The London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay began on May 19^th
and is set to continue for 70 days.

Many inspirations individuals from the UK have been
nominated to carry the flame along this special journey. 

One of these runners
was nominated for her time and dedication to New Life Mexico, a UK charity that
supports children here in Puerto Vallarta and its surrounding areas. 

Philippa Vernon-Powell
is NLM’s field director. It is truly an honor to be recognized in this way and
to be able to say thank you to the supporters. Philippa is from Frome, UK and
has been selected to run a leg in the nearby Glastonbury area.  

This is a great achievement and a worthy
recognition for all the hard work Philippa does on a daily basis here in
Vallarta. Well done!

The London 2012 Olympics will begin in earnest this summer
and are set to attract millions of visitors and sporting hopefuls from across
the world.

Sources: http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/london-2012-olympic-torch-relay-starts-from-land-end-1256031.html 

http://www.london2012.com/torch-relay/torchbearers/torchbearers=philippa-vernon-powell-1820/index.html

Photo Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk

Many buyers have been thrilled with their condo purchases in the V399 real estate development in Puerto Vallarta. The setting just a
few blocks from the beach and around the corner from Basilio Badillo
(restaurant row) makes the location extremely appealing.

We’ve seen new projects embrace easy access and V399
certainly has that advantage being built on the flat ground with no hills to
climb.

The architect Paulo
Rojo and his team at Arquitectos
Asociados created a beautiful mix of
styles adding Mexican accents such as cantera stone, brickwork facades, sold
concrete structure and solid wood cabinetry with some modern hints, recessed
lighting in ceilings, and amazing roof top and BBQ area with tempered glass
panels and an infinity pool.

The mixture has really proved to be a great success and has
really made a name for the developer HEVA, shortly to add another project to
their portfolio.

Take a look at our testimonials and see for yourself what other
happy home owners are saying about V399.

This year’s eagerly anticipated culinary showcase kicks off
on May 15^th 2012.  

Thirteen new restaurants participating for the first
time, taking part alongside some old favorites, making a whopping total of 45
restaurants offering 3 course meals from as little as $189 pesos.

A perfect excuse you’ve been waiting
for to dine out every night of the week! 

From Le Kliff and Blanca Blue on the
south shore to Frascati in the north and downtown hot sports include Café de
Artistes, Trio, Vitea for al fresco dining, Barcelona Tapas for Spanish tapas with fab
views and a new Spanish restaurant La Albufera featuring family style Spanish
specialties located opposite the Molino de Agua condominiums in the Posada Rio
Cuale complex next to Elements of Design.  

For Mexican flavours try Si Señor, Daquiri Dicks and the elegant
Hacienda San Angel, a captivating property in an idyllic setting overlooking
our church of Guadalupe. For Asian menus head to Ginger Garden in Nuevo
Vallarta, Archie’s Wok in old town by Los Muertos Pier and next door is Peking,
participating with its Chinese menu.

So whatever takes your fancy and whatever your budget,
Vallarta’s 8^th restaurant week is bound to have something to entice
you in! You will be spoiled for choice!

Click here to check out the participating restaurants menus!

What superb news brought to us by none other than the
travelers themselves. This is the real opinion given by real travelers. “Set
against the gorgeous backdrop of the Sierra Madre Mountains, Puerto Vallarta is
popular with travelers seeking a romantic escape”. 

The site then discusses excursion options
while you are here, fishing, boating trips, Vallarta Adventures Tours and
places to stay, including ratings on Hotels and Vacations rentals By owner. 

Trip Advisor is a comprehensive, unbiased guide to vacation
hotspots and having Vallarta voted as Number 1 in the whole of Mexico is a
great piece of news I had to share!

Click here to read the full article. 

Sushi may or may
not be your thing but a visit to Kashi Sushi
could please even the greatest skeptics of this popular cuisine.

Set up in a very modest, unpretentious, friendly (theme is
black, white and red) environment, Kashi Sushi has recently expanded to take
over two commercial spaces rather than the original one it began with just over
a year ago.

The resident talented Chef is a master with fresh produce.
Try any combination of the freshly made sushi rolls or his wonderfully fresh
mouth watering local tuna sashimi. A good drinks menu and amiable waiting staff
make this a really pleasant find.

