Holiday Wishes

Dear Friends and Family,

When you bask in temperatures in the mid-80s, it is a little difficult to conjure up the Christmas spirit. Activity in PV is certainly picking up, as Polley and I sat on a crowded Malécon last night, viewing at a bit of a distance the masses of people wandering up and down. Actually, it is a bit more enjoyable when there are fewer people, as then you can pick out individuals and make rude comments. Hey, it passes the time and never ceases to amuse us.

We are not quite sure what Christmas will bring to us down here. We have decided on getting a luscious "Pollo Feliz" grilled chicken on Christmas Eve and enjoying it for our Christmas dinner. I think we may do a Christmas morning breakfast as well. We still do not have a clear idea of what will be open that day. There are lots of opportunities at the hotels for a prix fixe meal, but I think we will opt for something a little closer to home.

Today, we are joining our friend, Reg, for a trip out to some "fish shacks" he knows about and swears by. Reg may not know a lot, but he is a serious eater. So, we will follow his lead and then report back. I am still struggling with getting photos into this blog. Somehow, between Greece and here nothing seems to mesh. I continue to explore the problem, but with little success thus far.

We did manage to link up with one of our waiter-friends this past week. Ricardo, from Langosta Loca, was one of our favorites. With the political drama of Langosta's new two story building, they were shut down. This past week, they reopened and while Ricardo was not there, we were able to track him down at another establishment where we found him on Saturday. He wants to return to Langosta, but will wait a month to make sure they will remain open. Langosta seems confident and I have seen their permits posted on the wall, but Mexican politics is very precarious and there still might remain an additional chapter. We shall see.

So, with that, let Polley and I wish you the very best for the Holidays: A Very Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad) and a Happy New Year (Año Nuevo). All the best for 2015!

Ed and Polley

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A Leisurely Life

Dear Family and Friends,

Very little to report from this southern paradise. December definitely is a lovely time to come down. The weather has been just ideal and the crowds have no begun to gather. We are in the midst (actually it ends tomorrow) of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a 12 day celebration that seems to primarily involve ringing the church bells in a frantic fashion every 15 minutes and, when the bells aren't going, to fire off some sort of cannon! It is rather like a having a Salvation Army bell ringer synchronized with the back-firing of a car. Who can blame us for being a bit jumpy.

I have been walking regularly and in the last couple of days, after bragging about the weather, it has become a bit muggy. There is a chance of our first rain later this afternoon. We have been spending evenings down at Roberto's, getting to know a new set of waiters. Freddy is a nice little Mexican guy who actually grew up in Houston, but, as so many of the young Mexicans we have met, got into trouble with the law and are now back here and likely will not be able to return to the US. We spend an hour ore more watching the crowd pass by, usually everyone headed in one direction, but soon return seeking out the perfect place for dinner.

The sunsets have not been spectacular. Each night there seems to be a bank of clouds through which the sun disappears before the designated hour of sunset. I did catch this glimpse of the sun last night

But, as you regular follows of this blog know, more sunsets will soon be arriving.

We have been beseiged by cats of late. Since Polley's limitations with her hip have kept her away from the mass-feeding frenzy of years past, the cats have been coming to us. While we just have a small opening through which they can come and go, I need to beworking in a "revolving" cat door forgreater efficiency. The girl who lives below us acquired a kitten shortly before our arrival. She is a little stray (the cat, not the girl) that was found near the river. So she is called "Cuale," like the river. Very cute and, as you can see, seems to be settling in

Cuale is on the right and the old house cat, Kyra, is on the left.

Otherwise, life has consisted mainly of reading and drinking. I finished a very good book, Some Luck, by Jane Smiley. It is part one of an eventual trilogy that follows the Langdon family from the birth of their first son, in 1920, up through their 6th child, ending in 1953. There is little that might be called dramatic in the book, but it seems to deal with how each child, despite similar upbringings, is unique and how "some luck" seems to play a role in who we are, what we become, who we meet and how we survive. Highly recommend it and am looking forward to Part 2.

So, we are here, we are happy and enjoying each day. I will try to get up to stride in terms of day-to-day activities and have something new to share. But for now, we are sitting back and letting the days come to us. More soon.

