New Glasses

 You may recall that the weekend before my surgery, Alejandro and I went to a optician downtown, and I bought new glasses.  I had not heard back from them, so I called last Saturday to see if the glasses were ready.  They were.  So that day we went downtown to pick them up.

I am very pleased with them, and they seem to fit very well.  They are a big improvement over the old, scratched glasses that I had before.

Our excursion was the most that I had walked since the operation, and by the time we returned to the apartment, I was tired.

Three Blossoms

My orchid plant is now in full bloom with three large, beautiful blossoms...

This is its third bloom.  Now that I am having luck with this plant, I am considering buying another orchid to add to my indoor garden.

A Bit of Shaking

 

(image taken from the internet)

At around 9:20 this morning, the earthquake alert sounded in the neighborhood.  "Alerta sísmica, alerta sísmica."  I didn't see anyone leave their buildings and go out to the street.  Since I live on the third floor (the fourth floor by U.S. counting) heading down the stairwell, through the lobby and out to the street is rather impractical in the brief warning period that we have.  I headed to the corner of the living room that Alejandro deemed the safest spot.  The dogs in the neighborhood were barking before I could feel anything.  I leaned my back against the wall, and I began to feel some vibrations.  Looking out the window on the other side of the room, I could see that the utility wires were swaying.  After about a minute it was over.

Later, on the internet, I found that the quake, which measured 5.7 on the Richter Scale, was centered in the rural town of Zocoteaca de León in the state of Oaxaca, around 200 miles away from Mexico City.  The quake was not felt in all parts of the city.  (Alejandro did not feel anything.)  Initial reports indicate that there were no victims nor damage even in the area around the epicenter.  

Abundant Portions

When Europeans travel to the United States, they are usually amazed at the size of portions that are served in restaurants.  There are a number of eateries here in Mexico City that rival their counterparts in the U.S. for the abundance of their servings.

One notable example is a place called Café C which is located in a small shopping mall across the street from the World Trade Center.  The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and service is very friendly.  Because of its convenient location, we will usually go there at least once every weekend for breakfast.  Sometimes we also go there for dinner.  I am usually a member of the "clean plate club", but this is one of the few places where I have on occasion asked to take part of my meal home.

Here you can see what we had to eat last Saturday...

Alejandro ordered a dish called a "tecolote".  The base is a "mollete", a sliced roll with melted cheese.  On top of that is a heaping serving of "chilaquiles", tortilla chips simmered in salsa.  It is all topped with two fried eggs.

I had the "croque madame" based on the classic French sandwich.  A slice of bread is topped with turkey breast, gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, a mustard dressing, bechamel sauce, and a fried egg.

Is it any wonder that we are not ready to eat again until early evening?

 

Spring Flowers

The day before my surgery, I took a walk in my neighborhood.  I used my cell phone to take some pictures of the flowers that I saw.  (Unfortunately, the photo quality is not as good as if I had used my camera.)

I don't know what kind of flowers these are...

 

Trumpet flowers

Although the peak of the season has passed, there are still some blossoms on some of the jacaranda trees.

Bougainvillea

Some variety of lily

 

Hibiscus

Street Signs

Most of the streets in my Mexico City neighborhood of Nápoles are named after states and cities in the United States.  I was walking down Dakota Avenue, a street that I have walked countless times, when I saw a street sign that I had never noticed before.

The rusted metal signs and the eroded concrete post make me think that it must date from the 1940s when this neighborhood was laid out.

It is interesting that the old sign spells the cross-street of Missouri that way it is spelled in the United States.

However, the newer street sign spells it phonetically in Spanish... Misuri.

The Merry Month of May

Today is May 1st, a legal holiday in Mexico... "Día del Trabajo" or Labor Day.  As is my custom on the first day of the month, I will show you the photo that I selected for for my custom-made calendar.  This year's calendar features pictures that I have taken on my trips to Germany, and May's photo is of Heidelburg Castle.

On a hill, overlooking the picturesque university town of Heidelberg, are the remains of a  castle.  It was begun in the 13th century and was expanded numerous times.  It eventually included a palace that was considered one of the most outstanding Renaissance structures north of the Alps.  It was largely destroyed in wars during the 17th century, and still stands in ruins.