Recap: Good Morning, From Here, June 28 – July 04
Monday
I love my friends in Vallarta. They are many and varied, and if I poke hard enough, I will find a connection with someone I have just met to a mutual friend or acquaintance way down a back road somewhere.
It seems there are newbies – to me – everywhere. I love their fresh and new energy. It occurs in five-year cycles, coinciding with a major reset in the city.
Their stories are so wonderful, as are their ideas for businesses —whether brand new or ways to revamp existing ones. One common thread with all the newbies is their love for Vallarta. It can be named with one word: fierce.
I am having lunch with one of them today. Come on back tomorrow and learn all about her!
Another new friend, Edward Potocek, introduced himself to me at The Tryst Hotel during the Gay Mixer by Out and About Puerto Vallarta Magazine.
We had no time to chat then, but we got together last Friday over mango smoothies. Edward is a writer (Vallarta Calendar and O&A Puerto Vallarta) and will be submitting articles to Vallarta Mirror in the future. Edward has been working with local (born in Mascota) chef Román Ventura for the last couple of years, building his business model and creating some fine dinner parties in town. So, look for some interesting tidbits coming up over the next little while.
One of Vallarta Mirror’s most popular contributors, Sandra Bradley, crossed the Rio Cuale from her house on Sunday and joined me at Awaysis Rio Bar for a mini-concert starring Eva Jimenez and Ale Matus. This tiny outpost of sister bar Awaysis, located on Aquiles Serdan Street, offers the same service and menu and adds air conditioning all summer long.
Eva played guitar for the two of them and us, of course. Eva’s brother Mau, was in the audience. Those two will have a concert together for the first time in years at Casa Karma on July 08 at 7 pm.
Remember them from Incanto? Their older brother, Alejandro, performed the fabulous “Art Convention” in the Theater, and their mom often performed with and without her kids at Incanto’s Piano Bar. The family is bursting with talent – Eva just completed her first season at Coco Cabaret with her amazing tribute to Pink, including heartstopping aerials.
Alejandra’s other half, Dabit Azofeifa, was in the audience. You will recall their tremendous production, Circoncierto, where they are clowns and magicians of Cirque du Soleil caliber!
They both recently cut off their long tresses; clearly, it was time for a significant change in their lives.
Sandra and I nibbled on vegetarian fare while we listened to Eva and Ale’s first set in what is a popular and comfortable neighborhood bar where everyone knows everyone.
July 1 is tomorrow. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canucks. Tomorrow is also the start of the Summer Series of Live Music at Casa Karma, starring Patriz Fomitchev, speaking of Canadians, From Here.
Tuesday
Today, Canada gets 158 virtual hugs from me – Happy Birthday. I will be back in my native land later this month (27 more sleeps) as Patrice and I get ready to fly to Europe for a reunion with our brother Mark and his family in Sweden.
Last week, I received the most intriguing invitation from Richard Di Via, the Curator of Arte Vallarta Museo and a dear and lovely friend. We were to start at his fabulous house perched halfway up one of Vallarta’s infamous goat paths in Centro for cocktails and freshly baked bruschetta. (Richard is a master bread maker, just btw.) Guests included Carolina, Richard’s landlady from Mexico City; Sydney Clark, a board member of the Museo; David Jones, an amazing artist whose work is currently on display at the Museo; me; Richard; and his ginger kitty, Paloma. Richard created some Pimm’s cocktails – refreshing and deliciously different – and they paired well with the bruschetta. We chatted for an hour, then climbed straight up to Miramar, hung a right, and walked down to Hacienda:hda Art Gallery for dinner.
Yep, a pop-up, not sit-down, presented by newcomer Meena Rosa, who currently lives and works out of Bucerias. Meena and her 11-year-old daughter hope to move to Vallarta soon, to be closer to the action.
Meena’s company, Planet Haldi Supper Club, creates food fusing her own background – her mother is Pakistani – and her newly adopted country, Mexico. “Haldi” is the Hindu word for turmeric, that wonder-herb of the Indian subcontinent and Mexico, which features often in Meena’s concoctions.
While she is a vegetarian, her menus reflect her clients’ wishes, of course. Meena’s wait staff explained each course (we enjoyed eight) meticulously in two languages, and the rain held off, so we spent the entire time in the courtyard garden of this gorgeous old adobe house, now transformed into an art gallery, high above the city.
