Wander Often in Kelowna
The question is not “if trees could speak,” but rather, “can we hear them?” “Wander often,” beckoned a tree in Kelowna, British Columbia. So we walked the waterfront, the crew, and I. A blue heron flies low to a nearby perch as if to point the way.
We hiked towards and steadily up Knox mountain. It was on a smaller and more literal scale, as Martin Luther King had expressed, “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” A view of the Okanagan Valley from the top gave us that higher perspective.
About how nature rules, even though us humans are prone to “I-ness.” I took a few moments on a peaceful bench to feel nature’s gifts all around. In silence, I took it all in. 
The majestic mountain view overlooks a fresh stockpile of floating logs…in the shape of a heart, ironically. The vast Okanagan lake resembles a long and winding river. 
It is colder than I imagined Kelowna to be, but a reprieve from Ontario, where there’s a polar vortex ripping through.
Doe…A delightful deer.. a female deer, way up on Knox mountain. 
Working every other day, I decided to take advantage of the fresh air breaks walking to and from the local grocery store. A hotel room fridge is a welcome convenience to store fresh food.
But after a few days, we treated ourselves to a hot thai soup and panang red curry at Pick Thai restaurant. When the daughter of the Thai owner recommended the handmade coconut ice cream made by her mother, it was beyond delicious. Every dish was fresh, generously portioned and an authentic and generous taste of Thailand. I reminisced with the owner, my chef, about my fondness for Thailand and the four months backpacking in her motherland. The restaurant in Kelowna is her dream. The snowboarding daughter would like to go back to Thailand, but they would both miss the snow. A skating rink is lit up at night, with a nearby bonfire on the sidelines.
Which brings me back to the beginning…How did I get here? Approaching Vancouver from Toronto a few days prior, the majestic Rocky mountains reign.
The airplane views from Vancouver to Kelowna are hardly second best. Reminds me of my trip to the foothills of the Himalayas in India. Just add snow.
Walk Off The Earth, Burlington bred, delivered a World Class Performance at the Sound of Music Festival held in Burlington, Ontario which starts this week June 15th-18th, 2017 at Spencer Smith Park. They delivered an epic concert, they surprised us, they entertained us, their talented selves played a medley of more than seven songs with five members on one guitar!
Casa de las Flores, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (all photos by Paula Erskine) A waterfall pours over the staircase wall, with Frida’s artistic attention on a higher plane.
Water is stronger than rock and walls…it molds, it soothes…it beckons…it purifies…
After visiting Tulum, we walked towards the closest beach and discovered tejon, which surprised and delighted us. They were very gentle, and liked our cranberries. They are like Mexican raccoons, also know as coatimundi. They were adorable, and in my experience, ate gently out of hand, but be careful to give these omnivores what they would normally eat. We were quite grateful later to learn that they eat tarantulas too, so for that, we thank them. Time stood still as we socialized with mother earth’s delightful creatures. It was in Tulum that we met this lovely couple, a Canadian artist living in Berlin, with her lawyer boyfriend. We enjoyed chatting with them, and we all agreed that artists and lawyers make very good couples. 
At the 3D Museum of Wonders, Kurt Wenner’s art bends walls, taking us out of our comfort zone. Kurt Wenner is a famous street artist and his art was finally recognized and is enjoyed in only 3 museums world wide. Japan, Singapore, and Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Bring your camera and ask for Gustav, or any staff, who are there to take pictures of you that are mind-bending. It is well worth the $30 U.S., however, Sundays are rumored to be half price. Luckily the museum was open till 10:00pm, we rushed through on our last night in Playa Del Carmen, and it was still very enjoyable. 
The view from La Catrina is another wall with even more thought provoking art. An ode to ancient civilizations.
La Catrina makes a delicious breakfast, but they close in the evenings.Mouth watering.
La Catrina’s menu in pesos…bring your appetite!
Mom’s hotel is a hostel on 30th and 4th, it is very basic, no frills, but it is clean, and after walking for 2 hours in the heat, walking away from “recommended” hostels on hostel bookers with bed bugs, we found refuge here, without bed bugs. A clean place to to park our stuff and rejuvenate for 4 short days in Mexico.
El Fogon is on 30th and everything was delicious, we ate there twice which was twice as nice. Two blocks from Mom’s hotel (hostel). Our average dinner cost us about $10 U.S. each with fruit smoothies and guacamole and cactus salad. Many locals can be found here, enjoying a night out with their families.
Casa Romero’s Restaurant walls are adorned with living plants, artfully displayed. They food was cooked to perfection and plated as if we were in a top hotel in Mexico. Don’t let the empty restaurant deter you from dining off the busy areas, it is well worth your tastebuds and budget. We praised the chef personally for the marvelous dinner.
Azul Cenotes, can also be accessed by collectivo white vans halfway to Tulum, you can line up at the station in Playa Del Carmen, and you can also flag them down. 
(Above, image of Kava Tava, Zagreb, all images photographed by Paula Erskine)
Marijan Mavric, Croatian Artist can sometimes be found in the evenings in Selce, at Art Laundry, or his gallery in Grizane . His landscapes capture his surroundings, resembling in some paintings the island of Krk just across the way, where many Selce residents have simple farms with stony-stacked fences, fig trees, potatoes, tomatoes and many other crops. My mother asked him if he is in front of these places when he actually paints them…he said, “It comes from my head, my imagination, my memories…” Having visited many of these corners of Krk island and other Adriatic gems, I can affirm, these places exist, and they are beautiful.
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Catwalk to Runway 