Driving south (again)

Beautiful, cool Monterey was left in our dust as we headed down the central valley of California. "Food grows where the water flows" said a political poster on the way, its backdrop a million sprinklers.

We took a quick break at a middle-of-nowhere service station that happened to be the last stop James Dean made before his fatal crash. Then it was the long road up and down the mountains and into the basin of Los Angeles. Choosing to drive through at 4.30pm on a Friday afternoon was probably not the smartest move, but things were not as bad as expected. After eight hours on the road we arrived at Jim and Gen's lovely new house.

Starting the day the right way, with breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.

Wild animals.

California - perfect growing conditions...except for the extreme lack of water.

Vineyards in central valley.

Me and James Dean.

Something else that comes out of the ground in this part of California.

A tourist viewpoint in LA.

Good day Monterey

Hannah had the last day of her conference today, and while her physical proximity did much to calm and reassure me I still had to entertain myself for the morning.

The sun was out in a clear blue sky and a crisp breeze blew from the Pacific. I wandered down to the front in the hope of seeing some sea otters, but instead bumped into a beach full of baby seals lounging about in the heat. A few hundred cute photos later I kept walking...and saw them! Two sea otters, languidly floating around, smugly showing off their swimming skills. One of them dived under, came up with a rock resting on his stomach, and proceeded to pummel a shellfish on it until it broke. Clever.

I checked out some charity shops (of course) and then met Hannah and Amanda for lunch. Jack turned up too, and with a little conference badge swapping we all enjoyed a free buffet! You never truly stop being a student. The girls went back for the afternoon sessions so Jack and I decided to wait for them in town. Where there happens to be quite a number of bars...

A seal slick washes ashore.

After a hard day of catching fish.

Identity crisis.

Wake up!

A baby seal walks into a club...

Here's one of the otters, enjoying his tasty snack.

More seaside life.

And dolphins!

I hit the tourist trail too.

Looking out across Monterey Bay.

After lunch, appropriately in Jack's Lounge.

Bar #2, the Crown and Anchor. Another fake British establishment.

They did have a good map on the wall.

God bless you, ma'am.

Back at Jack's Lounge, post-conference.

And now Hannah's holiday really starts.

One on 1

I was fed up with being home alone. Am I even old enough to be legally left? So I jumped in the car and drove south to Monterey. Hannah has a day left on her conference and we're staying with Jack and Amanda, reliving those crazy days of the MBA so long ago.

I decided to take the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway, zig-zagging down the coast past driftwood-strewn beaches, lighthouses, and pine forests.

What it also offers if plenty of weirdness. I obviously couldn't drive past Cameron's English Pub and Inn without stopping. Inside it was surprisingly authentic: the floors were sticky, it was dark, and I was totally ignored by the bar staff. I shed a tear of homesickness.

My next stop was Pomponio State Beach and some time staring at the Pacific as it continued its relentless crashing against the California shore, and then a visit to Pigeon Point Lighthouse. This old establishment has found a second life as a youth hostel, complete with sea view hot tub. I was then distracted by free jam tasting at Swanton Berry Farm, where all purchases are on an honour system. Nicely Californian.

Sadly my time was running out, so I zipped through Santa Cruz and on down to meet Hannah, Jack, and Amanda in my second fake English establishment of the day - the London Bridge Pub on the Monterey waterfront. They did serve nice chips.

Because every pub in England has a red double-decker bus parked outside.

The village store. $4.99 for a pack of Hob Nobs, $7.99 for salad cream!?

Pomponio beach. Not too crowded on a Wednesday.

Me and the sea.

Another common Californian sight.

Pigeon Point, where at $23 a night we might come to live.

Back in the zone.

Jam tasting (organic, of course).

I came away much richer than when I went in (what? It tells you to pay yourself!)

Down in Monterey, with two genuine Americans in a very ungenuine pub.

Boys who play guitars

Elad and I have been abandoned by our wives - Daphny is in Israel working on a new telly show and Hannah is at a sustainable brands conference in Monterey. We deliberated long and hard about what to do to keep our spirits up...and decided on a Rock Band night.

I voiced my disapproval at Elad's boys-only policy. I feel I play better in front of a large crowd of adoring fans. No matter, there was barbecue, beer, and male-bonding aplenty. We all crawled away at 3.30am (I have never stayed up so late in my life!)

Sagy puts himself in danger so we can eat.

Shauli's brother Elad demonstrates a balanced diet.

Rocking out!

There was one girl there, and she was unimpressed.

Moving on up

Studies have finished, and the care-free days of student life (for one of us, at least) are drawing to a close. Hannah's job with Chevron, where she interned last summer and has been working part-time since, means that we're too far away here in University Village to make commuting viable. Yes, we are sadly going to have to move from the kibbutz and out into the real world of suburbia.

So this week we signed on a new apartment in Walnut Creek! Not exactly a million miles from where we are now, but Hannah will gain two hours a day from her commute. We'll also gain a few other things...like a swimming pool! We're moving into a classic 60s-style American complex, but our apartment is being completely renovated with a new kitchen, carpets, paint, etc. ready for our habitation. It also has a dishwasher, although this does undermine one of my major functions in Hannah's life.

We'll be there in a few weeks, after an inevitably (from me) tearful goodbye to all our friends in the village. But with Walnut Creek having the largest Tiffany's on the West Coast, two Cheesecake Factories, many designer babywear shops, and a great coffee place two minutes walk away that stays open until 1am, we're already booked for several visits.

The most exclusive address in Walnut Creek (after word gets out we live here).

Around the grounds.

Oh yeah, this is what I am talking about.

Inside. We've been assured that the kitchen cupboard doors will be attached by the time we get in.

Hopefully the electrics get sorted to...

Hannah inspects the most important bit.

Front view.

Back view from the balcony.

Local cornershop.

...in a brewery

We've been to a few breweries since moving over here, but never on a tour of the Pyramid Alehouse. Just a short staggering distance away, it's where they make lots of my favourite beer - Haywire Hefewiezen (about as close as you can get to buying cider around here). I'm not sure how we've managed to miss out, maybe because Hannah abstained from alcohol throughout her MBA. Didn't you realise...?

Unfortunately it was slightly disappointing, with a rather soulless automated beer-making process and a similarly soulless tour guide, but strangely most people seemed to be there for the (well-organised!) free tasting.

Pyramids of Pyramid Ale. Clever marketing.

Cheers! With a slightly small tasting glass.

Quality and quantity.

Meta-draining

When we moved here, some nice old ladies in the Berkeley Equipment Loan Center gave us lots of stuff. The Center seems to be a sort-of charity, where ex-students leave useful things for new students to use, presided over by ancient volunteers. I think we had to pay a $6 deposit, and you were allowed to visit twice and take whatever you could carry.

I remember entering the dusty Aladdin's cave, enviously eying the fake-wood-veneer 70's televisions and a record player or two. Hannah, however, restrained me, and we left with things that have actually proved incredibly useful for two years - a duvet, lamps, a toaster, etc.

Now university life has drawn to a close, and with it our borrowing privileges. I'm not sure they can actually trace where we live, but the possibility of a friendly old lady arriving at my door wanting to know where her kitchen equipment has got to, then sucking my soul out through my chest as forfeit (it's how they remain strong!), does not appeal.

So tonight we cleaned and tidied everything into boxes, and tomorrow I return it. Another nail in the coffin - figuratively - of being a student. Then it's off to the charity shops to find replacements :)

Look! It's our borrowed dish drainer, washed and draining on our newly-purchased replacement drainer! Clever.