Painter and ardent supporter of the arts, Kimberley Bennett shared a table with Joaquin Bolivar Thomas, a printmaker from Cuba, whom she facilitated bringing to Mexico.
He had an outstanding three months in Vallarta and accomplished many things he had been unable to do in his own country, such as driving a car. Kimberly taught him in the outdoor Liverpool parking lot! She also noticed he was squinting when using his phone, so a trip to a Dollar Store to buy readers opened his eyes literally—another thing he can’t buy in Cuba. Joaquin returns to his country this week; he has made a significant impression on many local artists with his workshops at Arte Vallarta.
Back to Planet Haldi. Meena and I had lunch at Tacos Now yesterday. It was a quick visit until the Fall – our schedules are not in alignment at all until September! In the meantime, if you’re starting to plan your Return to Vallarta cocktail/dinner party, send her a message. This dynamic, gorgeous woman, with a million overflowing great, innovative ideas, is going to be extremely busy From Here.
Wednesday
Scrabble Tournament time today. Sharon and I are the only participants, so we are playing at her place over lunch. Regular play will resume next Wednesday at Qulture at 12:30 – tune in tomorrow morning to find out who is wearing the Scrabble crown.
Have you heard about the Holistic Health and Wellness Fair taking place this coming Saturday at Casa Karma? From 10 am to 4 pm, you can immerse yourself in various modalities that will help you live a better life. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions, see demonstrations, and get answers from the experts in their fields.
My herbalist and dear friend, Ricardo Mazcal, will be participating. His involvement with alternative medicine has been a lifelong devotion, and I cannot sing his praises highly enough. His MazMix Digestive formula has been part of my daily routine for over a decade, along with a couple of other products, has kept me alive and thriving.
Ricardo’s Weekend Market on the Isla Cuale will be open from 10 to 2 as usual, but Ricardo will be at Casa Karma. If you need to speak with him, you know where to find him this Saturday. There is no parking available, and bring cash for purchases. See you there!
Last night kicked off the Second Annual Summer Series at Casa Karma and starred singer Patriz Fomatchev in concert. The 25 or so guests received a welcome gift bag at the door containing popcorn and a pastry made by Patriz.
We gathered at the bar for drinks and hors d’oeuvres that were as delicious as they looked. The sky and the sea were the same shade of gray due to Hurricane Flossy passing by far offshore. The rain came later.
Selena Luna and her team produced the show, and she proudly introduced her daughter, who has come a long, long way from her beginnings at Open Mic at Incanto.
Patriz looked beautiful in a Mexican-red chiffon gown. Her song choices covered a swath of genres; she is still searching for that sweet spot that will let her shine with every song.
She is taking her time, and wisely so; at 19, she can afford to. But she is emerging, trying new approaches to familiar songs, cautiously adding a little change here and there to inject just a touch of her personality and growing confidence. She is a million miles away from the shy little girl I met three years ago and is, as Angela Curry said in the car last night, driving me home, ¨Patriz is growing up in front of our eyes.”
The live music summer series continues next Tuesday with Eva and Mau, the brother-sister team that will be fabulous given the triumphant successes of their respective tribute shows to Pink at Coco Cabaret and Bruce Springsteen at the Palm. Doors open at Casa Karma at 6, with the show starting at 7 pm.
Do you love classical music? Be at the Living Room Bookstore at the Marina tomorrow at 6 pm for Bach and um, Metallica From Here.
Thursday
A gorgeous sunny morning here in beautiful downtown Puerto Vallarta. The air is dry, and it’s practically sweater weather at just 26 degrees! And today, Sharon Gerber Scherer has to change hats and wear the Scrabble Crown rather than an air fryer on top of her curly-haired head, at least for the next 30 days. Then she will have to fight off all remaining Scrabble players, as I will be in London during the next tournament occurrence.
After a fabulous lunch that she made us, wth an even better dessert, Sharon won Game One, I won Game Two, and Sharon won Game Three by 10 points. So brava, chica, well-played.