This little restaurant is a little off the tourist track but
is a real favorite with the locals and every easily accessible by car or bus
routes right near the Municipal Stadium. Another pleasant surprise, the bill at
the end of the fine dining! It was very reasonable and actually came to almost
half the price of other well known Sushi places in town.

This restaurant in Puerto
Vallarta is well worth the visit and
has become a new personal favorite. If you don’t feel like visiting, they come
to you with a home delivery service.

Located on Av. Las Americas 343 just a few blocks east
inland from the Sheraton hotel opposite the Municipal Stadium. Check them out
on http://www.kashisushi.com  or
call 222 0913.

If you didn’t already know it, now it is official. Vallarta
is the most romantic destination in Mexico!

Puerto Vallarta has been voted “the most romantic place in
Mexico” by online readers at www.about.com .

Voting began between February and March and the results have
been collected, with Vallarta getting the most votes. The competition was
fierce with vacation hotspots Cancun, San Miguel de Allende, Riviera Maya and
Los Cabos all in the running.

Vallarta is a huge favorite with couples arranging their destination
wedding here and also for honeymooners or vacationing lovers.

If you are not familiar with about.com it is a trusted
online source for many American consumers, giving valuable information on
health, travel, technology, cooking and living. The site is part of the New
York Times Company and has almost 50 million online visitors per month. 

This week I rekindled my love for everything French…it was a
job easily done with a visit to La Cigale. A French Restaurant located
just a few steps from the entrance from our Guadalupe Church
on Calle Hidalgo in El Centro.  The
infectious warmth of the owners Chef Juan Sebastian Palafox,
GM Christophe Bevilacqua and Catalina
Cegard will keep you wanting to come back again and again. 

Having operated restaurants in Paris, Marseille and New York
the team brought their skills and fine cuisine to us here in Vallarta.
In this appealing casual dining ambience you can relax with a glass of red
and  take your selection from the array
of dishes inspired by the south of France that are written on an authentic chalk
board as traditional accordion music plays in the background…

My personal favorites are the chicken and beef brochettes made
with possibly some of the most succulent chicken in town, excellent pommes frites seasoned with fresh garlic
and parsley, the mussels in wine sauce and any of the desserts they make! (Profiteroles
and apple tart to name a couple) oh, and don’t forget the endless supply of
crusty French bread, simply irresistible!

La Cigale has excellent reviews on trip advisor and I can
certainly see why. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

La Cigale Bistro
Puerto Vallarta Jal. México • Hidalgo # 398 Esquina Iturbide Downtown Puerto Vallarta

Ph. +52 (322)
222-7938 • email: reservations@lacigalebistro.com  

Mexico celebrates Children’s
Day (El Día del Niño) every year in April. It is a lovely tradition and also helps raise awareness for
the more needy children in our vicinity.

This year, why not help out others less fortunate and take
part in several events that have been scheduled in town.

This Sunday,  April 29^th from 1pm take your family and pop into Señor Frog’s
down in the center of town to take part in a benefit for Pasitos
de Luz.

There will be plenty of fun events that day including a
kids’ fashion show, Super Heros, balloons, trampoline, bouncy castle and a
presentation by the World’s Youngest DJ!

The donation is $190 pesos and if you come with a toy
for the kids of Pasitos de Luz as a donation then you get in for $150 pesos!

This year Riverfest 2012 is at El Rio BBQ!

The El Rio BBQ Restaurant is hosting a benefit event forPasitos de Luz (see address here) on Saturday,  April 28 from 12pm to 7pm.

In this luscious tropical setting you’ll be treated to excellent service, food and drinks with all proceeds going to the center for disabled children in Vallarta.

There are 2 types of tickets, on the door pay what you consume for a $50 pesos donation or a VIP BENFACTOR pass with all inclusive priority seating, buffet at 4pm, snacks all day, non alcoholic drinks and entry for $500 pesos.

Your help is appreciated!  Tickets may be purchased at DejaNew Consignment on Jacarandas between Carranza and Cardenas in Colonia Emiliano Zapata or by contacting Pat Foreman 044 322-188-9463 or by email. 

There is something for all the family. Hopefully those of you still in town will make one last push before the end of this season to come and join us.