I took 6 books with me on vacation, and managed to get them all read … with minutes to spare. Literally. I finished my last book a few hours before our plane landed back in Edmonton. I also managed to squeeze in a bit of Netflix in the evenings, so you can see that this was a very good vacation.

What I read:

• Serpents in Eden, Continental Crimes, and Bodies in the Library. All three are collections of mystery short stories. I like taking short stories with me on trips, because it’s easy to breeze through each one even if you only have, say, half an hour at a time. [I read very fast also, which generally helps but is a hindrance on vacation – I have to take a lot of reading material with me to keep occupied.] Of the three, I felt that Serpents in Eden (short stories by British mystery writers organized around the theme of “murders set in the countryside”) was the weakest. Continental Crimes (murders set in Europe) was probably the best, with Bodies in the Library (previously unpublished or lesser known works from popular mystery writers) close behind. All three collections are from the first part of the 20th century, which is probably my favourite era for mystery; I love contemporary writers like PD James, Ruth Rendell, Robert Galbraith, Tana French, etc. but I feel a strong nostalgic pull for the Golden Era of mystery writing – especially English mysteries.

• The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter. This was another collection of short stories, this time of the fantasy genre. The author was recommended to me by a reader on the blog, and I was intrigued by the collection because it is inspired by popular fairy tales. I liked it a lot – the subject matter is similar to the Tanith Lee collection I recently read, but the writing is different – more lyrical, perhaps? The Amazon blurb for the book said that Angela Carter inspired writers like Neil Gaiman, and I can definitely see that; as I adore Gaiman’s short stories, it is not surprising that I enjoyed these ones as well.

• My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Mossfegh. After loving Eileen, I was really excited to read this. It was a bit of a letdown. The writing is really good but whereas Eileen was a tour-de-force character portrait, I didn’t feel that I truly connected with the narrator of this novel … or wanted to. For a book in which not much happens – literally, it’s all about the narrator’s quest to sleep for an entire year – there is surprisingly little in the way of psychological insight into the protagonist which I would have expected to be used to fill the narrative “gap” so to speak. She talks a lot about what she is doing, but not the “why” (beyond a very superficial level). The ending was also abrupt; the story is set in the year immediately preceding 9/11 which feels like a Chekhov’s Gun of sorts – if you’re going to bring 9/11 into it, then it had better have some impact on your story – except it never goes off. I don’t know, maybe I missed something; I read this book over a couple of afternoons lying in the sun, and possibly did some inadvertent snoozing of my own.

• Frida, Hayden ****. This was, hands down, my favourite book to read on this trip, largely because of the synergy between the subject matter and my location. It’s a very exhaustive biography of Frida Kahlo, liberally sprinkled with excerpts from her own papers (diary entries, letters to friends and family, etc.), and it does a great job of bringing the artist alive on the page. Reading it, I felt Frida’s exuberance and joie de vivre, and it reignited my own creative drive. It also made me want to read more about Mexican history, so the first thing I did when I returned home was order Fire & Blood: A History of Mexico by T.R. Fehrenbach. I am excited to get it, and if you guys have any other recommendations in that direction, let me know.

What I watched:

• Fyre – I’m late to the Fyre Festival documentary party, but I’m glad I finally watched this. People like Billy McFarland always fascinate me because they represent the opposite of impostor syndrome; I would love to know what it’s like to be inside their heads.

• American Meme – along the same lines, this was a fascinating look at some “internet celebrities” (most of them unknown to me prior to this) and their microcosm. I’m old enough to remember when Paris Hilton first came to prominence, and it does bogle my mind a bit that she basically kicked off an entire sub-culture of “influencers” (using that term loosely).

• Elementary – I wanted to start watching Schitt’s Creek but suddenly couldn’t find it. Instead, I randomly came across this show … and proceeded to fall down a deep rabbit hole. I have not watched a primetime procedural show in years, and maybe my tastes have gotten worse with age, but I freaking love Elementary. Joan Watson is #GOALZ, as I say that unironically as an almost-39 year old. I also love the Watson-Holmes dynamic and the fact that it’s complex but platonic in a non-angsty way. (If that changes over the course of the series, please don’t tell me.) Side note: once I came back to Canada, I realized that the show suddenly disappeared from my “Continue Watching” list and had a near meltdown. Thankfully, I found the first 4 seasons on Prime TV, so I can continue my binge. But this made me realize that Netflix will apparently tailor your viewing options based on location, irrespective of where your account is based/registered. Anyway, I expect a separate post on Elementary might be forthcoming, so I’ll stop here for now.

• ContraPoints video on Jordan Peterson. I actually watched this last week, but I am including it here because it’s brilliant and I think it’s a must-watch. Natalie perfectly encapsulates why I had somewhat mixed feelings about 12 Rules for Living (but which I struggled to articulate myself); some of what Peterson is saying is actually reasonable enough, but it only serves as a kind of front for a position that is deeply problematic.

I used to be the kind of person who carefully plans her vacation outfits; after all, I am the kind of person who carefully plans her outfits all the time, and a vacation offers a whole new scope for expression. But after having kids, and travelling with them over the years, I’ve mostly given up on it … when it comes to family vacations at least. I pack for comfort, durability, and accidents. If something were to happen to my luggage or my clothes, I don’t want to stress out about it.