 

Ed and Polley

 

 

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Nothing Comes from Nothing

Dear Friends and Family,

You have heard little or nothing (mostly nothing) from us for the past few days. Not to worry. We are well, but there has simply been little to report. The weather continues delightful. Mostly in the low 80s, with some light breezes and a tendancy to cool off after about 9 at night. Mostly, our days have been in trying to reconnect. It is still early in the season so many of the "Snow Birds" have failed to arrive yet. We have run into our Manitoba friend, Reg, a couple of times and plan to breakfast with him tomorrow.

We have enjoyed our time at La Fuente del Puente (The Fountain at the Bridge). Since we have hungrier at lunch than dinner, we have taken to eating there on an almost regular basis. I still think it is one of the best kitchens in PV. Polley, who is very much into soups, has had delicious Cream of Spinach and Cream of Carrot. I had the Tortilla Soup, which is always excellent. Prices are affordable and with the dollar so strong (over 14 pesos to the dollar), it is now even cheaper. We also enjoy the people and have gotten to know them all. Of course, still our favorite is José - the waiter supreme.

There has been one disappointment in terms of reconnecting. We have always enjoyed sitting by the sea at a little shack called Langosta Loca. Two brothers, Arturo and Ricardo, were the waiters there and have always treated us so well. Upon our return this time, we found that the little 'shack," was now a marvelous two-story, thatched-roof restaurant right on the beach, in the same location as the old place. The problem is that apparently after getting all the permits, building and then opening, they were almost immeidately shut down by an unhappy condo owner who now felt his view of the sunset was ruined by the two-story structure. So, they are shut down and our friends are out of work! It is really a shame, but everyone seems to agree that that is Mexican small town politics. Not sure how it will be resolved or when.

Part of our inactivity has been due to Polley trying to get back into form. Even I have noticed that the weather and the terrain tend to set you back for awhile. Polley can get down the hill, but does find it pretty exhausting to get back up. Even with a cab up the hill, it is another 83 steps to our front door. The strength will come, but it will be slow. So, our "neighborhood" has been somewhat limited. In fact, for those of you who have followed us in the past, you will be surprised to find that I have taken on 1 sunset pircture since arriving, nearly a week ago. Unheard of! Of course, for some reason, this program seems to not be accepting any of of the photos. I will continue to explore the probem. That should give me something to do. Until next time, we think of all of you often.

 

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Ah, Warmer!

Dear family and friends,

Just a quick note to let one and all know we arrived in Puerto Vallarta where the weather outside is delightful. Actually, for those of you who know where we stay, what with no actual windows, the weather inside is about the same! Mornings have been a bit cool, but that is only relative to the 80+ degrees during the day. Everyone has been praising the weather for the month of November and it seems to be continuing into the last month of the year.

Except for dropping my sunglasses in my brother's car on the way to airport, thus leaving them behind, all went well on the flight. Polley and I, taking every advantage of her cane, was whisked through passport control and secured our luggage in a matter of minutes. A few moments later, out landlord picked us up and we made our way into town and up the hill to the apartment. Of course, as most of you know, there are 83 steps to our apartment, so it was a bit of a slog with the 5 pieces of luggage, but that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

Polley has been dealing quite well with the challenges of Mexican sidewalks: broken, uneven, cobbled, etc. She will doubtless gain some stamina over the coming weeks. We made it just down the hill to El Patio for salad and a couple of beers on Tuesday, having been up from about 2:30 am Portland time. We were pretty wiped out. Wednesday was pretty much devoted to setting up the apartment as best we could. While the landlord (hereafter referred to "Alfred," or "Fred") had tiled the floor of our place, it was still in a bit of disarray, with curtains down, shelving disassembled, and tiling materials still scattered about. There will be more to do on Thursday. Also needed to gather some groceries, at least coffee and wine. We had a nice lunch at out favorite haunt, El Fuente del Puente (The Fountain (which does not work!) at the Bridge. As we have said before, it is an excellent kitchen and we enjoyed some Cream of Spinach soup and their wonderful, zesty Tortilla soup. What with the chips and salsa, it is a meal that lasts the whole day.

In the afternoon, we reaquainted ourselves with the famed "siesta." And just managed to get down the hill to another our regular beats, Robertos, for the sunset, which I will say was nothing to write home about -- so I won't! We enjoyed a glass of wine, and met up, quite by accident, with our friend Reg, the 62-year old, always single, wheat farmer from Manatoba. Great guy, who we always thoroughly enjoy. With that, and Polley having walked her furtherest distance since arriving, we caught a cab up the hill, pretty done in for the day.

