California. Be Here, Now.

 

Our end of the long valley with volcanic peaks... and green!

Well, we made it back! Back to our cozy pied-à-terre in Los Osos. And we’re glad to be here! The flight over was long and boring; nothing happened, just the way we like it. It was also disconcerting and disorienting. We fly Business Class, but even with the extra room, the personalized (slightly) service, the wide, lie-flat seats, it’s still spending 12 hours in a narrow metal tube seven miles above the earth’s surface. (In addition to getting up at 4AM to make the connecting flight, plus all the usual interminable waiting in lines at the airports…) Disconcerting, indeed! 

But we survived, and landed in San Francisco during a lull in the widely-publicized series of storms that have been hitting California. We rented a car and drove south through the slow Bay Area traffic. We stopped in Gilroy for the night, a good thing as we were both wiped out.

Up early the next day (as if we had a choice through our jet lag!), we were on the road before dawn, driving past gorgeous green hills. All down the Salinas valley, and from King City to San Luis Obispo, the countryside was impossibly green. In most years it’s spring before these hills green up, where they have but a month or two before the hot, dry summer. But on this trip, all the way south we passed gorgeous, green pastoral-looking countryside!

Pastoral countryside, what much of California looks like.

The flooding was long past, but there were ample signs of it: mud and sand on the road, small lakes in the middle of fields. The Salinas River was well behaved by the time we arrived, but the wide river bed was a jumble of mud and bedraggled trees and bushes.

Ah, California! Dead-looking oaks against the green green hills.

We managed to miss the rain, mostly—we arrived at the bottom of the Cuesta Pass, just minutes from the city of San Luis Obispo, when the first drops fell. And then, how they fell! Heavy, heavy rain. But we were in familiar territory now. We made our slow way to the airport to drop off the rental car, where we were met by our friends from Oregon, Sue and Alan.

Driving through San Luis to our house in Los Osos, Sue gave us a running commentary on what had been happening over the last few days of the storm. As we drove along our once-customary streets, past familiar houses and yard, both Paula and I had this strange sensation of never having left: it was like we were gone on an overnight, and it had rained. A strange sense of odd familiarity, a bizarre case of déjà-vu. 

We’re sure glad to be back, though! It has actually been 18 months since we were last here. The house and property are fine; we live on what is essentially a sand dune. It’s well elevated, and the drainage is great, so no water issues at all. Actually, while there was some flooding and damage in our small town, it was very localized and had been cleaned up by the time we arrived.

But enough of me! Paula has some observations as well:

 

Well we’ve been back 2 weeks—it went by fast: lots of rain, flooding and mudslides (not at our house), adjusting to CA time, seeing friends, getting used to a new iPhone (me) and camera (Paul). France seems far away. Thankfully, Be Here Now is a real thing. And soon we’ll be back in France, and it is California that will seem far away.

So I thought it was a good moment to send a few photos and thoughts of life here – both our little pied-à-terre and the area.

First some general impressions:

• Kale is out, chickpeas are in. California is the land of healthy fad food. Last time we were here 1-½ years ago it was kale EVERYTHING. It’s now been replaced by chickpeas. I love garbanzo beans so I’m happy. Oh yes KETO is the rage too. Thankfully I love carbs.
• Trader Joe’s still kicks butt with new food recipes to try. Many are delicious – like stuffed gnocchi with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Or sweet cannoli dip. Or an old favorite, chicken sausage. And I’ve been having a great time making fish tacos with the BEST corn tortillas. And enjoying great Mexican and Thai food. There is a new bakery here that makes delicious croissants and pain au chocolat - heaven.
• This is the season of green – in CA it only rains until April and we live at the end of a long valley of volcanic peaks and GREEN in every shade. They are even called the Irish hills – but only until May. Then it’s all brown. We live 5 minutes walk from a huge estuary and ocean and land that will never be built on. It is glorious.

The back bay at low tide, with the famous Morro Rock in the distance.
Five minutes from our house!

• Our downstairs apartment is very familiar and cozy. And has lots of kitchen stuff and sharp knives. And “our own bed”. Wow. Decorated with mementos of France and Spain, of course. If you are ever in Central Coast California - let us know. It's usually vacant.

Our living area.

Our own bed!

• After not driving for 1-½ years I am happy to report it is like I never stopped driving.  Even with manual 5 speed. But the cars and trucks seem bigger than ever. Scary.
• Because we don’t have street lights in our little town—heck, some streets are still dirt—we see the stars – bright and shiny – I had forgotten how glorious that is!

View of the fairy land that is our night time garden. Yes, there is a star up there!

• And lastly I thought it was quite serendipitous that one of my favorite watercolor painters was offering a 4 week class right in the middle of my time here.  Can't get better than that.

It might seem like I am falling in love with my old home again. I am, but I think it’s a passing affair. We are flirting. I’ll be ready to head back to France and Europe—it’s still my first love.

Daytime view of the garden.

Miss you all and hope you are enjoying life wherever you may be or traveling to.

 

And, facing away from the bay, we have this view!

We’ll be here in California until late February. Then it’s back to Montpellier! And hopefully, winter’s end. Until then, we’ll see what we can get up to here in Los Osos.

 

 

Bishop's Peak (right), the most prominent of the seven volcanic peaks;
 at the opposite end of "our" valley.