Easy Living

One and All,

We are well, but I have not been as faithful as some of you, no doubt. Life here has been rather uneventful, which, of course, is just what we are looking for. I know it doesn't make for exciting reading, but life here is good.

The weather has warmed up and seems to be pretty consistent at this point. The only real variety is offered by the winds. Last night, for instance, was very calm. The night before it was calm up at our apartment, but windy down near the ocean. Some days is it the other way. Tw nights ago, we went to dinner at a new place, Amapa Sunset and sat outside at a table under the full moon. I had duck tacos and Polley had a very nice "Sunset" salad with lettuce, smoked salmon, capers and olives. Flavors were very good and the portions for us were the right size. However, we ended up feeling it was a little over-priced. Later we went next door to La Palapa and listened to our friend Bobby play flute along with a guitarist and drums. Just a lovely evening, sitting at a table right on the beach, sipping wine and listening to music. It was a lovely walk back home under a full moon, with our regular nightcap at Candela.

Last Tuesday we got together with the Danas. We met them last season; they are from Kansas City. We went to a place we had never tried, called Gilmars. One of their specialties there is that they mix their own salsa right at the table. A sort of Mexican Benihana!

They use garlic, their own roasted tomatoes, cilantro, onions and japenos and do it all in a large Mexican mortar and pestle. Delicious! Polley also had a very good fish dish cooked what they called "Azteca" style. Very flavorful.

Last night we did a bit of lazy bar hopping. Perhaps strolling would be a better choice of words. The highlight was truly at the outset as we had a wonderful sunset. Sunsets here are remarkable. You take a picture and then a few minutes later you need to take another because the colors have gotten more intense. These photos have not been doctored. This is the way it looked:



Truly wonderful and makes for a nightly adventure. Of course, not all are as terrific as last night.

WE also have, you won't be surprised to here, attracted a few cats in the last few days. A very mottled fellow found his way into our apartment early in the week and, in fact, spent a night with us. But you was uneasy about coming and going and freaked out one morning and has not been back. The cats down the hill, however, have found us and this guy was discovered lying in the sun yesterday


They seem to know where to get a decent meal and a little affection!

Monday we are catching the bus to Guadalajara to revisit places and see friends from last year. Should be a good time and I will try be better about my reporting.

Ed and Polley

A Bit of Socializing

Friends and Family,

We have been a bit out of touch. No reason really. Just that life has been a sort of routine that has had very little change in it. We did get to dinner with our friends, Pat and George. We had planned on this delightful little tapas place, La Esquina, just up the hill from us (and believe me, from our place it is difficult for any place to be up the hill!). However, given that it is a very tiny place and that they now take reservations, we had little hope of getting in. So Pat and George suggested a new little French bistro that has opened. It was excellent! Very French as it is owned by a fellow from Marseille. Very good Niçoise salad and French onion soup. Always enjoy our time with George and Pat.

Yesterday we spent out time preparing for a little pot luck dinner party that our landlord's wife, January St. Clair was hosting at her place just south of town. We had wanted to take our famous Candela Dip, but rounding up all the ingredients was difficult. So, Grace, the manager of Candela agreed to just prepare us a dish to take. We met her at 4 p.m. and it was all ready, along with an ample supply of pita bread. So, we caught a cab going south and with rather sketchy directions (pass to small groceries and look for a bus stop on the left), we came right to it! And what a place it was. You climb an endless series of stairways, but then look at where you arrive.




You are at the top of the world in this hold hacienda/apartment complex owned by a charming Mexican family. Truly stunning.

With ample wine and some delicious appetizers we sat around and talked and ate and watched the sun set.



I am not sure how many photos I have of PV sunsets, but so many are spectacular. From this vantage point, I certainly couldn't pass up this opportunity.

As darkness wet in, we ate more and talked a great deal. We reconnected with Tom and Eileen from Georgia and met a very nice new couple, Bruce and Gail, from Chicago. Gail is here on the left with some of the guests of the host family. The matriarch is the lovely lady on the far right




Tom is the fellow on the left in this photo, with Fred (our landlord in the native sombrero, followed by January and another lively resident of PV who's name escapes me at the moment (Elise?)



The final group includes Eileen and a delightful Chinese man, Ken, who is a noted cook and provided some of the most wonderful grilled pork chops. I had never thought of pork chops as finger food, but this were so tender and so flavorful that I couldn't seem to get enough.



