First time in the Algarve

Los Piedades

After five days in Lagos, Portugal, it's about time I started the first blog of the year!  Our friends' offer to let us stay in their apartment couldn't be missed.  We've been saying that we'll visit for years, and never got around to it!
  Very central to Lagos, and in a converted tile factory, or Fabrica.  Never been to Portugal before and Jools and Stu took us to their favourite haunts and to see the sights, beaches, rocky cliffs and Piedades, rocky outcrops littering the beach close to Lagos.
After a few days, our hosts left us in charge of their beautiful apartment.  They are good friends!  First impressions, in spite of the cooler weather, were very good.  Great food, especially the fish, simply cooked and inexpensive, especially if you seek out the local workmen's cafe.  Fish cooked over a wood burning BBQ.  Lots of good cafes and restaurants all around the marina, which is directly opposite the apartment. Happy hour, beer and large glass of vinho verde for 3euros!  Unbelievable!
Hired two bikes from a guy living in Torre on the way back to Almaceo do Pera. A bit basic.  Ian's was a bit small for him, and mine came with an unforgiving saddle.  But not much choice and not many hirers.  So beggars can't be choosers.  Very different to our experience in Mallorca.

Cav at the top of Foia

Our first ride was a reccy up into the foothills below the Serra do Monchique.  Following day, with poorer weather forecast for the coming two days, we decided to go for it and ascend the highest hill, Foia at 3000ish feet.  It was also the second day of the Tour of the Algarve, over four days, and the cyclists would be climbing the same course, so it was an opportunity not to be missed.  We reached a junction close to Marmalete, and watched them ascend, at speed, the ascent we'd just laboured up for the last hour.  In the peloton, we caught sight of Cav and Tiernan Locke.  We then continued up to the top of Foia.  Found it hard for this early in the season, but you've got to put up with it, to get better as the season progresses!  Pleasant on top, sitting in the sunshine, but like all these weather station summits, not to be attempted in worsening weather.  Picked up the proper riders descending at breakneck speed, and on to the finish back at Lagoa.  We continued back to Lagos, via Odiexcere, after 52 miles and about 4100' climbing.  Enough for now!

In between cycle rides, we explored Cabo Sao Vicens, or the "end of the world", as it was formerly known.  Then on to Aljezur.  Countryside not as expected, very green and soft.  Eucalyptus trees everywhere, giving it a very Australian appearance.  Introduced to meet the growing needs of the paper industry and building trade, because it's fast growing, they've now spread all over the landscape.  There are environmental concerns about their effects upon the water table and being more prone to fire risk.  Acacia trees with their beautiful yellow balls, oak trees with their barks stripped for cork.  Monchique is the second biggest source for cork in the Algarve.  Rolling hills, sometimes quite steep, into numerous valleys, steep sided terraced farmland, with the occasional painted one-storey farm building, and large dog.

Beach near Burgau

Sometimes reminds us of areas of the New Forest, sometimes Provence.  So very quiet and unspoilt.  Hardly saw any cars all the time we were cycling over 3-4hours.  Apart from enthusiasts watching the Tour, we didn't see any other cyclists.  Local people greeted with a smile and Bom Dia.  Groups of men, particular old men enjoyed staring at our lycra.  It gave them something else to comment on as they sat and watched the world go by, in the bars and bus-stops.  The weather has been a bit disappointing, but still much warmer than at home!
A second time in the Serra do Monchique, and we called in at a bar in Marmelete, for coffee and piri piri chicken and chips.  Chicken piri piri is the traditional food of the Monchique.  A great little food station before climbing up or down.

All the development is on the coast, but minutes away from the main N125, and the unused toll motorway, and you're into quiet rolling countryside, with reasonably good roads, and dirt tracks.  Few direction signs and even fewer giving distances!  Signs saying monte, vale and Ribera, describing the features.  A couple we met in a little bar near Moinho da Rocha, out in the countryside, said that they frequently saw wild boar, and that there was talk about reintroducing lynx.  Hunting is still common here on Thursdays and Sundays.  She was from Wales and they'd been living here for a couple of years, but couldn't speak the language.  Away from the coast, where English is commonly spoken, you are reduced to sign language and Anglo -Spanish.  They seem reluctant to speak Spanish, preferring English and German.  Although written Portuguese is similar to Spanish, and you can understand it reasonably well, spoken Portuguese is completely different, sounding more like Russian!  It's impossible to understand a word!

