Sunday Art Review: A Gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Whenever I travel, I always make an effort to find some kind of art, not only for my weekly Sunday Art Review series, but also for my own enjoyment and satisfaction. My trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was no exception. When our cruise ship arrived in this picturesque city, I had a feeling that it would offer plenty for me to visually take in. In between margaritas, sightseeing and shopping, I spent some time enjoying a bit of culture in a few local galleries. This particular painting (at left) caught my eye. It is, of course Madonna, from her sultry-sex-for-power phase. Say what you will about Madonna, but that woman has definitely made an impact. The sculptures below were quite interesting.

Above: a Zeus like man, who looks rather mighty and forceful.


above: Not only is this a naked man wearing a mask, but there are four dog sculptures surrounding him. I couldn't decide what I liked best.

above: So much to look at, I had to shoot it all. Try to scan down the row and the back shelf. I like the "face" sculpture at the far right.


above: the large abstract circle thingy was interesting, but I also liked the headless naked woman to the right. It was a pleasant morning, and a great way to enjoy another side of Mexico.
-Rick Rockhill

Panama Cruise, Day 13: Day at Sea

Luxury at Sea

Since last night I was out quite late, I decided to sleep in until 7:00. I had room service delivered a little later than usual, but I splurged with a few extras this morning. The poor ships crew...I'm always taking photos of them. As I sat in my Egyptian cotton Princess bathrobe on my balcony, I savored every moment. Early mornings on the ocean are so pleasant, a chance for peace and quiet and a time for reflection.

Apparently we made progress overnight in our journey. After the ship cleared the “Bahia de Acapulco” last night, we set sail along the Mexican Riviera coast. As I was enjoying my breakfast we passed Punta San Telmo, although we still had a full day of travel ahead of us at sea.

I decided that today I would finish the book, “Sammy’s Hill” I had started at the beginning of the cruise. During the past 10 days I’ve been busy with so many activities and excursions that I barely had time enough to read. I made my way to the Riviera deck and found a chair by one of the more isolated pools and began reading, but at the same time I monitored the sound of the steel drum band playing nearby. This was my view of the world, from a deck chair, barefoot by the pool…as real as I wanted things to be.

The steel drum band was pretty good, their rhythm and melodies were relaxing and made me think about some of the great entertainment on board that I’ve enjoyed. The Wheelhouse Lounge has a terrific live jazz band nightly, the Atrium lounge always has a pianist playing the American Standards, The Vista Lounge has comedians, musicians and vocalists nightly, and the Princess Theatre has a variety of production stage shows, musical reviews and other performers nightly.

Fabulous Evening Entertainment too

This evening I went to see comedian Scott Wiley, whose act was billed as having “over 250 punch lines”. I laughed non-stop for his entire act. A few nights ago I stumbled on an odd act of sorts, a chap who was a harmonica virtuoso. In my wildest imagination I would have never thought I’d be watching some guy playing harmonica on stage. However, when he played “Romanian Rhapsody” I realized he did have talent, but what, couldn’t he afford to learn violin?

The All Important Dessert Update
One of the things I enjoy about having dinner in the formal dining room is the fine selection of desserts on the menu. Having a sweet tooth, I cannot resist sampling the goodies. To give you an idea of the quality of delectable delights on the cruise, I’ve provided another gallery of scrumptious desserts:

Above left: Chocolate Mousse with Grand Marnier in Merangue, right: Puff Pastry with fresh fruit in vanilla custard.

Above left: Tiramisu, right: chocolate layered cake with three kinds of mousse

Hello to Judi, who faithfully reads this ridiculous blog every day. By the way, tell Steve it WAS a lamb cake on the buffet yesterday, but made with cauliflower!

Tomorrow we arrive in Cabo San Lucas.
-Rick Rockhill
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