Recap: Good Morning, From Here, August 23 – August 29
Monday
And, I am back; did you miss me? I have been home for about 36 hours, unpacking, doing laundry, snuggling with my darling Bogie, and easing back into my former fabulous life in the tropics.
It is wonderful to be warm. The enormous heat wave that swept Europe this summer never adhered to my schedule and left me wrapped daily in my black cashmere shawl that saved me from freezing to death!
I left my house in Centro last evening and took my time walking over to Garbo’s to listen to Sargento Dan, who was entertaining the crowd with an early show while celebrating his 32nd birthday.
I stopped on the way at Michael Tolleson Robles’ gallery on Olas Altas to get a hug and see how he is doing. He is well, painting daily and selling his amazing work. We chatted briefly about how quiet the city is. For me, it was delightful to be able to see where I was walking without a wall of people surrounding me on four sides. European streets are packed with humans busily getting to where they are bound. Note to self in future lives: come back much taller and bigger, and maybe just stay home!
Garbo’s was full of well-wishers, and my seat was tucked away safely, close to the stage, and surrounding the table were some of my dearest friends on earth – Rob Burton and Jan Dorland, who are Sargento’s producers and mentors, and Sharon Gerber Scherer and her hubby, Rob. Sharon is Vallarta’s Air Fryer Queen, current city Scrabble champion, Sargento’s Jewish ”mother,” and is, to me, a perfect person. Her kindness knows no bounds, and she is a bundle of talent and a beauty to boot, aka, perfect.
The hugs from that table alone restored my soul and welcomed me home. The love continued from superstar Gloria Fiona and her wife Irene, Gabe Arciniega was in the house, parked at the bar, surrounded by local talented singers. Kimberly G and Alfredo Mendoza sang as guests of Sargento.
And then there was the Birthday Boy himself. What a difference a couple of years have made with this extraordinary young man. I remember seeing and hearing him at Nacho Daddy at Open Mic, knowing there was something rare about him.
The theme for Sargento’s birthday was Mario, a cartoon character and Nintendo mascot. Sargento managed to find plumber-style overalls to match his superhero. Cupcakes were topped by various Mario-related characters and a gift box dispensed small favors to whoever contributed tips to the evening’s performance.
Jet lag caught up to me almost at the end of the evening, and I had to bail out early as curling up in my seat and going to sleep was not an option – I still had a long walk home.
Vallarta was so quiet last night; just what I needed to decompress further and walk off last week’s train and airplane travel and sitting for hours on end.
Okay. See you back here in the morning, From Here.
Tuesday
I got up at 5 am, and the first thing I saw was the bouquet of Welcome Home flowers I received yesterday from Brian Bott. We met over mango smoothies and enjoyed delicious conversations spread over a couple of hours, nothing in particular, and not a thing serious, just recapping our lives over the past month. Bri is throwing a small fundraiser soon to help Vallarta Cares (formerly the Vallarta Food Bank). Stay tuned for details.
Today will be exciting – Sharon Gerber Scherer, a couple of friends, and I will be heading out on a Triple C Adventure, starting with the always interesting tianguis in Coapinole. After that, we will hit Costco and La Comer.
For a change, I will be hunting for fresh veggies in Coapinole rather than fabulous fabrics, although I have never been known to pass on extraordinary bargains. We are so blessed here in Mexico to have so many choices of veggies.
My sister Patrice and I – both vegetarians – spent around 5 Euros for a side dish of veggies at a restaurant in Brussels. That was to offset our dinner of French fries, which may or may not have been invented in Belgium. Imagine our surprise when a tiny sodden mass of a frozen melange of broccoli/cauliflower/carrot appeared at our table. Ugh. That was the best the capital of the European Union could do in the middle of summer. And, the fries were good, not great.
Brussels was also kinda creepy, loads of non-aggressive foreign beggars standing in front of jumbly but super interesting architecture – a single street of apartments would change facades every 15 or 20 feet. The details were meticulously executed by olden-day bricklayers and masons who clearly enjoyed their work and obviously had all the time in the world to decorate.
