Art -- Music -- Food

Today was a "me" day starting with taking a streetcar to the Portland Art Museum to meet my classmates from our art history class.  The museum is featuring "Venice - The Golden Age of Art and Music".  The exhibition melds perfectly with our classroom training so it was exciting to see the "real thing" instead of a photo on a screen.  One of my favorite is by Canaletto, titled "Wedding of the Sea" painted in about 1730.  When I viewed this painting, I was amazed at the tiny brush strokes and precise details.  It was exciting to see it and the many other fascinating paintings and musical instruments from that period.

www.portlandartmuseum.org/special/venice/home

After spending two hours at the museum, it was time for lunch so I walked over to Southpark for some fish stew.

The movie "Monuments Men" is showing at the Regal Theater, one block from the restaurant so that was my next stop.  It's the true story of men who were assigned to try to regain historical paintings and sculptures that were confiscated by Hitler's regime and hidden away.  The plan was that Hitler would open a huge museum with all his "spoils" of the war.  When the Nazis realized that they were losing the war, they started to burn and destroy this valuable art.  Most was recovered due to the Monuments Men's efforts.  A great movie and one that I highly recommend.

A View of Ensenada...............

Ensenada was the last port on the Mexican cruise.  It was my first time there so I took a tour of the city.  Shown first is the Cultural Center that was built in the 1920s.  The wood working inside is beautiful and the building is huge.  Formerly a casino, I felt like I could hear the laughter of the ghosts that once enjoyed this beautiful place.  Huge chandeliers hang from the ceilings and the floors are paved with hand made Mexican tiles.

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The next stop was in the center of town where there are many shops and cafes.  After buying some leather items, I enjoyed a Margarita at the "Papas Beer", a huge restaurant that features Disco music (I guess that's still a big thing there).  They have outdoor seating and the temperature was 76 degrees so it was a nice way to people watch and enjoy a cool drink.

 

 

The final stop was a local winery.  The Santos Winery not only has wine, but they press their own olive oil and they make chocolate candy that complements each varietal of wine that they sell.

 

 

Farewell to Mexico - until next time

 

 

 

 

Allison's FIRST Cruise and FIRST night...........

Firsts are always special so Allison enjoyed every "first" experience on our one week cruise to Mexico.  After entering the ship we made our dinner reservations and then headed up to the top of the ship to enjoy watching it leave the harbor.

After sailing we went to a lounge on the Promenade Deck where I took the following photos.  The sunset set the scene for a tropical week at sea.  (These photos were taken from the inside of the ship while I was enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail).  One of the people outside had put their drink on a ledge on the deck and I loved the composition.

We didn't have much to eat while traveling so we made early reservations for the Steak House.  Even though I've cruised often, I have never eaten a Porterhouse Steak so this was a first for me.  Allison opted for the 8 ounce filet.  Of course, we both said that we couldn't eat it all - but.................  Needless to say - we both had a delicious meal.

 
 
 





 





Glimpses Of A Cruise To Mexico................

This cruise was my 15th on the Princess cruise line and each one gets better and better.

 



 

Every night we saw a different version of a sunset.  They all contained the same colors but the cloud formations made each one special.  We made a point to be on the outside deck at 6:15 p.m. each evening to watch the beautiful end of a beautiful day.

 

 

When we docked at Cabo San Lucas, we took a tour to a small village Todos Santos where we enjoyed a walking tour of artist's galleries and lunch at the "Hotel California".  It's a beautiful village where many Americans have made it home.

 



 

 

 

Cabo San Lucas is on the tip of Baja California.  A beautiful and fascinating place to visit.

 

 

Back to Reality............

Allison and I are home from our trip to Mexico and now it's time to go back to a normal routine.  We landed in Portland yesterday at 5:00 p.m. so today will be busy unpacking, buying fresh produce and groceries and catching up with laundry. 

The trip went smoothly, everything on schedule with no stress so it was a week of decadence and laziness.  I spent quite a bit of time learning to use my new digital SLR so I'll post some photos when I have time.  We enjoyed beautiful sunsets almost every night.  Temperatures were mild and sunny so I'm thinking that February is a perfect time for travel south of the border.

Allison and I both enjoyed the classes offered on the ship so there was always something to do (or not...............).

Enough for now.  Time to get some catch-up work done.......................................

First Day of Cruising.............

Allison and I are presently on the Sapphire Princess in Mexican waters.  I signed up with Verizon to have access to the International communication towers but so far, I'm not able to get it to work so instead of communicating by texting messages, I'll have to settle with e-mail for now.

My email is: goldturtle@comcast.net if any of you want to stay in touch.

Allison and I started out our first night with a steak dinner at the Steakhouse.  I had a Porterhouse and Allison ordered a Filet Mignon so we really enjoyed our special dinner.

Today and tomorrow we're at sea so we're going to classes and activities and just finally starting to relax.  This is Allison's first cruise and she's like a kid in a candy shop so it's fun to experience the cruise through her eyes.................

Valentines and Other Stuff.............

We just returned from a   l o n g   lunch at Le Bouchon.  Right now, I feel as though I'll never eat again - but........... we all know better.  Le Bouchon was the restaurant that we had lunch on our very first date, five years from this coming April so it's always going to be a special place with fond memories.

The suitcase is packed (and over stuffed), food is in the freezer to help Roger with his meals, laundry is caught up so now............. it's time to think about salsa and Margaritas.  Allison and I will leave at 6:30 a.m. for the airport and then it's time to enjoy a week of pampering and laziness.  .

Free Again........... !!