Cafe in Alte

Only ever seen storks in Kaysersburg, France.  But here they are numerous, building large nests on the spires and chimneys.  The apartment was directly next to a nest, and when a resident complained about excessive excrement on his patio, the nest was moved to a specially-constructed metal pole nearby!  So strong is the folklore about the loss of fortune to the town, if the storks ever left their nest.

We're also reccying from a point of view of bringing the van down one winter.  Portugal seems, for now, to have a generous and relaxed attitude towards Motorhomes, until owners take advantage and take over beauty spots en masse, staying for long periods, as they do.  There are service areas near Lagos and Silves and a spot further up the coast overlooking the sea, and a number of camping sites, so staying in the van seems straight-forward.
On our last day with the bikes we went over to eastern Algarve and Loule. Did a 40 mile circuit which took in Alte, a pretty village surrounded by hills. It was a hard day with many undulating roads and reminded us more of Spanish landscape.

Walking in Palm Springs

Palm Canyon 

Most people come to sunny Palm Springs for the golf or gambling. Not many people come here to walk in the desert! We do, but at least we have the sense to set off at 8am and be finished before lunchtime. 3 hrs is plenty even in the "cool" November weather of about 80 degrees!
We arrived here on Saturday after 4 hrs drive from Santa Barbara to quite cold weather but going to pick up. It was also Veterans Day on Sunday so hotel very busy with lots of noisy Americans especially in smokers corner right underneath our window! Added to that was our neighbour listening to the TV until 3am - unbelievable. No doubt much more civilised people in the "Bay" area.
Anyway, weather much better on Sunday so went for walk in Indian Canyon around the Palm Canyon and East canyon routes. Really beautiful seeing palms in the canyons contrasting with the sparse vegetation all around. There is not much water but what little there is supports so much life and is where local Cahuilla Indians lived.
The walk we did on Monday was in the Coachella mountains and the palms we discovered there were situated on the San Andreas fault. It was fascinating following line of the fault by observing the trees, again in sparse desert environment. The fault throws up water from below and supports growth. We completed the Pushawalla and Horseshoe Palms route. Hotter today so glad to get back and relax around the pool.

Pushawalla Palms

We were delighted to see the maid cleaning the room next door- a sure sign that we were in for a quieter night!

James Bond in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens

Really chilly start but bright blue sky.  We drove up into the hills to the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.  Full of native plants, trees and shrubs, with informative identification boards, listing the uses that the various Native American Indian tribes put them to, medicinal, nourishment and basket weaving.  A mile long walk into a small canyon, with the remains of an old dam and water transfer system, set up by the Franciscan monks in the early 1800s, who lived in the nearby Old Mission, an imposing building, a  mile or so away.

A drive up Mountain Rd and then Gibraltar St took us almost to the top of Mt Calvary, with great views over the coastline and out to the Channel Islands, about 10 miles off shore.

Fire fighters guide to planting fire resistant plants

Lunch in town took us to the best and the cheapest meal we've had so far, at Nature Cafe.  Sweet potato and spinach soup, Thai chicken and artichoke noodle salad, and half a massive cookie each for less than $20.  They pride themselves on no additives, no unnecessary sugars and flavourings, just good, honest food.  Brilliant!  Turns out there's one at San Luis Obispo, so I think we'll probably be calling again another year.  In the afternoon Ian went to the gym in town, where the hotel had a concession for guests, free entry.  Took him to Marcel Hemp's shop and bought a hemp/organic cotton shirt for $50.  Great heavy duty cotton form the plant famous its other quality, marijuana!  Looks great on him, and it was fun to talk to the owner, Marcel, who's been there for 24years, and designs all his own clothing.  There was a lovely smell of patchouli in the shop-took me back!

In the evening, we had a pint and fish and chips during happy hour at the Brewhouse, where we've been before.  The beers are much stronger here, averaging 5% and sometimes as much as 9%!  Great buzz and really full, but difficult to get to- have to walk over the railway lines to find it!  Then went to see the new James Bond film, Skyfall.  Really good and without the hassle of having to go to Chesterfield to see it - the cinema just being a block away.  Off to Palm Springs tomorrow.  Hope it's a bit warmer there, without that cold Northerly.

