I am getting a bit behind on my Posting - I originally started my Blog so that sponsors of my Bangkok to Saigon ride could follow along. Although the Internet connectivity was rather patchy over the ride I did manage to update my Blog over the ride. I kept the Blog going afterwards - partly as a diary, partly to encourage my cycling and partly as a way to make "sense" of the many pictures I take when cycling around. This has evolved so that I also Blog about non-cycling travelling such as last weeks business trip to California. The trouble is work sometimes gets in the way of writing the Posts. This Post relates to May 2nd - but there are pictures stacking up from my cycling since I returning. Rather than post them out of order I think I will cut down on the commentary a bit to speed up the posting.
To recap I flew to the US on a Saturday as flight tickets are significantly cheaper - they were fixed tickets for the same reason and booked some way in advance. We were planning to do some work on the Sunday - but various issues got in the way which made it impossible so rather than mope around in San Jose (where we were staying) we took a trip down to the Monterey Peninsula and drove along 17-Mile Drive a scenic (tool road for cars) drive around the Peninsula - taking in amongst other things the famous Pebble Beach golf course which will host the 2010 US Open Championship (according to the Website - golf has no interest for me I'm afraid.)
The weather that days was beautiful with sun and blue skies. The coast does get a morning fog - but it had virtually gone by the time we got there, which was quite early, since the UK is 8 hours ahead of California and my body was on UK time getting up early was not a problem.
There was a sea breeze and the waves were quite large - this is one of the beaches, near one of the several golf courses in the area. It is a mix of sand and pebbles with a bluey-green sea.
The area attracts quite a lot of wildlife - I think these were some sort of geese, flying in formation.
Although there is a common is conception that in the US people drive everywhere and sit around eating fast food all the time we saw quite a few people out walking, cycling and surfing. The Pacific is cold though, which is why this guy needed a wet-suit.
Cyclists get in for free (on one gate anyway) and there are quite a few cycling around the drive. In this part of California the cars seem to give them space, there was a white line at the side of the road indicating a cycle lane as well. I was wishing I had rented a bike and gone for a ride around the 17-mile Drive.
Seaweed drying on an outcrop of rock, look at the lovely blue sky.
The next stop if you cross at this point would be Japan, it seems to be at a similar latitude to California. At the edge of the beach there was quite a bit of vegetation. At this point the view inland would have been a golf-course surrounded by houses. The whole lot was in amongst the tree - but don't expect total desolation on this peninsula.
The trees were various types of coniferous tree - trees close to the coast seem to had succumbed to the salt air. This picture is an HDR picture which gives the sea a mist-like surface and also accentuates the texture of the dead bark.
Yet another shot of the waves lapping over the rocks.
Some trees clung on on the coast, but did look a little ragged around the edges.
The coastal flowers seemed more at home - I am not sure what these are, you also seem them on the edges of the freeways in this part of California.
Here is a close-up of those flowers - these are pink but there are also yellow-cream ones around as well. I have spent a bit of time trying to identify them on the Web - but failed.
In places they (the flowers) form a carpet that seems to reach down to the sea. The fleshy leaves presumably they help the plants to resist the salt water and/or retain fresh water.
I have taken my pictures to avoid showing too many houses - however as I mentioned above don't be surprised by the houses dotted all over the place - like this one perched on the coast.
We visited Carmel and then popped into Monterey to have lunch. Carmel was busy and whilst picturesque we struggled to find somewhere interesting to park. The restaurant was alongside the famous Monterey Aquarium. I once spent a holiday with my family here so have been in the aquarium and because of the area's association with John Steinbeck (think Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men) I read quite a few of his books. You can also rent bikes and cycle along near to the sea front. It seemed more commercialised than I remember, though. It was pleasant to stop for a rest and something to eat though. Our table was next to a huge window looking out over the bay.
Once again we saw quite a few people out taking some recreational exercise - some in red kayaks.
And some in yellow kayaks.
A seal and her pup also swam by the window - this picture (along with the preceding two) was taken through the glass - so it is a little blurry.
Naturally we had some fish for lunch - it was delicious. Out next stop was to vist a park with some tall, old trees.
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