Another Trip Coming To An End

Lunch with the tennis gang:

As usual, we're only watching tennis for the first 3 days of the tournament, so today is the last day.  Including the 2 days of quallys, I took in 5 consecutive days of exquisite tennis.  Along the way I saw:

Practise:

* Nadal

* Djokovic

* Goffin

* Cilic

Tournament matches:

*  Thiem - Mannarino

* Djokovic - del Potro

* Jack Sock

* Joh Isner

* Rafa Nadal

* Nick Kyrgios

* Bernard Tomic

* Sam Querrey

* Bouchard - Tomlijanovic

* Puig - Schiavonne

* Christina McHale

* Andrea Petkovic

* Anika Beck

* Julia Goerges

* Jelena Ostapenko

* Kristina Mladenovic

* Chloe Paquet

I even saw Vero Cepede play.

Amazing.  Simply amazing.

Acapulco...Tennis Heaven!

I'm living the good life.  Really.  Like views such as the one in the next picture aren't enough...

I got to see the likes of Goffin, Cilic, Djokovic, and Nadal ... that's right ... NADAL practising.  Unbelievable.  Two nights ago Ruth, Marty and I went to the tennis complex in Punto Diamante to watch some qualifying, and upon arriving at the stadium we noticed everyone was piling into central court, so we went in too.  People were saying that Nadal was about to come out and practise.  Cool!

So we waited, and about 10 minutes later, Marin Cilic came out.  The crowd roared.  It wasn't Nadal, but hey, we were still pretty excited to see a top-10 player out on the court.  Then, it happened.  Pandemonium - when Nadal and his new coach Carlos Moya came out.  Incredible.

Cilic and Nadal then proceeded to hit the ball for an hour, before playing two sets.  Nadal won both, 4 and 4.  I've never seen tennis like this.  They hit the ball so incredibly hard and accurate, it was breathtaking.

Things got even better the next day, when early in the evening David Goffin and Rafa came out and hit the ball again for an hour, before playing a set.  Rafa won 6-3.  Throughout the practise, the crowd was mesmerized.

After they left the court, and before we'd even had the chance to process what we'd just witnessed, Djokovic came out and hit the ball with a hitting partner for another hour plus.

This, and the tournament hasn't even started yet.  Del Potro is here.  And a plethora of German women: Petkovic, Goerges, Beck.  Puig too.  Even Vero Cepede is here.  And of course my favourite,  McHale!

It's going to be fantastic.  Let the games begin...

Tatiana and Ruben

Yesterday afternoon Marty and I took a bus to Cuernavaca, where we met up with Tati and Ruben.

I hadn't seen them in a few years, so reconnecting with them was great.  Last night we went out for a dinner, and afterwards Ruben showed us the renovations he'd completed at their place which now includes half of the neighbouring lot which was previously unoccupied.

This morning Marty and I went to Tati's university where she gave us a tour of her workplace.  Afterwards we met up with Ruben, who gave us a walking tour of their neighbourhood.  I'd been there before a few times but it was all new to Marty.  Still, I enjoyed getting out in the hot weather, checking out all the artisan stores.

The picture below was taken in the evening, before we headed out for dinner.  Sadly, we didn't go to the Tortuga Cucufata this time. :(

Tomorrow morning at 7am Marty and I will board the bus again and head further south, to Acapulco. I'm bursting with excitement to get my annual fix of great quality tennis!

Xochimilco

I spent the day with Ruth and her mom to visit Xochimilco and Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño.

The Dolores museum was interesting and peaceful, as it had several colonial-style houses and a large chapel, surrounded by beautifully landscaped lawns.  The grounds were adorned by massive cacti and gorgeous pavo reales (peacocks) like the ones pictured below.

Once done at the museum we headed over to Xochimilco.  What an interesting place!  It seems almost unimaginable that an hour outside of Mexico City there's a Venice-like place, where water canals act as streets.  There are whole neighbourhoods only accessible by boat, and Ruth was telling me that many of the fruits and vegetables sold in Mexico City actually come from these farming "islands" that span back hundreds of years.

Comida Corrida, Customer Service, And Settlers

After a few days of frantic walking, biking, and bussing from one end of the city to the other, today was a day to just relax.

In the morning I walked to a mall and did a bit of shopping.  I bought a hat (see pic below!), a black shirt, and a white polo.

Afterwards I had lunch at a comida corrida place near Ruth and Marty's, followed by an espresso.  That's when I realized that I didn't have enough money with me to pay for lunch.  I told the waitress, and said I'd run home, get the money, and come right back.  She smiled and replied: "That's ok, our waiter will walk home with you and you can pay him there."  I was floored.  Was she doing this because she didn't trust me I'd come back to pay, or was this customer service at its best?

I think it was the latter...

The waiter did walk home with me.  We had a nice conversation along the way, about life, work, education, and of course fútbol.  Once at my place, I paid him, and gave him a nice tip.  He was ever-so grateful and went back in the direction we came from.

Mid-afternoon I went to Ruth and Marty's and we immediately parked ourselves on the outdoor patio on the 14th floor of their condo complex, ordered some piña coladas, and played Settlers.  I brought a travel-size game along, and it proved to be a big hit.  Small.  Complete.  Practical.

There was a cool, gentle breeze on the patio all afternoon.

Tomorrow: Xochimilco!

Bikes And Operas

After a healthy breakfast of fruits and yogurt at Ruth and Marty's, we set out for a journey through the city on bike.

One of the great things about Mexico City is that every few weeks the city shuts down some of the main streets and opens it up to cyclists, rollerbladers, walkers, runners, even skateboarders.  And everyone seems to love it and take advantage of it - kids, teens, adults, and the elderly.  You don't even need to own a bike, you just need a membership with Eco-Bici, an organization that promotes biking throughout the city.  Virtually every 2-3 blocks throughout the city there are bike racks where you can pick one up.  Its brilliant.  

