Tag Archives: #PuertoVallarta

Christmas Celebrations – Mexican Style!

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My husband Will and I have developed the habit of spending part of November and/or December in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. During our visits these past four years, we’ve noticed that as soon as the Day of Dead (Nov 1-2) celebrations are over Christmas decorations appear on buildings and streets. We northerners find it a bit jarring to see Santa Clauses in snowsuits and boots, reindeer, and our traditional Christmas trees juxtaposed with palm trees and swimsuits. 

 
No doubt Mexicans display these decorations partly for snowbird tourists, but they seem to enjoy the festivity. Our hotel desk clerk was pleased when I admired the suggestion box she’d creatively decorated. I wonder if part of the appeal is that red, green, and white Christmas colours happen to be the colours of the Mexican flag. 

Most Christmas decorations we saw for sale were similar to ones available at Canada Walmart, although occasional stores sold Mexican piñatas. Unfortunately, they were too bulky and fragile for us to bring home in our suitcases to add a Mexican flair to our own Christmas decor.      

Mexico is a predominately Roman Catholic country and Christmas is ultimately a religious celebration. From December 1-12 some 400 processions wind through the streets of Puerto Vallarta and culminate at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. These parades commemorate the appearance of the Virgin Mary to the peasant Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. Our hotel organized a procession for staff members and invited hotel guests to attend. They asked to wear white although the dancers appeared in colourful costumes.

The candlelight processions include both Aztec and Christian costumes and motifs, mariachi bands, and singing by all participants (the organizers gave us song sheets). Food stalls filled the park in front of the destination, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.   

We found it a beautiful way to welcome the Christmas season. With luck we’ll continue our Mexico habit next year. 


Happy Holidays to you!

Romantic Subplots are Fun

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I don’t write romance novels, but most of my mystery and suspense books have romantic subplots. This shouldn’t be surprising since I love Jane Austen’s novels, which always centre on romance. A few years ago, while visiting my friend Barb in the UK, we went to Jane Austen’s home in Chawton and dressed in costumes of the times. 

Jane Austen had the romance formula down pat – keep the lovers in conflict and separated through the story until the end, when they realize they are right for each other. Their conflict and separation can be caused by external problems (family objections, war, geography) and/or internal flaws.  


In my first novel, A Deadly Fall, my heroine/sleuth Paula struggles with both types of problems. She falls for a man who is a suspect and she’s committed to a boyfriend (two external impediments). Internally, she’s burned from her recent divorce. As the story progresses, Paula learns she must take risks to find love again. 


In book # 4 of the series, Paula and her current boyfriend are stranded on different continents due to the COVID-19 world shutdown. Their separation challenges their relationship. But the novel’s greater romantic subplot belongs to Detective Mike Vincelli, a secondary narrator. Mike is attracted to a coworker, but his fear of failure and reluctance to shake up his comfortable life conflict with his desire to make their involvement personal.


Typically the romantic subplot reflects the protagonist’s personal journey in stories that are primarily about other things–finding the treasure, defeating an enemy army, solving a murder. While navigating romantic entanglements, heroes and heroines learn the lessons they need to resolve their problems.

    
My current mystery-novel-in-progress, A Killer Whisky, has two romantic subplots. The main one features my two story narrators, Katharine, who witnesses a suspicious death, and Bertram, the detective investigating the case. The story is set in 1918, during the last days of WWI.

Katharine’s loyalty to her husband fighting in France clashes with her attraction to the attentive detective. Bertram’s obstacles are largely internal–he can’t move past the deaths of his wife and son. Through the story events, Katharine and Bertram must discover what they want in life after the war is over.

  
A Killer Whisky’s second romantic subplot involves two suspects, who are non-viewpoint narrators. Their romance fuels the murder investigation plotline. I find their relationship fun and am curious to see how it works out.


Or doesn’t work out.

 
When romance is merely a subplot, it doesn’t have to follow the romance novel tradition of bringing the lovers together in the end. Actually, my impression is that romance novels today don’t require this either. I can’t think of book example but a successful romantic comedy movie springs to mind ** spoiler alert ** My Best Friend’s Wedding.


Whatever your current romantic journey — Happy Valentine’s Day!

         Me in Puerto Vallarta with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Their grand romance had numerous ups and downs that captured the world’s imagination.  

Mexican Celebrations

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The Day of the Dead displays were still on the Malecon when my husband Will and I arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on November 15th. Plaster and papier mâché skulls, altars, and Catrinas lined the ocean boardwalk, remnants of Nov 2nd’s Dia de los Muertos – the day many Mexicans honour their deceased relatives and friends with celebrations, parades, and visits to gravesites. The Malecon’s most impressive display was the elegantly dressed skeleton lady standing 74 feet 4.9 inches tall. Last year the Guiness Book of Records declared her the tallest Catrina in the World. In 2023 she returned in a new outfit that shimmered in the breezes. At night a loudspeaker piped her voice to the Malecon crowd, “I am the most beautiful woman in Puerto Vallarta.”

Monday November 20th was Revolution Day, a national holiday in Mexico. Will and I got curbside seats for the parade, which features school groups dressed in traditional costumes, often in the colours of the Mexican flag – green, white, and red. The parade moves in a stop and start style as the groups stop to perform dances and acrobatics for the crowd. We really enjoyed the first few acts, but then ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed. The children gathered in shady spots to wait. By then we were getting hot and retreated to our hotel pool.

