Greetings from Puerto Vallarta

View from the condo

We are off on a spur of the moment week's vacation in Puerto Vallarta.  Friends were staying in a condo with a spare bedroom and invited us to come along.

We drove up to Prince George the night before then got up at 4 am for our 6 am flight.  The airline suggested arriving 2-1/2 hours ahead but we figured an hour was plenty for a regional airport. We got there just in time.  One of the xray machines was down and soon after we arrived the lineup snaked down the terminal.  In the end we were delayed by 1/2 an hour to let the last passengers get through security.

Our friends Lorraine and Rob arrived in Puerto Vallarta from Winnipeg an hour ahead of us and were waiting with Mark, one half of the couple who'd rented the condo for a month.

We caught a taxi back to the Grand Venetian Condominiums where we were staying on the 16th floor of one of 3 highrises.

Our room on the 16th floor.

We went for dinner in the resort restaurant.

Leo, Rob, Lorraine, Mark and Gina

I had shrimp tacos

Shrimp Tacos and empanadas in the back

And Leo had tortilla soup and shrimp empanadas.

 

Kitchen Reno

 

Before

It's been 30 years since we last renovated our kitchen.  We put a dishwasher in, replaced the counters, removed the wallpaper and replaced the linoleum.  We painted the 70's dark brown particle board cabinets terracotta with white doors and the walls a bright sunflower yellow (very popular in 1995!).

In recent years our sink started leaking so we replaced it last year.  When we removed the old sink the countertop was damaged so that needed replacing.  Meanwhile the vinyl flooring became unglued either because of the leaking sink (I think) or because of the heat dome (Leo thinks) and buckled near the sink.  So that also needs replacing.

Since we weren't planning any winter travel this year we decided to tackle the kitchen.  We've painted the cabinets and the walls.  It's a lengthy process as we had to remove the cabinet doors, wash and sand them, then prime one side, turn over and prime the other side, lightly sand again, paint one side, let dry, turn over and paint the other side then do the same for the second coat.  Also, I spray painted the antique bronze cabinet hinges (made even more antique looking by 30+ years of kitchen grease and grime) a brushed nickel. I was a bit trepidacious about this but they turned out nicely and the paint is not chipping.

Kitchen in an uproar!

The kitchen was in an uproar for about a week but now it's back together again. We got a quote for a new countertop but they are so busy we don't know when it will be installed.  We are going with an arborite top again to stay true to our kitchen's 70ish charm.  

We will probably put in vinyl plank flooring (despite it not being in keeping with the 70s charm).  I plan to paint the kitchen door a darker green this summer.  We're keeping  our funky resin-coated kitchen table.  I'll replace the curtains when I find some fabric I like.

By the way, we still have the stove and fridge we purchased when we moved in in 1990.  And the globe lights date back to 1977 when the house was built (we replaced one of the globes when the original shattered.

It's hard to tell in the photo but the cabinets are all the same colour and the walls are a lighter green.  It was supposed to be sage green but maybe it's more of a celadon.  For the record, the colours are Sico (Rona) Pine Scent (walls) and Green Resin (cabinets).  I considered replacing the doorknobs with nickel but I couldn't bear to throw out the perfectly good white porcelain knobs.  

More 70s charm in the living room!  I love the rough hewn plank wall enhanced with a light char from a blowtorch.  I won't be bringing back the orange and avocado shag rug any time soon though.

Oh and we are keeping our harvest gold telephone even though it doesn't really match anymore.  Also we still have to reinstall the chair rails.

Can you tell I'm really into this renovating? If I wasn't so lazy I'd do the master bedroom next.  Actually, the next project is to paint the exterior of the house.

Escape to Vancouver Island

 

My sister Sybille was invited to a book club getaway in Victoria in January. She planned to spend the rest of the week visiting my other sister Dorothea so she suggested I come down and make it a sisters' reunion.

We don't often all get together so I checked out the price of a flight to Victoria.  $600 with a 10% discount! It only cost $700 to fly to Chile.  But Leo convinced me I should go so I did.

We drove up to the Victoria Observatory on our way back from the airport.

One day Dorothea and I drove up to Nanaimo to look after her grandson while his mom had a break.  No pictures because I couldn't find my camera before I left home.  All these pictures were provided by Sybille.

As you can see the weather was pretty fabulous the whole week.

Yellowpoint Lodge through the trees

Dorothea also made a reservation for 1 night at Yellow Point Lodge near Nanaimo.  They have a loyal clientele who reserve the same cabin every year.  Dorothea has been coming for a week in October for 8 years and now she too has a standing reservation for her own cabin for that week.

She reserved Sybille and I on the White Beach (see below) and she stayed in the Lodge.

We saw a seal swim by our window and watched a kingfisher dive for fish.  Immediately when it dove a group of mergansers would hightail it over to find some fish for themselves.

We went for a cold water dip in the ocean and then warmed up in the seaside hot tub.

Meals are included in the room rate and everyone gathers in the dining room at communal tables.

Most of the patrons were gray haired but we did meet a young woman who'd been coming since childhood.  She was with a friend and her mother and the mother's new husband who were on their honeymoon.  

View from the lodge

The Lodge has a big lounge with a giant fireplace with board games to play.  No wifi and no cellphones or laptops in the upstairs lounge.  You can use your devices in the basement lounge.  We stayed up late working on a jigsaw puzzle.  Action packed evening!

View of Valdez Island and container ship waiting for harbour access.

The next morning we borrowed kayaks and went for a short paddle. It was cold and the wind came up so we cut it short.  Then we walked the trails around the resort.

Saltwater pool and Lodge in the background

Sunset view from cabin