As I have this nagging sore throat, Polley and I left a little after 8 (things started at 5) caught a bus back to town and stopped in for quick glass of wine at Candela so we could return the bowl for the dip (at least that was the excuse). While at Candela we sat next to a large table of all American young women. Very unusual to find Americans in Candela, especially a table of them (10-12). WE got into a little conversation with them and it turns out it is a book club of Americans and Candadians. Had a nice conversation with a one of the women, Nancy Coates. We exchanged e-mails and discussed books for 20 minutes or so. An unexpected delight. Home about 9:30 and very tired. Tried to read, but we gave into the reality that the day was done!

Weirder and Weirder

Friends,

It has been a few days since we have written. Life continues sublime. We have not done a great since I last wrote, but the weather has been very strange. Three nights ago, the wind was blowing at such a rate and the temperature dropped to about 55, that Polley and I simply bundled up as best we could and hunkered down in our apartment. It, as I am sure you remember, is open to the elements, so it was a very cold night and we have actually slept with a sheet, bedspread and blanket the last 3 nights. Since that fateful low the other day, the temperature has crept up a bit, but nights remain cool and breezy.

The real story, however, has been the sea and the tides. In the last couple of days the water has washed away sections of beach and destroyed endless palapas (thatched beach umbrellas) that restaurants have set up for evening dining on the beach. Many of those washed away and boardwalk covered over with sand. Each morning finds a crew of waiters and others digging out and doing their best to restore their tables and such. In fact, so dramatic was the weather that two days ago we had a small tornado come into the bay. A friend sent us these pictures:




I love the idea of a tornado and a rainbow side-by-side. Nature providing you its extremes.

Had a nice dinner at Vitea, our favorite place, last night. We now have a standing reservation for each Sunday evening at 8 p.m. We chose that because our musician friend, Bobby Tansen, plays the flute there that evening. He wanders about, playing along with a friend's recording of piano. Very nice and Bobby, who has a different look for every gig, comes to Vitea in his best Indian guru look:



Anyway, as I walked this morning, the winds seemed calmer, the tides were down a bit and, with luck, things are turning to normal. More as we go on,

Ed and Polley

Global Warming My Ass!

One and all,

I know by Oregon standards this may not mean much, but the weather has turned very strange the last few days. The surf as been incredibly high, throwing sand across the Málechon, wiping out the beach fronts of restaurants and generally turning the beautiful Puerto Vallarta seafront into a large lake inside a sandbox. Every morning people are digging out.

Also the weather has turned amazingly cool. You must remember that everything is open here (including our apartment) and there is no heating. This morning when Polley and I got up, it was 55 degrees! We were in every layer we could possibly find. We have very few long-sleeved options with us, but those we do have went on top of others. Last night, as the wind came up, we declined to go out. We just sat in bed and read, bundled up so that we were both the size of the Michelin Man!

It was so ironic that yesterday our landlord brought a fellow around to look at our apartment (he is trying to rent our current place and move us back to our old digs). The fellow, from Montreal, ask about the cold. We said, "No, it's always comfortable, no need to give it a thought!" Five hours later, it felt like Montreal.

So, having extended our stay in Mexico because the weather in Europe is so unstable, we feel a bit of a fool. What with Polley's infection and this dramatic change in weather, it has been very hard to feel that we have found a rhythm. Our primary rhythm has been that of pacing back and forth to keep warm in between bout of just climbing back into bed. We thought we might go to breakfast this morning, just to take advantage of the luxury of being indoors, but we could think of an indoor restaurant! So we huddle around our coffee mugs, considering going out to buy a larger light bulb to sit under and wait for the sun to provide a little nature heat. It is clear, so things could change for the better. . . and we hope soon.

If we don't freeze, there will be further reports.

Ed and Polley

Laying Low

Friends and others,

I apologize for the lack of contact. We have been laying low for the last few days with little to report. Polley picked up what she thought was a cold late last week. After a couple of days of religiously taking preventives and actually getting worse. we opted for visiting a doctor on Monday. It was a little urgent care clinic down the street. For all we are told about the dangers of socialized medicine, this place seemed to operate a smoothly as Kaiser and somewhat cheaper. A Mexican doctor saw Polley. He spoke a little English and was very thorough in his exam, being careful to determine that it had not become something more serious. it was just badly infect throat, but he did prescribe a number of drugs which she has been taking and has nearly completed. She still has the remains of one of the worse coughs I have ever heard - think 85 year old who has been smoking since he was 3! Anyway, today was really the fist day out since seeing the doctor.

Sunday we had friends, Carolyn and Mirl Gratton, people we knew in Portland who now live in San Miguel Allende (we have visited them in San Miguel the last two years). They were on a tour and were in PV for a couple of days. We met them around 11 am and walked about the town with Carolyn, Mirl and two of their friends, Darold and Linda, who have retired for PV. It was nice, but I think it was the last straw for Polley as we had to excuse ourselves about 2 in the afternoon and Polley was probably at her worst that night. Doctor was necessary the next day.

