Colour in Winter by Victoria Chatham

 

AVAILABLE HERE

I am not a winter person. Never have been, never will be. When my children were small, and an English winter produced enough snow, their dad took them sledding and snowballing. I stayed home making cookies and hot chocolate for when they returned. Jump forward many years, and here I am in Canada, a move my children still cannot fathom as there is so much winter here. What can I say? It was all for love.

But it’s snowing again. Rather than ponder on the bleak view beyond the window, I have happy memories of sunshine and colour in Mexico. Here are a few photographs which I hope brighten up your day too.

Most of my Mexican vacations have been in and around Puerto Vallarta.  I'm fascinated by the wonderful sculptures along the Malecon, especially these surreal figures found on the corner of Aldama and the Malecon. The dozen or so sculptures form The Rotunda of the Sea by Alejandro Colunga from Guadalajara. The bronze chairs have been worn smooth by the many tourists who either take a rest or pose to have their photograph taken.

 

Farther along the coast from Puerto Vallarta is the village of La Penita, with its colourful and crowded market.The first thing that caught my eye were these beautiful rugs. I would have been very happy to have brought one home, but thought if I ever had one I would want to go to Oaxaca where they were produced and buy it there. Oaxaca is well known for its lively arts and crafts scene but was too far away for us to fit into this particular trip.

It wasn't just the rugs that caught my eye, but this very busy ceramics shop. There was so much to look at, the vibrant colours alone made me smile.  Mindful of what I had to pack in my suitcase, I bought only one small piece, a dish which now holds paperclips.

Many of the buildings were as colourful as the wares they housed, but no one could miss this striking apartment building in Rincon de Guayabitos.

One of my favourite places to visit is the Botanical Gardens a handy bus ride south of Puerto Vallarta. It is easy to spend the day browsing through the tropical gardens and lush jungle, take the walk down to the river, and enjoy the restaurant when you return. The bright spot for me is the orchid house, but these massive datura blooms also caught my eye.

 

So now, after having whined about the wintery view beyond my window, it has stopped snowing, the cloud cover has cleared, and the sun is shining. As it is only twenty-eight days to spring, I guess I can handle it.

Victoria Chatham

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