What a relief to see the snow melt.  Today was the first day that we felt safe driving and walking after the snow and ice for the past five days.  Now, we're actually happy to see it rain - and rain - and rain............

While Allison and I are enjoying Mexico next week (85 degrees of sunshine), it will continue to rain here in Portland so we chose great dates for our get-a-way.

Today Bella went to the beauty parlor so, of course, I was forced to have lunch at Mucca and then go to Macys to check out their latest sale.  I get all wiggley when I see a sign for 65% off plus 20% and then I use my coupon for $20 off a $50 purchase.  Today I got two pair of sandals for the cruise that started out for $160 and I paid $41.  LOVE it !!

I'm a Virgo so tomorrow I'll start to pack (sorry, I can't help it...........)

I'm sure that everyone has had an experience that ended with us saying "Well, I guess it wasn't my time to go" and tonight we had ours.  Starting to go through an intersection with a green light, Roger saw, in time, that a vehicle coming from the opposite direction was going fast and coming right through a red light.  He stopped in time but the car next to us got slammed.  The speeder ended up jumping the center island where the streetcar stops, drove into the opposite lanes and kept going.  We just got a call from the police to get our witness report.  So.......... the good news is that we still have some left............

Bogle Essential Red..............

Give this a try.  I think that it's fabulous for the price...............

OK - We've Had ENOUGH Snow.............

Sorry - no more snow photos because today it was too dangerous to walk outside.  Last night we had freezing rain on top of about 6 inches of snow so this morning it was impossible to walk or drive in the snow.  By this afternoon, the temps inched up from freezing so there was a slight melt but now we're back to freezing temps with a forecast of freezing rain early tomorrow morning.  Then we're told that it will rain the rest of the week and also warm up a bit so now we're ready to see the snow go! 

Poor Roger had to make do with hot dogs and chili for dinner because the freezer and refrigerator are both starting to empty. 

The good news is that we're getting much needed rain and the mountains are covered with deep snow - definitely a reason to celebrate!

DO NOT CALL For Your Cell Phone

My sister-in-law, Sheila, just sent some very helpful information that I'm passing on to all of you.  Cell phone numbers go public this month.  To put your phone on a "no call" list, use your cell phone to dial:

1-888-382-1222

Just follow the instructions and your number will be blocked for five years.  If you get any telemarketing calls after 31 days you can report them to this same number.

More SNOW ..........

This photo was taken at 3 p.m. and it has been snowing ever since.  The forecast is for snow until late tonight so they're talking about another 4 to 6 inches. 

For a California girl this is a lot of fun (as long as I'm inside a warm condo) so it's truly a winter wonderland in Portland. 

A Picture - Worth a Thousand Words.....................

 

 
 

It's presently 20 degrees and it has been snowing for about three hours.  The forecast is snow until about 8 p.m. so there should be a good white blanket by tonight.  It's windy so both balconies are already covered with snow.

Little Bella was looking uncomfortable so I got out her winter sweater and put her on a blanket and pillow so she's been huddled there all morning.

Fortunately, my inward "Virgo Angel" suggested that I get up early and buy groceries before the snow started so the refrigerator is stocked, fireplace is on and vegetable bean soup is cooking on the stove.

The freeways are at a standstill and there have been numerous accidents so, as usual, we Portlanders don't know how to live with snow.....

Aaron Hatefi Art

There is more than one artist in the Hatefi family and today I want to introduce you to Aaron who is Roger's grandson.  Yesterday, Aaron surprised his grandfather with a portrait that we're very proud to own.

 

 

Aaron lives near the coast of Oregon and his goal is to become a professional artist.  His media is oil and you can see some his paintings on Facebook under the name "Aaron Hatefi Art".

Aaron is a master at shading and texture and his paintings are original and unique in style.

Happy Birthday, Brian !

Happy Birthday, Brian.............

We hope that your day is special and filled with wonderful surprises !

Using an I Phone in Another Country

When Allison and I go on a cruise to Mexico in two weeks we both would like to use our phones but we didn't know if it would be possible or affordable.  Today I spent some time with Verizon (my wireless carrier) and I learned how easy it is to gain access to International communication towers.

We both have Apple 4S so we used the web site:
verizonwireless@email.vzwshop.com

It provides some choices - depending on which country you'll be visiting.  Mexico is easy and being on a cruise ship is even easier so I learned that if I want a "Data Package" for $25, I can access the Internet, including Facebook, Blogger, Google and all the rest.  Voice calls are expensive but texts are only 50 cents to send and 25 cents to receive and that includes photos.  I'm hoping that I can still add things to my blog and emails may be available in the ship's computer center.  So.......... I'm like a teenager - eager to stay in touch with friends and family and sharing new experiences.

Now my phone's sim card has an International option available so............ maybe it's time to travel somewhere else................

This and That...............

It has been a good week with a celebration of Ann's birthday and an appointment with my hairdresser who works in a mobile cart on the edge of a food court.  It's always an interesting experience visiting Jen and this month I asked for a VERY short cut (ready for a week in Mexico).  One of Krueger's outdoor markets is in the food court so I picked up a big bag of farm produce before heading out to do some errands and treating myself to my favorite burger at Serrato for lunch.

This weekend is time for Roger to study for a test next week and for me to study for my next class (Sixteenth Century Venice).

My only regret is that I can't talk any of my girl friends or Roger to sit with me tomorrow to watch Super Bowl so I've decided not to let that be a problem.  The plan is to fix an amazing huge plate of nachos with a (or more) glass of red wine and Bella on my lap.  GO, Seattle !

___________________________________________________________________________  I'm writing this Sunday night after the game.  Seattle can be proud for an unbelievable game and win !