Life Is For Deep Kisses and Strange Adventures

“ Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” – J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Once again, inspiration struck while on a small adventure of my own recently – I found myself deeply delighted by yet another wine bottle label and knew it would be an intriguing blog post title. My adventure started here in the West End as we (Terry, his sister Karen from Toronto and I) boarded a trolley bus (the Robson 5) to head downtown to jump on the Sea Bus to take us to Lonsdale Quay across the strait to North Vancouver. There is a sense of being away when one visits a popular tourist destination while on staycation in one’s own city or town and I let it wash over me. Huguette refers to this type of travel as spending time in “Balconyville”; my dear neighbour finds she enjoys every moment, whether on her balcony, at her table or when she’s on the move, capturing unique images that showcase the beauty that is all around us here in Vancouver. We believe that there is always an adventure around the corner just waiting for us to discover!

Lonsdale Quay offers up so many things to see, explore (there are many small shops and a wonderful food court) and take in. I visited here with my Mom last year and somehow missed looking across the water at the stunning New York city-like skyline of our city with the dark green forest of Stanley Park at it’s edge filled with the many beloved trails that I love to ramble on. The sun was shining, there were beautiful boats all around, the expected seagulls and one lone black cormorant with it’s wings spread for drying sitting on part of the bustling pier, a lovely day for a getaway. As we explored, it was then that we came upon the wine shop selling that bottle with the cool label that caught my eye and started me dreaming…thinking of all the time that we waste doing other things when there are kisses to be had and adventures to seek out. As I wrote these words at my desk yesterday with the late afternoon sun all around, I was able to watch a cruise ship leaving our port; this ship so big, it looked like a shining white city; as it slowly made it’s way on an unknown grand adventure, I wanted this image, those words on that wine label, to be a reminder that life is meant to be lived deeply and thoroughly!

Journal Entry: February 03, 2005

Yesterday we walked down our street, Lazaro Cardenas, until we reached the river. As we got nearer to the river, it felt like we were walking in the country. The road by the river is unpaved, it is a wide dirt road where the horses and burros walk. Roosters, chickens and chicks run about. Many dogs and cats, too. This is where one can still see people washing their clothes in the river; a man was mixing river water with a commercial product to make some cement blocks (or cones). I feel deeply about every brick, crack, crooked building or sidewalk here, it is always sad when the time comes to fly home…

An added note: January 06, 2005

While walking through town, we came upon a strange sight, we saw a circus driving down Juarez – a series of  caged enclosures on wheels holding camels, an elephant, tigers and also lions. It was very unexpected and the air was filled with the scent of these wild animals, we never did find out where this magical circus was headed and chalked it up as another exotic moment here in Mexico!

A “Beatles-like” moment captured on the Malecon in P.V.

A colourful tourist bus near our studio in Puerto Vallarta!

A lovely moment filled with the possibility of many kisses captured once again on the Malecon in P.V.