Bicycle Sunday

Many times I have written about and posted pictures of Mexico City's iconic boulevard the Paseo de la Reforma.  But I have never shown you what happens on Reforma every Sunday.  For more than a decade the boulevard is closed to traffic and it is taken over by cyclists, roller skaters, joggers and pedestrians.

 

At several places along the route there are tents which have cycling gear for sale and where mechanical help is offered to cyclists in need.

Set in a large round-about at a major intersection is the Monument to Independence.

This is an opportunity to go right up to the monument without having to dodge automobile traffic.  Of course you do have to watch out for the cyclists.

A statue of Miguel Hidalgo, the parish priest who began the struggle for independence from Spain in 1810.

Looking down on the Paseo de la Reforma from the steps of the monument

Notice that some of the jacaranda trees along the boulevard have started to bloom.  It's rather early for them to be in flower.

At major intersections, the cyclists are stopped to allow vehicular traffic to pass through.

The banners which are used to stop the cyclists have messages on precautions to take during the pandemic.  "When coughing or sneezing cover yourself with the interior angle of your arm."

 Near the monument, exercise classes are held.

Notice the poinsettias that were planted all along the boulevard for Christmas.

At  another round-about is the Diana Fountain.

Once a month, the bicycle route is extended to include many other streets besides Reforma, and this happened to be that Sunday.  At the Diana Fountain cyclists can veer off onto to Sevilla Avenue.  Since it heads in the general direction back to my apartment, I decided to go that way.

The route continues along the shady streets of the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods.

Quite a few cyclists were taking a break and getting something to eat at this street stall.

The route finally came to Insurgents Avenue.

From here the cycle route continues beyond Insurgentes into the neighborhood of Colonia del Valle.  But at this point I was only a short distance from my apartment, so I headed back home.