But back to food. Before I left on vacation last month, I ate everything out of my fridge, of course, and replenished a few veggies when I returned – enough to get me over the weekend – around the corner from my house at Paty’s store. I need everything and am grateful we will have Claire, Sharon’s SUV, to pack full of fresh goodies. A full report on this morning’s shenanigans right here, tomorrow.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to be home. It isn’t because of the comfort of my own bed or the familiarity of the streets and the people I love who walk on them. Or the blessed warmth and humidity, or my lovely kitty Bogie.
In 1986, when I first came to Vallarta, something happened to me. There were no breezeways at our airport 40 years ago, so everyone had to cross the tarmac to clear customs and get their bags. A feeling shot up through my legs and went straight to my heart – I had this happen once before in Delphi, Greece – but I knew the second my foot touched the ground in Vallarta, I was home. To stay, From Here.
Wednesday
It’s Humpday and time for Scrabble in a few hours. My nemesis, Sharon Gerber Scherer, wrote to me while I was in Europe that nobody played while I was gone. I am not sure what that means, but I wanted to share it with you anyway.
How long does jet lag take to disappear? All I have the energy to do is sleep. I promised myself, as my sister and I were running to catch one train or another to someplace else in Europe, that I would NOT rush when I got home. Mexico is so helpful in the non-rushing department, so the outside is good, but my monkey brain is still working overtime. And, it doesn’t freaking matter in the scheme of things. There are always more trains.
My fridge is stocked with lovely, healthy food. I am waiting for hunger to motivate me to get up and cook something between lines or paragraphs; coffee is sufficient for now. I took a kilo of my fave Mexican coffee with me to Europe and a French press, so Patrice and I started each day properly. The Swedes have GREAT coffee and the most amazing pastries, certainly the best of all the countries we visited.
Back to yesterday’s events! The size of the tianguis at Coapinole was cut about in half from the usual hustle and bustle of the fall and winter markets. The rain is responsible for that, so expect much less merchandise if you go between now and October 15th, when the rains should shut off until next June.
Sharon, Janet Simmonds, and I wandered around the mud puddles, having a look at clothes, and a few things leapt off the table and into my arms before I could object. Half of the four pieces still had their tags on them. It’s fun to learn the prices of some of these things. For example, a chiffon top with a “Torrid” label sold for $61.90 in Canada and $48.90 in the United States. I paid 30 pesos, or $2.21 Canadian and $1.60 US. My other purchases were on a three-for-20-peso table, so I spent 50 pesos total.
If I could find a way to shop for food like I do for clothes, I would be sooooo rich! LOL! Our visit to Costco and La Comer completely and absolutely canceled any savings we had made. Although there are Costcos in Sweden and the UK, apparently, we didn’t see them.
Just as well, cat litter was not on our European agenda, and speaking of kitties – what a difference in my Bogie! He missed me, I guess, and is sticking close to my side since I have been back, is quite talkative, and is sleeping next to me almost all night long. The latter statement is enormous for this feisty male cat, who used to bite hard first and ask questions later. Bonnie Crestman, who came daily to feed him and pick up after his feats of flight through my house, was great with him. More on Bogie and Bonnie in the morning, From Here.
Thursday
It’s almost the weekend. That is an important statement everywhere in the world, except in Vallarta and a few other beach destinations, where every day is a holiday and every night is Saturday. The thousands of us expatriates who live here were all tourists once and, if we all dig hard enough, can come up with a number of kindnesses that sprang from a waiter, or a concierge, or a tour guide way back when, who reached out a personal hand in welcome. And then, those tourists – us – who decided to try living in this paradise had to support themselves, so they became realtors, art gallery owners, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, and more. The biggest benefit of this is eye contact!
It’s true! People who live here communicate constantly with their eyes. How lovely it is to pass a family on the street and have all eyes turn to you to say hello, and usually followed by smiles. That never happened to me in Europe.