Before closing, however, I must say, that the cats were all waiting for us and, truly, seemed to recognize us as we came up the hill. Several appeared to be nearly Pavlovian as they began salivating at the thought of Polley's daily feedings. All the regulars were there, but there was a new kitten

For some reason the program will not allow the photos as it says they are password protected or something. Anyway, he is a very cute guy who took to us immediately and was sleeping with us all last night. I will work on photos in the near future

So, for those who you who are regular followers of our Mexican adventures, little has changed here. For newcomers, little has changed here. Which is why we come back again and again. More soon!

 

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All Good Things Must end

Dear Friends and Family,

I will make this short, but, hopefully, sweet. We (actually me, as Polley waits until quite late) are beginning to pack. Deciding what to transport, what to discard. It has been a good trip, but we both admit to being a bit homesick. So, tomorrow, we begin the nearly 30 hour journey.

As I awike this morning, I reflected on some memories of the last couple of weeks. There is Polley's sudden fondness for hats

And, of course, her never ending fondness for cats

A photo taken on on of our colder mornings! I will also never forget the thunderstorm a couple of days ago and the loudest crack of thunder I have ever experienced. It was right on top of us. Amazing!

We got another little road trip in yesterday, going to the town of Ancient Epidavros, right on the coast, but not far from the classic Greek theatre

As you can tell, the good weather returned for our last couple of days here. We enjoyed sunshine and some wine beside the harbor

We also have continued to enjoy meals at Arcadia. I have eaten through the whole Greek menu and am looking forward to the best of it at lunch today.

So, I guess that is it. Many thanks to those who have followed along and to those of you who have respinded occassionally a special thank you. It is nice to know you are there. We, I am sure, will see all of you in the next 7 weeks before heading off for Mexico. My last words are simply, "Don't call too early on Sunday.

Love to all,

Ed and Polley

 

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The Road to Korfos

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday, after returning from my walk, I found Polley dressed for a trip. Apparently wires had gotten crossed and she thought we were heading out early and I thought we were staying in. So, needless to say, we hit the road!

We drove again out east, but instead of heading south as we had done previously, we turned north at the sea, just outside of Ancient Epidavros, looking to go up the coast towards Korinth. As with the southeastern coast of the Peleponnese, it was one photo-op after another

The blue of the sky and the shades of blue and green in the water seemed "photo-shopped." They were not! After about an hour and a half of driving, we notice a small village of Korfos on the map with little after it until we reached Korinth. So, we took a chance and headed off the main highway. There is one road in and one road out of Korfos. But as we came around a bend, after about 10 kilometers of "twisty, windy, bendy" (the words of Angela Sturgis, our hostess in Crete), we lloked down on a glorious little bay and the town of Korfos

We took the tour of the town, riding along the shore, passing one closed taverna after another. The season is clearly over. So, we turned around and made our way back in the opposite direction and then found Taverna Ostrako. I asked the lady if she was open, and she indicated a place at the harbor. We found a table

Polley, the day before, in Nafplio, found a new hat! So, we settled in for lunch. Our hostess,

Told us the fish was fresh, her husband having just caught it that morning, so, it was fish. She insisted I come into the kithcen and pick them out.

I chose Nikos and Stavros, the two on the far left. We also had the requisite Greek salad and fried potatoes. The meal was to die for. The fish was fried in their own olive oil which also was generously poured over the salad which included a chunk of feta about the size of second base! It was a perfect Greek experience. Fresh food, delicious tomatoes and a light, moist fish, served overlooking a pristine harbor of boats.

The boat on the left provided today's lunch. We left promising ouselves that we would return to Korfos at some future time, perhaps even planning a few days in the town. We certainly know a good place to eat. We did find that Korfos is a place that many Athenians come for weekends. We felt fortinate to hit it on a Thursday. Our idylic Greek hieaway may be very different on Saturday and Sunday. We prefer to remember it as it was yesterday. More later, with ust a week to go.

 

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On the Road Again

Dear Friends and Family,

If your recently thought you heard a distant sound, it may have been the reverberation of autumn "falling" here in Greece. It has suddenly turned dramatically cooler. The days have still very nice, but mornings call for an extra layer and the last few nights we had to pull out an old blanket that was stored inour bungalow. It smelled a bit like old carpeting from an often used W.C. in a shelter for incontinents. Nevertheless, it kept us warm (and occassionally awake!)