Morro Bay and Santa Barbara

Detour north to Morro Bay

Josh Talbott

We'd zipped straight past here earlier, and it was with some reluctance that Ian agreed to go to yet another fabric shop!  But Morro Bay, even on a cool, overcast morning was definitely worth a visit.  With an hour to kill before the shop opened up, we wandered down to the fishing port.  An industrial backdrop of power station chimneys and transformers doesn't spoil the attraction of the real, working fishing port.  We watched as large swordfish were winched ashore from a boat, weighed and covered in ice before being cut up.
Further along we watched as the local artist, Josh Talbott (www.joshtalbott.com) painted a large mural, of  a seascape, painted in acrylics over a collage of his personal collection of literature about the sea.  It is to raise awareness and to protest against moves by the local energy company to survey the local coastline with imaging equipment, which basically involves high frequency sound waves being used, harming the fish, sea mammals, and ultimately threatening the fishing industry and way of life of the local community.  I hope that's right.  I was being distracted by a large pelican, which seemed to have been attracted to a kindred spirit!  His favourite work is painting seascapes over sheets of music.

Morro Bay

We both found that this central and northern regions of California seem more reflective, less driven by materialism, a bit bohemian, and back to nature.  Really like it.  Buildings are low-rise, often wooden.  Countryside is greener and tree-filled.  Advertising is low-key, with smaller stores.  We continued on, after a successful visit to a very nice shop for flannels, the Cotton Ball, to Santa Barbara, about 120mls down HW101.  The weather worsened to drizzle, with temperature dropping to the low 60s.  We booked in at the Hol Inn Express, where we've stayed before, and headed straight for the Shellfish Company Bar at the very end of Stearns Wharf, where we've been before.  Great seafood cooked in front of you, as you sit at the narrow bar, around the cookers, watching the chef at work, with flames licking up the old, battered pans.  Great fun!
A stroll down the main State St, however, revealed suggestions of a decline since last year, with several shops closed down, some looking in need of some attention, an influx of massage shops and, (the sure sign that things are on a downward trend), nail bars!!  More vagrants and beggars than last time, and just a bit shabbier than I remember.  Maybe the recession has started to bite even in the upmarket towns.  That said, Santa Barbara still has one of the most beautiful hinterlands, with pine, oak and eucalypt clad mountains, layer upon layer coming down to a lovely sea front.  Here for two nights, so we'll probably have a drive up into the mountains tomorrow.
Missing Lily, Andrew and Lizzy.  Missing little hands pulling you inside, missing little feet pattering on the wooden floor of their apartment!  The weather has gone a lot cooler and wetter up in Novato now.  Andrew and Lizzy will be pleased with the change, and Lizzy will be able to wear her new gloves, hat and scarf she got for her birthday, on 14 November.

Monterey and the Big Sur

Elephant seals on Big Sur

It was hard to leave everybody this morning, particularly a bemused Lily, but it was time to go.  We drove about 130miles south to Monterey, and stayed for one night at the Holiday Inn, separated from the sea by two major roads, Highway 101, which runs all the way to Los Angeles, past where Andrew used to live, and Highway 1, which runs along the coast and Big Sur.  All the rooms we've stayed in have been excellent and good value.
After lunch at Bubba Gumps, we walked through the historic Canning Row, made famous by Steinbeck, where there was once a thriving sardine canning industry, until over-fishing and climate change caused its collapse.  The industrial warehouses have been restored and reused as shops, in a sympathetic way.  The world-famous Monterey Aquarium is housed in one of these old warehouses, and we spent a couple of hours wandering around it.  Really enjoyed the layout of the aquarium, with massive tanks showing kelp forests, the deep sea conditions and fish, the deep sea, with sharks, turtles, sun fish to name a few.  The tanks dedicated to seahorses and sea dragons, and jellyfish were fascinating.  Would definitely go back again, and would love to take Lily there, when she's a little bit older.  Great place.

