Personal Invitation – May 4th

Dear Friends,

Although some of you have already returned to your homes in the US and Canada, I’m assuming that you might still be interested in what is going on in Puerto Vallarta And for those of you who haven’t left yet, or who live here year around, I would like to invite you to a special event that I hope you can attend on Wednesday, May 4th, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at Restaurant Los Palomas. On this date it will be ten months since my late husband, Ramiz Barquet, passed away at the age of ninety on July 4th, 2010. Many of you will have left for home or be traveling on the actual anniversary, so I wanted to have an event in his honor while as many of us are here as possible.

On July 4th I will actually be taking part in a special memorial event in honor of Ramiz that will be held at the Lebanese Cultural Center in Mexico City. His parents and grandparents were emigrants from Beirut, and many years ago Ramiz was commissioned by the Lebanese Association of Mexico City to create a sculpture honoring the wave of emigrants who came to Mexico from Lebanon to escape an invasion by the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) around 130 years ago. Since then identical nine feet tall sculptures have been installed in the Lebanese Cultural Centers in several other Mexican cities. More recently a very large version nearly 20 feet high has been installed in an important intersection in Mexico City and in the port of Veracruz, the point of arrival and in the port of Beirut, the point of departure. The Mexican government even issued a stamp with the emigrant image Ramiz created to commemorate this large migration.

For this reason I am organizing a cocktail hour featuring Lebanese appetizers on the newly remodeled and expanded second floor area of the restaurant. Galeria Pacifico will present a display of sculptures by Ramiz, especially those reflecting his Lebanese heritage and including the original three foot tall bronze that was used as the model for the monumental sculptures. My grandson, Memo, who is the chef, will feature some Lebanese botanas that I am sure you will find delicious while you join us for cocktails. And of course, the full Las Palomas menu will be available to order for all who wish to continue their evening with us or to return after visiting Galeria Pacifico and the other nearby galleries on the regular Wednesday Art Walk. I hope you will be able to join us.

Warm regards,

Nelly