Along the way we saw vendors selling all kinds of stuff, from refreshments to clothing; we also saw outdoor yoga classes, large group dance and exercise routines, and yes, protests.  Every time I visit, there's a protest against the government about something...

In the evening we went to the Palacio de Bellas Artes for an opera.  I'm not much into opera but tonight I found myself drawn into the story.  Perhaps it's the gorgeous building and interior.

After the opera we made our way to Cuauhtémoc, where we had a drink at El Barril.   for a drink.

Tomorrow we plan to lay low at Ruth and Marty's house.

San Angel

I usually visit Coyoacán when I'm in México City, but we visited San Angel today and came away with quite a positive impression.  Much more so than previously.

The Latin world is so colourful, it always strikes me.

Below Ruth, Marty and I are having an espresso "cortado" break.

In the evening we went to our favourite place, Centenario 107.  We seem to end up there every year when I visit, and this year we even sat at the same table as last year.

I'm tremendously blessed with friendships such as Ruth and Marty's.

Mexico...I'm Coming

On my way to see some great friends, see some great sights, eat some great food, and watch some great tennis!

Memories

Fond memories of a great weekend trip to the Okanagan...

The Land Of Milk And Honey

So here is our latest family portrait.

The guy at the front right is not part of our family, he's Derek's friend.  I know I'm supposed to be gracious towards others, but my gosh, some people's kids...

The family is changing.  Tanis is pregnant.  The kids are no longer kids - except for one, they're all teens now.  Mom and dad are aging, slowly, and extremely gracefully.

I need to make this trip part of my annual routine.  Family.  The Okanagan.  Smoothies.  Lakes.  Wine.  Sun and heat.  BBQ.  Pool.  Ice cream.  And after this year...tennis.

Ted and I played tennis again yesterday.  I feel like I'm rediscovering an old Love.

Ted and I also talked about buying a family property in Penticton.  It would serve as an annual vacation spot, and possibly, a future home for me!

Penticton

At the Calgary Int'l Airport, on my way to Penticton.

I haven't gone on this trip the past 2 years so I'm really looking forward to reconnect with family.

Niagara Falls

Today is our final day together.  It's been an adventure, to say the least - ups and downs.  I'm really not sure what to make of it all yet.

We got up reasonably early this morning and ate breakfast, together with our airbnb hosts.  By around 10am we were ready to get going on our planned day trip to Niagara.

What a gorgeous place.

The weather here the past few days has been hot and sunny - very nice.

We took the opportunity to take some pictures.  She's amazingly photogenic.

On our way back to London we stopped at a winery where I picked up a bottle of Riesling.  She's not really interested in wines, but she was a good sport nonetheless.  Upon our return to London early evening, we went to a Lebanese restaurant we'd been to a few nights ago, and had our fill of falafel.

We spent our last evening together in the indoor pool of our hosts.  Outside, a thunderstorm gathered, unleashing wind and rain simultaneously, and I couldn't help comparing it to the relational thunderstorm that I see on the horizon for us.

Tomorrow I get up pretty early and fly back to Saskatoon.  

A week from now Jesse Cook's in town, and a few days after that I'm flying to Penticton to be with family.  I'm looking forward to both.

London

Today we spent much of the day preparing for tomorrow.  Graduating from UWO as a Dr is indeed an impressive accomplishment, and Daniela is revelling in it.  Sometimes I wonder if the reason I feel distanced from her is because I envy her intellect, academic accomplishments, and career dreams.  Am I the one distancing myself from her?

Below is a picture of her in front of one of the historical buildings on the UWO campus.  She's so proud and beautiful.

Below, the cathedral of London.

The weather here is hot, in the low 30s.  Hotter than the prairies.

Dusk In Acapulco

Sundown's beautiful in Acapulco.  28C.  Perfect.

View

Morning:

Afternoon:

Flights Booked

So I booked my flights to Mexico: Saskatoon - Mexico City on Feb. 19, returning Feb. 29th.  This will be my 4th year in a row visiting Ruth and Marty in MX, and travelling down to Acapulco with them to watch some great tennis.

But this will be a first also: on my way back, I plan to visit Daniela in Sudbury.  I took the plunge and bought tickets to see her.  I know it's a risk, but I feel good and excited about it.

So on my way back, I will do a week-long stopover in Sudbury, until March 7th.  While there, we plan on doing a little side trip, maybe to Manitoulin Island.

Lord, give me the wisdom to make good decisions about relationships.  Amen.

A Different World Cup

The FIFA World Cup started today in Brasil.

This is the first time in 20 years that I haven't attended it.

USA 1994 - check.

France 1998 - check.

Korea/Japan 2002 - check (I went to Japan).

Deutschland 2006 - check.

South Africa 2010 - check.

And now, Brasil 2014 - ?

I didn't go because I just don't care (did I really say that?).

Maybe I do care, but my life is in a stage right now where I feel I need to forego this tournament: new province (this may be stretching it, but it still feels new to be in the prairies, even a year after my arrival), new city, new job, new apartment, and (in two weeks' time), new house.

Today Brasil beat Croatia 3-1.  I watched some of it at work.  Almost nobody cares about soccer here.

Tomorrow is España - Holland.  Vamos la furia roja.

Favourites are Germany and Brazil.  My favourite is Spain.

I like Colombia and Uruguay.  I also like Italia.  Somehow, this time around Argentina doesn't grab me, even though Messi - the best player in the world - is on the team.

As long as Holland doesn't win I'm happy.

Mexico: Panoramic Pictures

Sunrise

Acapulco

Abierto de Mexico

The Grand

Palms

Tepoztlan

Poolside

Palacio de Bellas Artes