Mexico doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but restaurants offer US Thanksgiving dinners for tourists. Will and I treated ourselves to a buffet Thanksgiving meal at a beachfront hotel.

Before dinner, we worked up an appetite with a Malecon walk and discovered that our Giant Lady had been dismantled. Her head and bones awaited pickup the following day.

Before we left downtown Puerto Vallarta for our relaxing beach week, stores and hotels were setting up displays for Christmas, another festive time of year in Mexico. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano!

A Romantic Birthday

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Since I’d be in Mexico for my 70th birthday, my kids offered to treat me to the ‘experience’ gift of my choice. I said I’d check out options when I got there in December and thought the ideal present should be something I’d enjoy, but wouldn’t splurge on myself. In Puerto Vallarta, I scanned the English language newspaper and spotted an ad for The Iguana Restaurant in the Casa Kimberly Boutique Hotel, the former home of actress Elizabeth Taylor. I decided, this is it! My husband Will and I made a reservation for December 13th, at 6:00 p.m. to catch the sunset. 


In 1964 Elizabeth Taylor and actor Richard Burton had a torrid affair in Puerto Vallarta, during the filming of his movie, The Night of the Iguana. Their romance thrilled and shocked the world and is credited with turning the off-the-beaten-path fishing village into a booming tourist destination. On our four previous holidays in Puerto Vallarta, Will and I had walked by the Taylor and Burton homes up the hill from downtown. A bridge connects their two residences and you can peek at the statue of the lovers in the hotel entrance, but can’t see more than that without staying or eating at the Casa Kimberly. 

Armed with our reservation, this time we made it inside.  

   On our walk up the staircase to the restaurant, we were greeted by Liz herself. 

Our courteous server showed us to our table, which had a fabulous view from the open-air window. 

We had a view of the ocean, although this picture below washes the ocean out and the condominium in the distance blocked our view of the sun sinking into the bay. The cupola stands atop Burton’s former home, now part of the Casa Kimberly Hotel. During dinner, Will noticed people on the bridge and wondered if they’d climbed up from the street for a moment of romance. We found out later this wasn’t the case.    

We started our meal with cocktails and appetizers. I ordered The Iguana Salad and Will chose the bean and poblano soup, which arrived in an interesting two-colour presentation. 

I loved my salad and had a spoonful of Will’s soup, which tasted amazing. Will agreed. For our main courses, he had Cornish hen and I had Diablo Shrimp, which was delicious. I feel like a restaurant critic when I say the subtle flavours blended into a complete dish that tasted Mexican, yet different. 

Of course, I had to check out the restrooms. They turned out to be ordinary, but the walk there passed through the spacious atrium and a Taylor/Burton photo and movie poster display. 

It’s strange how the ghostly presence of these movie stars enhanced the restaurant’s atmosphere, but it did for me even though Elizabeth Taylor was a little before my time. Richard Burton’s career peaked later in his life and I’m more familiar with him as an actor and personality. Incidentally, he was my introduction to the concept of imposter syndrome. In a television interview, he confided his fear that people would discover his acting was no more than what everyone did in their living rooms. Some called him the greatest actor of his day, and I was impressed with his vulnerability.


While I was away from the table, Will asked for the dessert menu. The server wouldn’t give it to him until I returned, because it was my birthday. I chose a chocolate cake for Will and me to share. It arrived with decorations.  

As I took my first bite of cake, fireworks exploded behind the high rise building on the bay. This wasn’t as as special as you might think, since they set off fireworks in Puerto Vallarta every night.  


We left the restaurant feeling our dinner was worth very peso. On our way out, we solved the mystery of the people on the lovers’ bridge. The Casa Kimberly had opened the bridge part way so restaurant patrons could get a glimpse into Burton’s former residence, enjoy a photo opportunity, and end the evening with a touch of magic.  

Happy New Year!

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I hope you’ve had a happy and healthy holiday season. Mine was quiet this year. For the first time ever, Will and I were on our own. We still went through our usual rituals — decorating the house, baking gingerbread cookies, buying presents, filling stockings. We also did lots of Skyping and Zooming with family and friends, which almost felt like the real thing.

Knowing this quiet period lay ahead, we got in some excitement before Christmas, with an almost four week holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Highlights were beaches, pools, daily sunshine and highs of 30 degrees Celsius, numerous walks, delicious fresh fruits, restaurant meals with great food and ocean views, and visits with a friend who lives there year-round and Will’s sister, who joined us for one of the weeks. Mexico’s relatively low number of COVID-19 cases, strict protocols, and outdoor lifestyle made us feel comfortable there.

We returned to Calgary on December 16th, in the midst of a snowstorm and plunging temperatures. At the airport, I was randomly selected for my second PCR test in three days. The tests were set up by the airport exit. The administrators all wore parkas because the outside doors constantly opened, letting in freezing air. At home, I had to isolate for a couple of days while waiting for the test result (negative). This wasn’t a hardship when there was unpacking and laundry to do, it was cold outside, and I now had an excuse to send Will on all our errands.

The cold temperatures persisted through much of the holidays and show no sign of letting up. Will and I had talked of rejoining our fitness centre after the holidays, but Omicron is now making this unwise. This prompted me to finally look up Zumba classes on Youtube. I found a Christmas-themed one I like. This week, I’ve tried to get the 30 minute workout in most days, and sometimes twice. I plan to look up a new program each week. Continuing with online Zumba is my New Year’s Resolution.

Best wishes to you for a happy and healthy 2022.