I must admit I didn’t mind losing the crown – it gets heavy after a while, and Scrabble has been added to my growing list of things I won’t have to do for a month. Of course, I will be playing at Qulture for the next three weeks, but tournaments are on hold until September. Sharon and I fully expect Angela Curley on Wednesday, July 9th, to come out and play with us.
And work. At the top of my list: I won’t have to work for a month. In the year and a half since the Vallarta Mirror came into my life, I have not had a day off from it. That’s not a complaint at all; it’s just a fact of my life. The Mirror is so much of my life that I can’t remember what else I could or would be doing if I weren’t at my computer.
And this column is the most significant part of my day. It’s pretty easy if I am writing about two or three events that occurred yesterday or over a weekend but during the summer, the pickin’s are slim compared to January, say, when Vallarta’s award-winning venues are pumping out four shows a day. I can happily pick and choose who I will see. When entertainment isn’t at the center of things, what is there to talk about?
I feel sometimes like those truly pathetic people on social media who record everything online that happens in their daily lives, excluding their bowel movements, and there’s probably an App for that.
I write for the people who can’t be here in Vallarta, for whatever reason. A few have written to say they read my words and feel like they are here with me. That’s what consumes my mornings, Monday to Friday, letting people know what’s going on From Here. From my heart to yours.
I will take this nearly 30-day break and wake up every morning in a strange bed with coffee and no computer. No darling Bogie kitty to pick up with both hands and kiss, no 500-word minimum to please Google Analytics, nor First Saturday at the Museo, nor Scrabble Tourney. No hurricane-induced tropical monsoon rains followed by picture-perfect cloudless mornings like this one.
I am going to miss saying Good Morning, From Here.
Friday
Happy 4th of July to my American friends who celebrate. There are numerous bars and restaurants hosting special events to mark the day – enjoy!
I had two unexpected pleasures yesterday! The first started with Jerry Jones, owner and editor/publisher of Out & About Puerto Vallarta magazine. He invited me to Trovasi for breakfast.
This lovely and fancy European-style cafe anchors one corner of Los Mercados, a small ‘mall’ on Aquiles Serdan that is undergoing a renaissance of sorts. The last time I was there was for the gorgeous Grand Opening of Usawa by Tash. She wasn’t in her store so I couldn’t say hi.
Trovasi has an extensive menu that includes caviar! Except for that, the prices are relatively inexpensive, and the food, presentation, and service are impeccable. Coffee was served with a tiny taste of homemade biscotti that was soft and delightful.
Jerry enjoyed Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. I opted for fresh figs on whipped cream-slathered, toasted sourdough bread, drizzled with a honey-mustard glaze that was sweet and tangy – delicious.
You can eat in the courtyard or the freezing-cold restaurant itself. I loved the crisp, white linens, and the whole vibe was inviting and unrushed. And the best thing? Having Jerry Jones all to myself for conversation and a little chisme!
The heavy afternoon rainstorm moved on during my nap, and it was dry when I left my house for the Living Room Bookstore and Cafe in the Marina. This charming space is owned and operated by my old Vallarta Tribune Editor and dear friend, Madeline Milne.
The stage was set with candles, space for a cello, violin, and one of only 19 harpsichords in all of Mexico! I was enchanted by listening to this piano predecessor, which is musically closer to a guitar and gentler on the ears and eyes than a piano.
The setting was lovely, the music chosen was diverse – Bach to ¨Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica. The latter, performed with harpsichord and cello, was profoundly moving. Italian composer and violinist Francesco Geminiani, a prominent figure in Europe in the 18th century, was featured equally alongside Bach.
These mini-concerts will be performed monthly at the Living Room Bookstore. Check their Facebook page and VallartaCalendar.com for dates and information on the programs. Many thanks to cellist Sergio Adrian Fuentes Alejo, Ruben Real, harpsichordist, and Carolina Velazquez, violinist. Three incomparable musicians, one memorable night. Thanks to all who attended and supported rarely heard classical music in Vallarta. It was delightfully different, and I look forward to more of the same.
I am going this morning to the Open House at Pacific Home, a new assisted living facility close to Costco. I will have a full report Monday morning.
Don’t forget the Wellness Fair tomorrow at Casa Karma from 10 am to 4 pm. Ricardo Mazcal will be there with all this wisdom, joining a couple of dozen other masters in their respective fields. I will see you there From Here.