Monterey near Aquarium

The following day, we set off on the famous Highway 1, the Big Sur.  Weather unfortunately dull and thick mist over the rugged coastline, which is quite common.  Though much quieter than height of season, November seems to be the month of road repairs!  Classic of reality not meeting expectation!  Scenically stunning but stark and wild.  A road for driving but not stopping, in that what you see is all there is!  But then, just when we were both feeling a bit deflated, the most interesting sight.  The coastline flattens out and looks particularly bleak, and then you see all these, what look like white rocks in the distance, on the beach.  Turns out these are colonies of elephant seals of the Piedras Blancas.  The seals live out at on the Pacific, and come ashore for a few months in the winter to breed and give birth, and then most leave by March.  More than 4500 pups were born here this year.  It was full of seals basking in the sunshine, swishing sand over their fat bodies with their flippers, to act like sunscreen.  Large bulls were fighting at the water's edge.  It was so unexpected to see a phenomenon that only happens in this particular spot at this time of year.  We stopped overnight at a Holiday Inn express, in San Luis Obispo, exactly half way between San Fran and Los Angeles.  Just expected it to be a fairly uninteresting staging post, but turns out to be a very characterful town, busy with young undergrads at CalPoly.  At a bar in town we got talking to Jim, who worked at the recycling plant, designed and made his own retro-style clothing, and had travelled to Ireland, and was visiting Scotland next year. He recommended a fabric shop about half an hours drive back north at Moora Bay, where he lives, so thought we'd call in tomorrow!

Lily first haircut

No posh booster seat for Lily

Started the day with Lily climbing into bed with grandma, grasping a torch, hiding under the sheet like a tent and shining the torch inside!   Today was a big day for her with her first haircut. The few long kiss curls were trimmed and saved for grandmas, and the rest tidied up to reveal thicker, waiver locks!  Lily sat remarkably patiently, whilst mummy trimmed away.  Andrew seemed a little sad that his little girl had lost her long, thin curls.
I extended my jog up to Miwok Park, to enjoy the views again, as the morning already began to heat up.  Today it got up to 75deg, and too hot to sit outside until late afternoon.  but it's given cooler up here for the next few days.  At the moment it's hard to believe that it's November 5th.
Ian hired a road bike from Old Town cycle shop in town, for a very reasonable 25$ per day, compared with $50 we paid in Sonoma, and went off for a 60 ml ride to the sea via Nicasia, and Point Reyes.  Later we drove out to explore some of the many hill roads, up Vineyard Rd and San Marin Rd.  They certainly live in much leafier and greener place.  We had a smoothie at a curiously named Dr. Insomnia Cafe, followed later by a pint of Blue Moon at Finnegans Irish Bar, before returning to our last meal together for a while.
Tomorrow we head off South to Monterey, about 170miles away.

Aaah!

Aaah!

Point Reyes national park

North Beach on Pt Reyes

Day out with the family in Point  Reyes State Park.  After a quick jog in the morning with Lizzie, we set out for the state park alongside Pacific Ocean. It looks just like Scotland but with the sunny weather. The lack of trees and vegetation is due to the cold winds and salty atmosphere which are a feature of this area.
The local town is called Inverness which is appropriate. We went to North Beach which has rough sand and a lot of signs warning of sharks, rip tides and the like. Lily got her feet wet but didn't like it - too cold I think.  It was lovely kicking the ball around the beach, with views to the North and the South, and high waves crashing on the beach.  A few guys were surfing, but seemed to spend more time in the water, than riding the waves.
Back to Point Reyes Station, which we've driven through before,an interesting place with a mix of warehouse style buildings, and outpost style shops.  Quite busy and the road to the lighthouse was chocker with daytrippers so we headed off back to Novato.
The way back was full of lovely views across the channel.

The following day was spent trying to give the family some space, and us exploring the area by foot and cycle.  After we'd facetimed mum and dad and then Laura and Emma,  I went on a run up the block and then further on to the Miwok Trail, named after the Native American Miwok Indians.  The views from the top from a short, steep climb were great- across the sierra as far as the Bay of San Francisco.  It made me realise how close they are to the sea, and the city.  Wouldn't mind going back to SanFran on the ferry again.
In the afternoon, Ian and I cycled up to the Cheese Factory, about 20 miles round trip.  Ian continued on to Nicasia, whilst Lily had her afternoon sleep and mum and dad relaxed.
Our last day altogether tomorrow, so Xmas presents and birthday presents to wrap and hide away!

Trying to convince reluctant Lily to edge of water