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Published: January 13th 2009
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And so the traveling starts...
we are not certain on our futures just as of now as we gallop off into the night
Oh, well, we're not exactly "roughing it." A uniformed limo driver (faaancy!) came to collect us well before dawn as the rentals were celebrating a friend's birthday in Collingwood. Alas, the GPS is still sitting in the driveway, but thankfully that seems to be the only thing we forgot. The flight felt like half an hour, I slept comfortably as George watched movies (Air Canada has really spruced themselves up!) and soon we were peering curiously out the window at odd canyons and windy rivers dotted with totally isolated settlements.
Then LA emerged from the desert, sprawling and stretching as far as it could. The flight over LA itself was 20 minutes! Jeremy and I must have walked past each other three times at baggage claim, having not seen each other for ten years, but eventually we were happily speeding down a 16 lane highway to the Taylor's beautiful home in Orange County.
Everyone keeps insisting this
weather is unusual for winter, but I don't believe it. We had Laguna beach almost to ourselves on a 30 degree, cloudless day, eating ice cream and walking down the beautiful boardwalk. Then Jeremy and Kathleen drove us through the mountains just as the sun was setting. We saw a coyote and many crazed 'mountain folk' in Blackstar Canyon. Rumored to be a KKK haven, UFO landing site, Indian burial ground etc. etc. its now a favorite hang out for OC teenagers who aren't old enough for the clubs - fun times. Anyway, the Taylors really are pulling out all the stops for us, and we couldn't be more spoiled. Now I'm going downstairs to grab a beer and let the sun soak in. .
We woke on day two nice and early to a crystal blue sky and a soothing breeze wafting through our room, Katherine and I walked to a nearby shopping/mall thingy place and stocked up on the essentials (vino). We were the only ones walking, it seems as if people are married to their cars here, drive through Starbucks, drive through pharmacies, drive through the lot!
Late morning we set off with Kathleen southwards. On our drive to Del Mar, just north of San Diego, we watched the chinooks mess about on the coast to our right and to our left were the most scarred hills that were like no other I have seen. We had a wonderful lunch at the Poseidon restaurant in Del Mar and we sat right by the beach overlooking the wannabe Hasselhoffs running up and down and the rad surfer dudes catching a lip. Naturally fish of the day was the choice for me and there was a surprising option that both Katherine and I turned down, fish tacos. It is, so I'm told, a popular choice. A Mexican speciality I guess.
After lunch we took the famous Route 1 north through small little surfer towns full of hillbillie folk, surfers and yoga gurus. Then on our way back to Irvine we stopped at a gem of Californian missions, namely, the San Juan Capistrano. It was built around the turn of the C19th and beautifully set with stunning gardens. The mission contained one of California's oldest buildings. Then it was back on the
wagon to chez Taylor. Katherine and I went for a dip in one of the gated community's pools and got back in time for a steak supper and fruit tart with Bird's custard, mmmm...
Thanks again to the Taylor family.
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