TRAVEL COLUMN

All the restaurants are open air, but with a high roof So, it’s still possible for a feathered friend to pop by to see if you are sharing anything And lesson learned do not leave your croissant and eggs alone while you get juice! These birds do not wait for you to share, they help themselves! By 7:40 I’m no longer the only guest, but it is a slow trickle of people, barely more than a handful. By 8:30 it is a happening place!

Our choice for the second tour was a city tour of Puerto Vallarta. Our guide spoke both Spanish and English and was well informed. We visited local artisan shops in leather, jewellery and a family-owned tequila factory for a tasting. This was my first-time tasting tequila and I found it very strong. The chocolate and mango ones were sippable but not really my cup of tea-quila! (pictured to the left)

The leather store featured handmade items and the back of the store contained the workshop. We watched as sandals were being made. And well …jewellery stores really need no explanation. Silver is abundantly available throughout Puerto Vallarta and some pieces are stunning.

We stopped at the main church for a quick look It was beautifully decorated for Mexico's upcoming Independence Day on September 15 Spain withdrew from Mexico in 1821 and Mexican Independence Day has been celebrated every year since

Lunch was a little spot in the suburbs (a bit rugged) with a creek running beside it. The menu was simple with regional dishes and in lieu of a paper menu, platters were displayed inside the front counter. Each platter served 2-4 people. We chose the fajita platter and really enjoyed them (pictured to the left).

Thursday was my last full day in Mexico. We found an Irish (yet to be determined) pub named McCarthy's Pub and ventured out for the short walk off the resort for dinner, which was a delight! Hamburger and fries! Not really Irish, but a welcome change to a week of Mexican meals.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 (Fire) –Just when you are ready to break you somehow find the strength to complete all that needs to be done. You are ready for a new love in your life. You will be invited out and it is a perfect time to meet someone If you are in a solid relationship, then you need to find a way to bring back the spark

Taurus: April 20 - May 20 (Earth) –You keep asking the Universe for more information so you can make some pretty big choices in your career and love and health But you are not listening to the great advice you are given, and you are not asking the right questions. Sit down and focus on what you need to know and then go ask the right people for the answers

Gemini: May 21 - June 20 (Air) – You are feeling ignored and unappreciated this week. You will want to be heard and seen This will lead to you having moments where you get into arguments with coworkers and loved ones You are not invisible; you are just not expressing yourself in a positive way

Cancer: June 21 – July 22 22 (Water) –

You have a passion inside of you that needs an outlet Show people what you are made of Tell your loved ones what you need from them Tell your work why you are not happy and the things that need to be changed You will have great confidence this week so now is the time to take a chance and change your life.

Leo: July 23 - August 22 (Fire) –You will find yourself holding back this week. You will want to shine, but instead you stay quiet and just observe Work is a mess, and you love life needs a lot more attention Do not stress about your inability to act, you need this time to reflect and do some soul searching

Virgo: August 23 - September 22 (Earth) – You worrying all the time does not change anything except by taking your peace away. Things will unfold this week without your help so just let it be. People will be coming at you with all sorts of problems, pick and choose the ones that are really your problems and leave the rest

Libra: September 23 - October 22 (Air) - You will be asked a lot of questions this week that you just do not have the answers to My advice would be do not give your opinion unless you're sure, it will come back and kick you in the butt later You need to be careful with your tone when you're talking to coworkers, you will hurt people's feelings

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 (Water) – You must make time for some fun this week You are going to get busy with lots of boring stuff quickly Have a quick talk with your family and friends about what you can do to have some much-needed social interaction. Do not be afraid to ask for some help at work, you need it

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21 (Fire) – You can do much more if you really want to Unfortunately, your energy this week is too low to care You will, however, have enough in you to plan an outing with a good friend or date for the weekend You need this time out and away from all the work you are carrying from financial and work issues.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19 (Earth) – You are not willing to let things fall apart in any area of your life. You will face all the problems you are having at work and at home head on. You have great strategies to fix all the little things that are broken around you You are preparing yourself to be balanced and strong

Aquarius: January 20 – February 18 (Air) – You feel like people are taking advantage of your nice side; this will end up bringing out your bad side. You will want to avoid anyone that is a trigger for your anger You will spend a lot of time to yourself this week and recharge yourself

Pisces: February 19 - March 20 (Water) – You start to have a clear idea of what you want for your life a year from now Be careful you do not miss out on living in the right now by daydreaming so far in the future You must be willing to let go of some past regrets in order to move forward faster.

with Tina Graziano Energy Reader