Life has been easy, but very uneventful. We have not even eaten out much, with Polley not feeling well. We did finally get to the beach today for a couple of hours. Weather has not been ideal, but it is hard to complain about a few gray skies when it is 80-85 degrees. Today the sun was quite warm as we walked back from the beach. Largely we have been reading and I am afraid that with our being at home so much of the time that we are going to go through our books too quickly. We both thoroughly enjoyed a Swedish novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Polley is finishing The People of the Book and I am about halfway through another good one, called City of Thieves. All have been very satisfying so far.

I guess that catches us up for now. We look forward to slightly more active days in the future and hope all is well with you as you read this.

Ed and Polley

Musical Connections

One and all,

Another warm, but very cloudy day in PV. Everyone is remarking on the weird weather they have had this winter: very rainy December (glad we missed that) and many cloudy days since then. As I type this morning, however, the skies are clear and I have just returned from a very warm walk. Polley has developed a bit of a cold, so I don't know if the beach will be in our plans today or not.

Yesterday was our knock-about-town day and we did just that. Sat on the beach and drank beers delivered to us by our friendly old "too much tequila" man, who always maintains, regardless of when you get there, that the night before he had had too much tequila. As I say, it was warm, but cloudy. Also very still. PV beaches have been remarkably quiet so far this year. People talk of the recession and the swine flu, both of which are blamed for the lack of tourists. We have also noticed that places that in the last two years had immense staffs, now are operating at a minimum.

Anyway, it was another lazy day in Paradise. In the early evening, however, we went to Que Pasa! This had been a favorite bar of ours the first year down here, but last year the proprietor got crossways of the landlord and the place was closed. It apparently re-opened last March. Bobby Tansem, a musician we have talked about before was apparently holding an open mike session at Que Pasa, so we dropped in and reconnected with Bobby. We just had a beer and listened to him play the guitar and sing (no one else seemed to be contributing to open mike. Bobby played until 8 p.m. and then went from guitar and classic rock to the flute and easy listening jazz at a very nice restaurant, La Palapa. So we followed Bobby down there, had a couple of glasses of wine while he and a guitar player entertained us for an hour or so. Tonight Bobby has another group of musicians, several of whom we used to enjoy, playing at a new Tex-Mex place called Nacho Daddy (Clever no!). So we have decided on an early dinner and a little more music tonight.

After La Palapa, we headed to Candela (you have to stop, it's on the way home) for a glass of vino tinto della casa. Home for left over Candela pizza from the night before and to bed about 11. Lazy, but very enjoyable day.

Tranquility Base

Friends,

Life continues good in Mexico. Life as settled into a routine. We alternate days between practical chores and errands to a day at the beach. However, the weather has continued cool and, in fact, this morning I am writing this while wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for the first time since our arrival.

Our days start with a cup of coffee and a peak at the NY Times on line. I don't want to much of the world, but I do like to make sure it is still there. I have been walking for an hour each morning. Actually, yesterday, was perhaps the highlight of all much junkets in and around the town. As I was coming down the street in the older, very Mexican part of the town, a quite tall, very curvaceous woman, wearing very high heels, tight jeans and a tight clinging dress over the jeans, along with some very Sophia Loren style sun glasses. As I passed her, she just reached over and grabbed my crotch! Apparently it was the latest in marketing techniques. Unfortunately, I was just so surprised that I just kept on walking, failing to turn around and see what might have been the next step in the "sales pitch"! Darn.

Anyway, life goes on. Last night we returned to Candela, originally just for a glass of wine, but we ended up staying and have a pizza. All was excellent and it is such a lovely place to sit of an evening, that we made that our only stop of the night. I keep threatening to have a real Mexican meal, but we keep getting side-tracked. We are finding some wonderful shrimp ceviche and guacamole at the Ley mercado that the need for other has been less important.

We have been reading and I do recommend a wacky little book called Parisites Like Us by Adam Johnson. Polley very much enjoyed both The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I am about 3/4's thru The People of the Book. Also very engaging.

So, nothing of real note, but we are enjoying the apartment (although we were told we might move back to our old place as some changes are going on in the various apartment - stay tuned for pictures of me doing dishes in the shower again!) More on that to come. Best to all for the New Year.

Ed and Polley

Checking In

Faithful,

Sorry to let a couple of days go by with no word. Little worth noting, but the process of setting up for a lengthy stay. Trips to grocery, to Walmart, those sort of things. Discovering the necessities that are missing in your new digs. Ice Cube trays for example!

