CARMEL

The next morning started cold and gray.  That did not stop intrepid surfers from enjoying the waves. 

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the B&B.  Marge decided to read the paper in the salon while Tom, Jeanne and I took a brisk walk along the beach.   

After our walk we checked out of the B&B and headed off to the famed 17 Mile Drive through Pacific Grove and Carmel.  

We ended our drive in Carmel, where we stopped to take in the famous beach, and then took a walk through the town.  We voted to return straightaway to Saratoga so the Tom and Marge could watch the Super Bowl (Go 'Niners!) (well, better luck next near!), while Jeanne and I took a walk through the neighborhood.  

An excellent weekend!  (Except for the Super Bowl.)

MONTEREY

The next day we drove to Monterey, about an hour and a half south.  We stopped for lunch at the Fishwife in Pacific Grove before checking in at the Seven Gables B&B in Pacific Grove across the street from the beach. 

We did not linger at the B&B, but went directly to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Our favorites, the sea otters, are no longer on display, since they destroyed their exhibit.  Instead, the aquarium now has telescopes set up outside to watch the otters in the bay. 

The aquarium is famous for it's jelly fish exhibits.  It was the first aquarium to figure out how to raise and maintain jelly fish in captivity.  At our last visit six or seven years ago it had only one kind of jelly fish on display.  This time is had many.  Here are some of our favorites. 

They were hypnotizing. 

At our last visit the emphasis of the aquarium was on local sea life.  Now they have exhibits of many exotic species, including an extensive exhibits of seahorses.  

There are not as many pictures as I would like.  The ones shown here move slowly.  The others move surprisingly quickly, leaving me with blurry photos.  So these elegant varieties will have to do. 

After the aquarium we rested for an hour at the B&B, then went off to the Carmel Mission Basilica for Saturday evening mass, followed by dinner of fish and chips at the Crown and Anchor in Monterey.  We were very tired by the time we got to the B&B, but took time for cookies and tea in the parlor before saying goodnight. 

BIENVENUE JEANNE!

Our chere amie Jeanne arrived on January 30 for a week's visit.  The following day we drove around the East Bay Hills looking at open houses, caught our breath and relaxed a bit.  Then Friday we left on the Northern California Road Trip installment of the Extraordinary Adventures of Jeanne in America.

Our first stop was the Painted Ladies across from Alamo Square in San Francisco.  Jeanne remembered Victorians from her visit in 2003.  There she had seen them as she zipped by on a cable car.  But today we drove to the park and had time to walk up to them, and even look in the basement of one under renovation.

Lovely. 

Then we went to the de Young museum for lunch and to see Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, followed by a drive an hour south to Saratoga.  There we had a delightful dinner at La Rinconada Country Club and stayed the night at my mother, Marge's, house. 

A Maui Thanksgiving

Although we had only been home for 6 weeks after our most excellent French trip, Thanksgiving is ALWAYS celebrated in Maui.  We didn't taken many photos, since we were busy visiting, talking and generally being there.  So this is just a taste of our more excellent Thanksgiving. 

Cafe on the Green, our newest favorite place to be in Maui. 

 Debbie, Tom M and Alfie joined us for a lunch. 

 What is it about water spouts and kids?

 We were surprised at how lush Michele's garden had become in just 6 months.

 Alfie brought us a vanilla bean for Thanksgiving.  This is NOT the vanilla bean that makes vanilla. 

 Inside the purse-sized pod is a fibrous material encasing big black bean-sized seeds. 

 The seeds have no flavor, but the fibrous material tastes like a vanilla melon.  Very cool. 

 It would not be Maui Sunset without a few Maui sunsets. 

 We took a sunset stroll along the King's Walk. 

 And our very last morning I woke up early to see the moon setting over west Maui. 

Mahalo, and aloha until next time....