Seattle Sojourn

Last weekend I drove to Seattle ostensibly to attend a wedding of my dear, old friends, Carole and Mari (aka Pat).  It was also an opportunity for me to spend some time with my son's family.  The weather was perfect for the trip and the ferry ride was predictably gorgeous, warm enough to sit outside.  Mt. Baker and the northern Cascades were crystal clear and the springtime growth was lush and beautiful on the drive south.  

My time with the family was very enjoyable.  My grandson, Sam, was home from college for the weekend and his sister, Lily, was around too.  She'll be in college next year as well.  Sam has a life guarding job, Lily has lots of babysitting gigs so, what with work and school and socializing with their friends, they fly in and out.  We did manage to get in some time together despite their busy schedules.  

From a small park a few blocks from my son's house there are great views of Mt Rainier and the bay and city.  

Saturday was Carole and Mari's wedding, a lovely affair in their beautiful, old home with a select group of friends.  They've been together for 41yrs so figured things were working out well enough to get married.  Also, they can now be legally married.  And it's a good excuse for a party.

There was an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum that Sam wanted to see and Sunday being the last day of the show, he and Lily and I went down there.  Interesting show and super crowded.  Mark, an old friend of mine works at the Museum and he whisked us by the long lines and up the service elevator avoiding what probably would have been a two hour wait.  The show was of works by an American artist, Kehinde Wiley: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/wiley  Mark said that it was one of the best attended shows they've had and drew a much more diverse audience than is typical.  My opinion is that the artist's work is more about the statement than the art.  After the show, we took the newly completed leg of the light rail system to Capital Hill to meet my son and his wife.  We all wandered around that neighbourhood, a historically hip, alternative sort of community now in a state of transition as housing prices rise.  Up there is the lovely Volunteer Park with the original art museum and many big, beautiful heritage homes.

Mt Baker from the freeway

 The lightshow while waiting for the ferry at Tsawwassen

 

Wandering around home

The blog continues.  Until now I've only blogged while traveling but I thought that this beautiful place where I live and my shorter jaunts deserve to be featured.  

While waiting to take my friend to have a procedure done at the hospital, I killed the time by exploring a park new to me, Mill Hill Regional Park, just a few minute's drive from VGH.  Mill Hill is home to a small forest of Garry oak trees.  A short hike takes one to the top of Mill Hill from where there are terrific views out over Victoria and region.  

Last week I rode my bike out to Mt Douglas and hiked part way around the little mountain, then up to the top where there are probably the best views of the area.  

Panorama views from Mt Doug - sorry about the unsteady camera work.  These amateur videographers, you know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIM6MfmP1-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgKRyVqgv-0

Mystery vendor explained

In the last post there was a photo and video of a street cart that was selling something unknown to me.  My friend, Diana, solved the mystery. 

"He is selling camote, which is a dish made from calabazas, yams and platanos maduros braised together in syrup.  It is served with cinnamon and condensed milk - very sweet and rich.  The charcoal fire maintains the head of steam for the whistle and keeps the camote warm.  The camote vendor is ubiquitous in Mexico, we have seen them in every part we have travelled to, except Guanajuato.  Too difficult to haul the cart up and down the steep alleys I guess."

CDMX - Slight Return 2

I passed by the Plaza San Domingo many times but never stopped to 
explore it until now. On the west side of the plaza is the Portal de Evangelistas, which is a Tuscan colonnade with round arches.  Scribes with typewriters and antique printing machines work in this Portal.  Scribes offer their services to illiterate clients, often offering services similar to that of lawyers, counselors, and financial consultants.  Also counterfeiters.

 

  

Whenever I'm in the Centro, there's a particular taquería where I like to have tacos al pastor.  (Wikipedia says: Al pastor [from Spanish, lit. In the style of the shepherd], also known as tacos al pastor, is a dish developed in Central Mexico, likely as a result of the adoption of the shawarma spit-grilled meat brought by the Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. Being derived from shawarma, it is also similar to the Turkish doner kebab and the Greek gyros. Although shawarma and döner are usually lamb-based [thus the "shepherd-style" name], gyros and tacos al pastor in Mexico are made from pork.) As with doners, the meat is cooked on a vertical spit that rotates in front of a heat source and the meat shaved off as it cooks.  Bits of pineapple are served in the taco, another distinguishing feature of al pastor, along with the usual lime, salsas, onion and cilantro.  This taqueria has what I think are exceptional salsas, especially the guacamole with habaneros.  Riquísimos!!

Spring is the time for the jacarandas to bloom.