It has also been a time for reconnecting, some intentional and some surprising. Yesterday morning I was standing behind a woman at the ATM machine near us. She turned around and we discovered it was Susan, a woman that we had met, along with her husband, Dan, last year and had dinner with. We were planning to contact them once again, but suddenly, PV becomes a small town.

We went to a hangout of ours on Monday night, called Época (it means "season," i think). There is a darling bartender there, Hannah and we wanted to see her once again. The owner is from Portland as well so we touched base with Kurt to. Anyway, another couple was there to reconnect with Hannah as well and we had a nice talk with them: Paula and Bill, from Detroit. I have since run into Bill the last two mornings as he sits and has coffee and surfs the net on the Málechon. As we were finishing up a talk with them, former UP business professor, Neal Higgins and his wife, Judy, come along and we go up to their place for drinks. We never did make it to dinner, but staggered home for some fresh bread and cheese.

We also connected with Jose, the wonderful waiter at Fuente del Puente (the fountain at the bridge). I think I mentioned that he was gone over the weekend because of his grandfather's death. He was back and very happy to see us.

Tuesday was our 29th anniversary, so we stopped into Candela for a Pre-Func glass of wine. Went to pay the bill and the waitress said that Francisco, the owner from Guadalajara, wanted to by us a drink. Who could refuse. Then it was down to our favorite place, Vitea, for our anniversary dinner. Lovely spot. Weather was ideal and the food delicious. A very nice evening.

So, we are in the groove, both us having nearly finished our first books, with 24 more on the shelves. Life is good and hoping the same for you for 2010.

Ed and Polley

Arrived

One and all,

Just a brief note that we are in Mexico. For those of you a bit out of the loop, we delayed our leaving when we discovered that our beloved Dromio, a very frightened kitten that Polley had scooped up from our backyard 12 years ago, was diagnosed with severe diabetes. Dromio has always been a very nervous cat, trusting only two people in the world, Polley and myself (and he wasn't all that sure about me!). For treatment we were going to have to give him two insulin shots each day, plus a once a week day-long stay at the vet to test blood-sugar levels. We tried the first shot on last Monday morning and he totally freaked out. It was then that we decided that this was never going to work for us, let alone our poor house sitter. So, we delayed our trip and made the decision to put Dromio down. It was a very hard decision, but it seemed best for all, including him. North Portland Animal Clinic is so understanding about these things and do such a humane job of putting an animal to sleep, that even after it was done, we felt that we had made the right decision. As I have told many, when I reach the end, it will be Dr. McCoy at the animal clinic that will administer the last rites.

So with those couple of tough days, we turned to getting the house ready and left on a 6:30 am flight for Seattle, with, then, non-stop service to Puerto Vallarta. Armed with 26 books, we have great plans for a lot of relaxation and reading. We got off to a good start until a retired Ontario (Canada, not Oregon) commenced to talk with us. Three and a half hours later, with hardly a page read, we landed in PV.

Apparently we weren't the only ones landing, as immigration lines were huge. It took us 35 minutes to get through stage one and we were looking at the same thing in Customs, when they created a new line and we were whisked through. Our landlord, Fred Grieg was there to provide airport to apartment service and we arrived about 4:30 at Hacienda Grieg. Before getting to our apartment, we were introduced to Fried's mother, a woman who has been living here each time we have stayed, but whom we had never met. We sat and talked with her and learned some of the fascinating stories of her world travels and her early days in PV. We eventually got to our apartment. Because of some family visitors, this time Fred moved us to a different apartment. We are very flexible, but did feel a certain nostalgia for the old place. However, this is much roomier, with a great deal more light and has a complete kitchen. I took a couple of pictures this morning




it does not have the ambiance of the other place, but I am sure we will quickly adapt.

Obviously we were very tired. We went down to a local place, Puente del Furente for a couple of glasses of wine. We very much wanted to see our favorite waiter, but his grandfather had died and we was off until Monday. From there we wandered to Candalea. Many of you have had our Candela appetizer. This is the place we discovered it. Sadly, the owner, Francisco, had just left for his other location in Guadalajara. We do hope we can catch him one place other other before we leave. Then it was home for the night. We had gotten up at 1 a.m. at home and it had been a long, stressful day (mostly from the Ontarian policeman). So it was to bed about 9:30 and then up at 7:15 this morning. Yesterday was very overcast and we even got a few drops of rain. Today is scattered clouds and a bit warmer. Looks like a few days of overcast weather, but the sun will shine soon.

Ed and Polley