Thursday, January 14th, My Birthday, Zacatitos to San Jose for the Thursday Night Art Walk
I spend a lovely leisurely birthday morning sipping coffee and writing. Will cooks up egg and veggie burritos and at 9:00 A.M. John walks down to Jeff’s beachfront estate to go diving. He returns a few minutes later telling us that the departure has been postponed until 10:00 or 10:30. Shortly after 10:00 John heads down again and Art and I follow a respectful 15 minutes later. We don’t want to intrude but we do want to watch their Sealegs boat launch from the beach. Bob is struggling to adjust the the tire pressure of the boat so as to gain traction in the sand and the men discuss the appropriate tire pressure, setting the bead, and inflate and deflate the tires accordingly. With wheels spinning in the sand the boat gains traction and slips into the ocean. John is smiling brightly and waves goodbye. The sea is calm and day blissfully beautiful. He is invited to dive with Jeff tomorrow morning as well.
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| Tire Pressure Check on the Sealegs' Boat. |
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| Tire Pressure Check |
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| All Aboard! |
I walk a way with Art on the beach before returning to the house. Will is down at the point spear fishing and Art heads down to check on him. John returns from his dive drip around noon. He and Jeff do one drift dive from Punta Gorda, floating with the current and ending in front of Jeff’s house. John has a great time, the highlight seeing several large rays, a sea turtle and schools of yellow striped fish. Will in the meantime, spears a Golden Trevally and cleans and cooks it for a light lunch.
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| Will with his Golden Trevally Catch |
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| Fresh Fish and Bean Soup |
At 2:30 the four of us pile into the car to drive to San Jose. Since John needs to be home tomorrow morning to go diving with Jeff, it is doubtful that we will spend the night in San Jose so our plans are to buy supplies this afternoon and keep them in the cooler while we go to the Thursday Night Art Walk. Our first stop is Europa to see if the Esperanto Tequila we have been looking for has come in. What we are looking for is not yet in but we buy a different anejo Esperanto Tequila in an tall elegant frosted bottle. In addition to this, we leave with several bottles of wine, a bottle of Cointreau and John buys a bottle of Don Julio Tequila. It looks like we are ready to party! Our next stop is the Mega store and Art, John and Will are hungry. I caution them not to spoil their appetites but they head off to buy burritos and Art eats a Greek Swarma. I weaken since our dinner reservations aren’t until 7:45 and have John pick me up a “bebe” bean and cheese burrito. With our supplies stashed in the cooler, we park at the perimeter of the art district and walk into town.
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| Thursday Art Walk in the Zocalo |
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| Balloons for Sale in the Zocalo |
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| Mexican Fire Opals for Sale |
It’s 5:00 P.M. and I have my routine of doing the Art Walk and since I’m the birthday girl, everyone follows me obediently. We head for the Zocalo and on the way, bump into Nancy, Gina and five of her friends who have just flown in from New York. Two of the girls are still drinking their airport Margaritas and they plan to go to the Baja Brewery later to listen to Herb and Neal who are preforming tonight. We may bump into them later and I wander off with my three boys to see the shops and galleries. One of my favorite galleries is the Silvermoon Folk Art Gallery, set back under the trees at the edge of the Zocalo. A master gourd painting artist is demonstrating his art. Last year, I purchased two of this mans work and covet many things in this gallery, but the owner is especially busy tonight and I know that I can come back another time to shop.
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| Johnathon Sanchez Jewelry Gallery |
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| Silvermoon Folk Art Gallery |
We go next to the Johnathon Sanchez Jewelry Shop, a high end gallery at the edge of the Zocalo. We are handed glasses of wine to sip while we browse and listen to the violinist. This gallery is a class act and I have purposely come here to show John and Will the lovely custom jewelry that they make. This shop caters to high end clientele and I feel a bit guilty taking advantage of their hospitality, but John makes me proud, pointing to various rings, noting the stones and asking if I like anything? The sales woman is obviously disappointed that there is nothing that truly catches my eye or the pocket book of my son or husband.
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| Frank Arnold Gallery |
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| Frank Arnold Studio |
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| Gallery Cockapoo |
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| Tequila and Jewelry, Frank Arnold Gallery |
Our next stop is the Frank Arnold Gallery, one many people might miss because it’s entrance faces the back parking street at the edge of the art district. Frank Arnold’s painting style is big and bold and he hosts a “party” for every art walk. A small, somewhat dwarfed man regularly pours shots of tequila for those who come to browse and mingle. Carla, Frank's wife recognizes us and greets us warmly asking if we had met at the Flora Farms Day of the Dead benefit? And yes, we were there. We stroll through the gallery and into his painting studio to see the work in progress and enjoy the artistic clutter of cans of paints, brushes and easels. Their fluffy white cockapoo roams the showroom getting as much attention as the art on the walls.
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| Dancers, Thursday Night Art Walk |
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| Dancers, Thursday Night Art Walk |
It is dark now and we walk to the main cross streets of the art district gravitating to the music and the dancing in the street. A group of performers wearing elaborate costumes, are dancing in the street. We have arrived at the perfect time and along with the other tourists, watch their 20 minute routine. We pop into other brightly lit shops and galleries on our way to the Galleria Ida Victoria at the very top of the street and to the left. This is another easily missed gallery and our favorite fine art gallery. Our friends, Dan and Laurie Hennig of Boulder Creek, spend their winters in Baja and show their whimsical sculptures here. One day, I intend to purchase a Brent Lynch or John Comer oil. I am just waiting for the perfect one.
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| Mexican Combination |
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| Juan Bobroskie at the Tropicana |
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| La Cuenta |
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| Marty and Art |
It’s now 7:30 P.M. time for our dinner reservations at the Tropicana Restaurant. We walk the several blocks quickly and choose their outside seating and enjoy a marvelous dinner. Will orders a Cafe Mexican which is made table side with a flourish of flaming liquor being poured between two pitchers. I order a cadillac margarita but like the taste of Art’s regular margarita better, so follow with a second, regular margarita…after all, today is my birthday. The Caesar Salad, also made table side is excellent and I share the salad with Art along with the Mexican platter. Everything is delicious! Will orders ribs and John orders a steak arrachera. Art grimaces slightly when he pays the bill.
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| Herb and Neal, Baja Brewery |
It’s nearly 9:00 P.M. when we arrive at the Baja Brewery. The bar is partially open to the street and although it’s not especially busy, we’re told there is no seating. I guess we don’t look young or cool enough, but we tell the hostess that we don’t need to sit and that we are friends of the band and walk in and there is plenty of seating. Will and John buy me a birthday shot of tequila and we sit and listen to the the band. Herb and Neal both live in Zacatitos and I enjoy their sound. The six girls are on the dance floor and Gina urges John and Will to dance with them. Lights spill out on the dance floor and Art and I dance to a few of the songs.
It has been an awesome birthday!
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