominated this large museum.

 

Just a blast of color for all people enduring the northern climes.

 

Comments

5 responses to “Thursday evening photos, with a blast of color”

  1. Vivian Avatar
    Vivian

    Wonderful I am anticipating more of this soon. Must confess that when I saw the phrase LARGE PENS the notion CRAVING SOUVENIR POPE PEN flashed through my brain before I even realised what was happening….

    Reply
  2. Rachel Barenblat Avatar
    Rachel Barenblat

    Oh, thank you for the blast of color.

    Reply
  3. Dick Avatar
    Dick

    A fascinating narrative & commentary, Jonathan, & some glorious photos playing their part. Is there a book in prospect?

    Reply
  4. Kathy Hughes Avatar
    Kathy Hughes

    This is so wonderful Jonathan….seeing your adventures and this vibrant city you two are exploring. You are very brave and generous to let us share your views and experiences. Being there during the pope’s visit is so special. Stay safe and please keep posts coming!!
    xxoo

    Reply
    1. Jonathan Sa'adah Avatar
      Jonathan Sa’adah

      Kathy – it means a lot to me that you are looking at the posts. This morning walking around people are eating breakfast, cleaning side-walks, playing football – in short, being quite normal. What’s different is the traffic and that there’s no school. At the intersection nearby, where cars would be lined up by the multiple hundreds normally, there were four cars, one bike, and one motorcycle! They didn’t even span across the avenue. Also there are metal barricades stacked up every half block, ready to be set up. It feels like festival time in Montreal. We’re just leaving to go up north. It should be interesting!

      Reply

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