Buuuuut … I also want to look cute.

By now, I have a fair bit of experience with resort vacations, so I know what to pack (lots of dresses) and what not to pack (jackets, jeans). I try to pack as light as I can, if only because I don’t want to lug around a bunch of extra weight; the kids’ “necessaries of life” are sufficient — not to mention my books! On this trip, I packed 5 dresses, 2 tops, a pair of shorts, a pair of lightweight pants, and 4 pairs of sandals (all of which are shown below) in addition to my swimwear and beach cover-up. [I’m not counting my plane clothes which consisted of a t-shirt, hoodie, leggings and tennis shoes.] The only other things I packed and did not end up wearing were a cardigan (it never got cold enough in the evenings) and a 3rd top.

The stuff I took with me took up hardly any room – everything could be rolled up — and was more than enough for the 7 days we spent at the resort, even with several daily changes. To give you a sense of what I mean, here is what I would typically wear:

• AM: swimsuit plus cover-up and sandals for breakfast and morning activities (usually beach and pool);
• lunch: ditch the wet swimsuit and change into dry cleans (shorts, my linen tunic, or pants)
• afternoon: (fresh) swimsuit and cover-up for more beach time
• PM: dress (or pants) for dinner

I don’t like being wet at meals, hence all the changing. The resort “dress code” is about as lax as they come, so there is no requirement to “dress up” (i.e. wear something other than a swimsuit) except for certain restaurants and dinner time.

Here are some of my mid-day outfits:

As you can see, I kept things pretty simple. The two tops worked well with both my shorts and my pants, and were nice “beachy” colours. The white, windowpane print linen tunic also doubled up as cover-up, sans belt.

For dinner, I made a little bit more effort, but only barely – usually by adding a necklace, and occasionally some higher heels.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I just came back from a blissfully stress-free week on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico (on the Yucatan peninsula) … well, as stress-free as even the best family vacations can be. This was our second stay at the Paradisus La Esmeralda resort in Playa del Carmen, and we enjoyed it as much (or more) than our previous trip.

All inclusive resort vacations are not everyone’s cup of tea; while I love “adventure” travel, sometimes I crave the soothing monotony of a beach resort where my most pressing decision is what time to hit up the buffet. When traveling with kids, in particular, it helps to eliminate a great deal of stress. I don’t have to worry about driving, cooking, tidying up, or even (on occasion) the kids themselves – holla, kids’ club! There is sun, sand, ocean, unlimited drinks and did I mention the buffet? For a person whose native state most closely resembles a sloth’s, this is heaven.

By now, you will have figured out that this post is nothing but an excuse to bombard you with my attempts at artistic travel photography. Sorry. The rest of the week, I promise to talk about slightly more interesting topics, like what I wore and what I read on my vacation. For now, this:

There are many things I like about the Paradisus resort, not least of all the Family Concierge package option. You get your own personal butler! Ours was named Alberto, and he was a sweetheart to the kids; he made sure our snack fridge was always restocked with our favourites, left balloon animals and stories for the kids every day, and generally made sure that our stay went smoothly. All of the staff that we met, in fact, were very lovely and helpful. We did run into a timeshare sales guy who was pretty persistent, but he was polite and eventually gave up trying to talk us into attending a presentation after we made it clear that we were not interested.

[This is not a sponsored post, by the way. I’ve been to a number of resorts in the Cancun/Riviera area, and I always like to read other first-hand experiences before choosing where to stay. If anyone is interested in more info about this resort, message me and I will be happy to answer any questions.]

The resort complex itself is beautiful; it’s set in the middle of mangroves and has gorgeous landscaping. It is on the smaller side compared to other resort complexes in the area, but this was a plus in my books because it creates a more intimate atmosphere … and cuts down on walking. There is still plenty of that – Riviera resorts are usually set up like campuses rather than traditional hotels, so your rooms are likely to be some distance from the pool, the restaurants, the beach, etc.

The pools at the Paradisus (family side) are smallish, but there is a new kids waterpark that is fantastic. When I’m not running around after the kids, I prefer to spend time at the beach anyway. That part is probably my biggest disappointment with the resort; the beach itself is nice enough (bordered on both ends by public beaches that can get quite busy, so keep that in mind) but there was a lot of seaweed in the water during our stay. We ended up having only about 3 days of clear water out of 7. From speaking with the staff, it sounds like this past year was a particularly bad one for seaweed in the area. I’m not sure if the same is true for Cancun, but I’ve heard from others that most of the Riviera is similarly affected. I expect it may be a symptom of climate change.

Also, no seashells. One of my favourite things to do is walk along the shore and try to find washed-up “treasures”, and I came up mostly empty-handed this time.

Even so, there was plenty of fun to be had in the sun.

This was one of our best overseas family trips, and the kids are already asking about next year. I have a feeling that they won’t have to twist my arm too much. My daughter in particular is an avowed Paradisus fan, but I am tempted to look at other options, although I may simply be too greedy. Can “paradise” be improved upon? If you have other favourite spots along the Riviera, leave me your suggestions in the comments.