A couple of days ago we took advantage of the bright sunshine to take another road trip, this time down the east side of the gulf, headed for a little village of Asporos. We first drove through the village of Mieli, which had a very impressive church

We carried on down the coast, looking back across toward the western coast where the bungalows are located, with the very impressive cliffs

About 20 kilometers further south, we turned a bend and found ourselves in Asporos. Actually we found ourselves in a narrow one-way street that forced up a very steep hill which overlooked the village And the bay

And, eventually, out of town. So, it was back for a second stab which was more successful. The town has a pretty little harbor

And seems to be a hot vacation destination as there were quite a number of clubs and tavernas along the bay. However, the season is definitely coming to a close as many of the places were already shut down and the village was very quiet. We did find a little taverna along a side street

and had one pork and one chicken gyros. Delicious! They were definitely the "full-meal-deal," as they were stuffed with meat, tomato, cucumber, tzatziki and about a half dozen French fries all wrapped in pita bread. I got the sense that Asporos must be a vacation destination for mostly Greeks as during our time in the town, we met known who had more that the smallest smattering of English. It was a lovely spot, however, and I would willing return for a future visit.

From there we headed back up the highway, stopping to appreciate a few of the sights we missed on the way down

One could find oneself stopping after every bend in the road, as it is a quite breathtaking drive

And another

And it just goes on and on. However, I will not. We now have just a bit more than a week and our thoughts begin to turn toward home. We are anxious to reacquaint ourselves with friends, family and our cats. Reality is beginning to set in as I have made several Skype calls setting up doctor appointments, dates for haircuts, and other duties of daily domesticity. But not yet! Let the dream continue for a bit longer. More soon.

 

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A Random Thought and a Road Trip

28 September 2014

Dear Friends and Family,

I begin my blog with a random thought. Quite a number of years ago, as I was going through my "Greek Phase," a briefer, less intense period than my "French Phase," I took a semester of modern Greek at the Orthodox church in Portland. While I made some progress, none of it stuck for very long (of course, now, NOTHING sticks very long!). I could not connect it to anything. It was simply strange letters and sounds. Yesterday, as I was walking through Tolo, I passed two women, each on opposite sides of the street. Traffic was whizzing by, accompanied by the normal white noise of the morning. I could hardly hear them and could not imagine how they could communicate, especially with, what to my ear, was nothing more than a jumble of sounds. I have decided to dub it "GobbledyGreek!" While it is a comprehended series of sounds and meaning for the Greek people, it will remain "GobbledyGreek" to me.

Having gotten that off my chest (mind?), I promised to share a bit about our little road trip. We had stayed pretty much in the vicinity of Ingrid's since arriving. We did venture to a local beach on Monday, but a strong, warm, blustery wind (said to be a "scirocco" coming from Libia) Drove us from there after a relatively short time. So, this time, we headed towards the southeastern coast of the Peleponnese, past the famous theatre of Epidavros. We climbed some dramatic mountains before coming to a prominent overview of the Mediterranean, looking to the south.

As we made our way along the coast, we looked back to the north and the Isthmus of Corinth

We proceeded south, twisting and winding along a narrow two-lane highway, making the occasional stop when struck by unique sight, like this colorful church

That over looked a bright blue bay

We were headed for the town of Methana which lies on a finger of land (or perhaps it is a thumb! It has near it an active volcano (quiet at the moment) and we were told, has some sulphur hot springs. As we approached the harbor of the village, you could smell the distinctive odor of rotten eggs coming from the aquamarine bay.

As the high season is mostly over, it was very quiet in Methana. We stopped at a local taverna and realized we were the only non-Greeks in the place (possibly in the town!). We, naturally, ordered too much for lunch. It often happens that when Polley and I are traveling and discover an interesting new restaurant, we are drawn to several new things on the menu. Here we ordered the standard Greek salad. However, they also featured meat on a skew, so we ordered one. What we did not know is that we ordered 3! They were served on two large discs of a pita-type bread (meant to absorb the juices of the meat) and covered with French fries dripping with some sort of spicy sauce (also designed to soak the bread), with a side of tomatoes and onions. It was huge! Fortunately, hungry band of harbor cats were on hand to assist us in devouring our meal

It was a lovely afternoon and as we drove out of town, I took one last view of the setting

before tackling the twisty road back to Ingrid's. It was nice to get out and about to a part of the Peleponnese that we had not visited previously and it gave us a taste for hitting the road again soon. It can be very easy to just "veg-out" in this slow-moving world. One must force oneself to make a move. We will try again soon!