I terrified an entire continent! I was conscious about making eye contact for the first week or so as my sister Patrice and I trudged through ancient cities and streets to no avail. Smiling at a perfect stranger was right up there with assault and battery and/or dognapping! I got a couple of nervous eyelash flutters that accompanied a change in walking speed to get the hell away from the crazy, strangely-dressed woman who was clearly not from there. The point is, I made the effort, such as it was, and hope that I at least came up in some office conversation…”Did I tell you about the strange woman on the street this morning, who smiled at me as she passed by?!” It made me happy in a harmless, kinda perverse way, to stir things up a bit! Once a s**t disturber, right?
I got to Scrabble yesterday at Qulture to find Sharon Gerber Scherer all set up and ready to go with our favorite board. She brought me some freshly baked sourdough bread and her famous, huge chocolate chip cookies as a welcome-back gift.
She went even further, trying to make me feel loved and noting how much she missed me by losing the first game. That was insufficient proof, so she threw the second one as well. Then, citing the fact she had not played for all the weeks I was gone, she asked for a third try and lost it as well!
I was – and still am – overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness. The proof, of course, will be next Wednesday when we play our monthly Scrabble Tournament. If she gives me back the Scrabble crown, then I will know for sure how sincerely happy she is to see me!
If you are traveling soon and wondering what to do with your pets, consider contacting Bonnie Cretzman on Facebook. She came every day to feed Bogie, check my house, and send me photographs. It was wonderful to see pics of my furry guy every single day I was away. I am grateful, From Here.
Friday
Coming up in a little less than a week’s time is a benefit for Vallarta Cares. With a catchy title, ”Raise a Glass, Lift a Cause” the organizer – and my dear friend – Brian Bott, is hoping to pack the Social Club and raise enough money for Vallarta Cares to continue to help those most in need.
What started as a soup kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vallarta Food Bank evolved over the ensuing years to become Vallarta Cares, expanding its reach from feeding people to also providing hurricane relief and firefighting support.
About a year and a half ago, I toured their facility during an Open House and was blown away by the changes. There was a hot shower and new plantings (donated by the Vallarta Garden Club), a doctor and dentist’s office, a washer and dryer, and so many services to help Vallarta’s citizens get back on their feet. It was impressive to say the least.
I haven’t been to the Social Club yet, so I’m excited to scout it for future events! Join me on Thursday, September 04, at Basilio Badillo 447, Zona Romantica, at 8 pm. There will be live entertainment, fabulous cocktails, and valuable raffle prizes. For more information, go to Vallarta Calendar https://vallartacalendar.com/…/raise-a-glass-lift-a-cause/ It’s 500 pesos at the door (cash only, please!). Space is limited, so reserve fast!
While I was away with Patrice, we went and toured Buckingham Palace. It is only open to the public for about eight or ten weeks per year. Photos were not allowed so I kept a relic that sits on my bulletin board by my desk to constantly remind me of where I am not.
Words are insufficient to describe the splendor and um, majesty of this great pile at the end of the Mall (pronounced Mel) in London, England. Backpacks were confiscated during the tours, and chewing gum was strictly prohibited! Can you imagine the King of England reaching out to settle a teacup and discovering some boob from the provinces had stuck gum to one of his gilded tables? Our thanks go to Sharon Gerber Scherer and Alain Perreault for suggesting we not miss this gloriously appointed Royal non-residence. It was a highlight of London.
Not a speck of Princess Diana in the gift shop, or anywhere else in the Palace that I saw, at least. I understand why, on one hand, and was saddened by it on the other. Her footsteps, however, are embedded throughout Hyde Park and on the Mall where she would escape her handlers and seek peace by taking a walk in the park adjacent to the Palace. As I came to the end of yet another grand staircase, I paused on the last step, looking out onto a ballroom crowded with tourists, and felt a sudden cold shiver.
Anyway, if you are in Merry Olde in the summer and have a chance, just looking at the original paintings is worth the admission price, From Here.