Martial arts class

Tres Galeones is another favourite taco place, specializing in seafood tacos.  A trendy, hipster sort of place a short bike ride from my hotel, they make wonderful baja-style shrimp tacos: big, succulent prawns, battered and deep fried smothered in pico de gallo with lime and salsa to add.  A mouth sensation!  No accounting for what happens after the mouth. 

Cheap too!  25pesos/taco ($1.80)

I'm not sure what this guy was selling.  It's the type of setup that vendors of roasted chestnuts usually use but this wasn't the time of year for chestnuts.  

Knife sharpeners have a similar whistle to announce their presence on the street but they blow their whistles while this guy had a steam whistle.  Check out the video.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOHoxT8lUrU

Bravo Loncheria is another upscale, hipster type restaurant specializing in tortas which are usually considered street food.  (A big bun filled with, well, you name it.) The oxtail/yam torta at Bravo is fantastic.

 

And no stop in CDMX would be complete for me without lunch at Fonda Mi Lupita.  Lupita's mole poblano is the best I've had.  This being my last lunch there before departing, I stock up with a couple of kilos of mole paste and dry form to take home.

 Lupita

And so, dear friends, stomach full, that takes us to the end of Mexico 2016. 

CDMX - slight return 1

The bus from Guanajuato to CDMX was half an hour early getting in, unusual and an auspicious beginning to my last few days in Mexico.  I was happy to be back in the city, looking forward to revisiting my favourite food haunts.  It was good to see Alfonso again and nice to be at Anys with warm weather.  I could leave my fleece and toque packed this time.  Hopped on a bike and headed first to Mercado Medellin for a few groceries after which I stopped at La Burgesa for another totally decadent chicken burger like I'd had there before.  Over the next couple of days I made a few visits to my favourite museums but this turned out to be a bad time of year for museum going, the slump after Semana Santa when things are slow and the timing is good to change exhibits or do renovations.  Tried the Museum of Modern Art but there was only one exhibit open, a not very good one at that.  Tried the Museo Archivo de la Fotografía but it was closed for renovations.  So I had to content myself with just wandering around enjoying the architecture and the street activities and food.  Not onerous tasks.  

 

The view from the rooftop cafe atop a big book store in the centro.  This is a favourite haunt of mine, a place to chill with a coffee or beer and look out over the ancient Aztec ruins and colonial capital buildings and cathedral.  And right across the street are my favourite tacos al pastor.

 A cactus on that roof.

 

Obedience class

A different class

My favourite tlacoyo vendors located outside the Mercado Medellin where I do most of my shopping

 

Guanajuato 10

And so we reach the end of the Guanajuato portion of the saga.  All in all, the last couple of weeks there were not the most enjoyable what with illness and tourist hoards and I was just as glad to be moving on to Mexico City (CDMX).  Here are some photos and videos of random events and sights.

Easter festivities at Templo de la Compañia de Jusús

 

 

 

 Many people were carrying these rolled up pieces of fabric bound by thick ropes.  I never did learn what they were for.  Undoubtedly some sort of Easter significance. 

 

Yes, they're everywhere. 

 A panorama of Guanajuato

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCKODxqbihc

Easter festivities at the San Roque church.  All of the greenery on the floats is chamomile, apparently representing the purity of Mary and the light of Christ.  Most of the people who celebrated the day were carrying bunches of chamomile.  I'd have love to have had the chamomile franchise that day.  
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PU_mlLhljM

Sights and sounds out my window.  The singing is from a group of Estudiantinos.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSHUSTuAx1o

The gas man delivering tanks used for all heating needs:  cooking, hot water, etc  You can hear him calling out to alert residents that he's passing through and has gas available. These are tough guys carrying these big, heavy tanks up the steep alleyways, all wearing a blue denim uniform, crescent wrench in back pocket, towel over the shoulder. Can't imagine how long their knees hold out.  Every delivery person has their own distinct sound.  Water deliverers have theirs (a call, usually the brand of water), the knife sharpener has his (a shrill whistle), the ice cream vendors (a little air horn) likewise.  

Next stop, Ciudad de Mexico aka CDMX

Guanajuato 9

Though I am now physically here at home in Victoria, the account of the Mexico saga is far from over.  The Semana Santa festivities were still in full swing, crowds of Mexican tourists, church festivities, fireworks, floats, scores of new vendors vying for the business of the tourist crowds.  In the little Plaza Baritillo nearby, a group of keyboard students from Acapulco had electronic keyboards set up and were doing a little performance.  They ranged in age from maybe 7 or 8 to mid-teen and, while the music was a bit rough, they were very cute.  I thought it was interesting that they played almost exclusively golden oldies rock.  Beatles, Michael Jackson, etc. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV6XpYp8LaY

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mXe3PXGe64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezyXPPElrJQ

 Rapt audience members