 

 

 

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Up to Our Ears in Greece

Dear Friends and Family,

Travel days are always tough, but Saturday was worse than usual. Bidding adieu to Angela and Crete was sad, but we were excited about seeing our Peloponnese friends once again. All went well in getting to the Heraklion Airport, getting checked in and finding our gate. We left for Athens on time, 8:50 am and set down about 9:20. There was wheelchair assitance for Polley. We grabbed our bags and headed out for our awaiting rental car. Wrong! No one in sight. I applied my "give them 15 minutes" rule before making a phone call. No record of a reservation. Of course, 24 hours previously I had a text confirming the rental. However, that was from the booking agent, not the actual agency itself. I ad a coucher, an order number, all the documentation for a reservation made nearly a year ago. Speculation now is that might have been the problem. It was so long ago, they had simply lost it, forgotten, who knows? Long, long story short, two hours later and several phone calls and we had our car. Of course, it only had a quarter of a tank of gas! So, our much-anticipated journey had another brief delay. Finally, a bit after noon, we were on our way.

Soemhow, over the years, we have developed a tradtion of stopping at a very local taverna in Cornith for some retsina and tzatziki. So, around 1 pm we made our pit stop.

When I say a local place, I mean it. Whenever we stop, the whole taverna seems to freeze. Who are these aliens and what are they doing here! When we order, they usually have to run next door to find someone who has some English, the residue of a one-time trip to his brother in "Shee-kago."

With one tradition out of the way, we accomplished yet another. We always stop at a certain roadside shack that sells 5-liter plastic bottles of retsina and jars of olives. We stocked up and headed to our new home: "Bungalows Ingrid."

These are lovely little studio apartments

Facing east/west with a patio at each end. They are a bit smaller than our Cretan accommodations, but as we are celebrating our 20th year of coming to Ingrid's, we get settled in quickly. Of course, our primary entertainment at Ingrid's is the cats. They are everywhere, but in short time mostly in our room

However, as you might notice the bowls of food, we will confess to offering bribes. You, no doubt can count on more "precious" photos in the weeks to come.

Yesterday, after a relatively good night's sleep after a stressful day, we had lunch at a family-run taverna in the little village of Drepano, located right next to a lovingly cared for church

We had heard good things about "mama's cooking," and we were not disappointed. In addition to some rosé retsina, we had a delicious "fried feta, rolled in sesame seeds

along with a Briam

This is a kind of vegetable stew of potatoes, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes, drowned in olive oil. Fabulous!

Last night, we stayed in, talked with a German couple for a bit and then enjoyed bits and pieces for a light supper. So, once we got the car all is off to a good start. More coming soon!

 

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Moving On, Leaving Odd Bits Behind

Dear Family and Friends,

Early tomorrow we leave the lsle of Crete. As always, it is with mixed feelings: difficult to say goodbye, but exciting to move to our next set of friends. So, as my last Cretan blog, I decided to just provide with glimpses of those moments we enjoyed, but that didn't fit well into any particular narrative.

One thing I have been struck with has been the bright bursts of color in this very dry, rockey landscape

You seem to be caught up in neutrals of the countryside and then turn a corner and "voila!"

And then around the next bend

Or at the side of the road

Surprise after surprise. We, of course, also kept our eyes out for cats. At a bar called Hemmingway's, not surprisingly, there are always a few felines snoozing in the sun. I loved this fellow, resting his chin on the lower rung of a chair

Or the night we came home to a male Praying Mantis seeking sanctuary on our patio wall

I can' leave out the afternoon, when out of nowhere, we were attacked by pirates!

Or the wonderful view down from our apartment in Kolimbari where evidence of the anciets seemed to be right in our own backyard (minus the clothes line)

Nand the endless parade of giant clouds that rode over our terrace

We have enjoyed each of our 20 days, each in slightly different ways. We recommend this historically rich island. The food is wonderful, the people some of the most friendly and the weather, a treat nearly everyday. Now, it is on to mainland Greece. The changes will be subtle, but eagerly anticipated. More in a day or two as we make our 7th or 8th visit to Ingrid and Yorgos, on the Peloponnese pennisula.

 

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