Car-mel

Weather Max 20 Min 12

Well I don't care whether its Carmel or Car-mel. On a Tuesday morning on a pristine autumn day, Carmel has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The weather was perfect.  It wasn't crowded. It was clean. The beach had beautiful white sand (albeit imported from elsewhere). If you ever get the chance please go and see and feel it.

Some interesting things about Carmel

• Clint Eastwood was the mayor for 1 term in 1986
• The movies Play Misty For Me and some scenes from Basic Instinct were filmed there.
• There was a law prohibiting the sale and consumption of ice cream in public streets - repealed during Clint Eastwood's mayorship.
• There are no street addresses - your mail goes to a Post Office box
• There are no fast food places or chain restaurants
• You need a permit to wear high heels higher than 2 inches (apparently this is not policed)
• Doris Day and Betty White both own property in Carmel

Clint still owns a restaurant and property here but mostly lives in LA. To me the makes NO SENSE

Hotel owned by Doris Day

I am going to put a lot of pictures on here - just because it is such a picturesque town.

Beautiful clean beach

Picturesque buildings

All ready for Christmas

Don't ask lol - maybe a Halloween thing

 Outside the cafes there are no tables and chairs blocking the footpath - they are all in cute little alcoves and alleys

The feel of the place and the building style is almost European 

 There were quite a lot of cute little cars around the place and conversely an over representation of UPS and Fedex trucks....again.....who knows?

The local Plumber is Mr Rooter - obviously a different meaning in Australian

After  thoroughly exploring Carmel - which is only a square mile -I found my way back to my favourite coffee shop on Cannery Row. More caffeine and more reading. I really will miss that spot - the cute young guy who works there asked me today if I wanted "my usual".   I felt quite at home.

I finally dragged myself away and continued on the path along the ocean front to Pacific Grove. The beach is quite spectacular and the day was made for walking.

This struck me as funny. It's an aquarium and they are advertising tinned fish. Bit like a zoo advertising elephant meat.

Pacific Grove Beach

After three days of literally walking for miles and miles my feet were feeling the strain and I had had enough.  I called Mr Uber and he came and took me back to my motel for a nap.


I revisited Denny's for dinner and don't think I will be awake for long.

Tomorrow late afternoon I head for San Francisco and as there is quite a bit of rain predicted I may not get to see much more of Monterey.  Will have to see how it pans out.

I have to add that I have met an incredible number of friendly and helpful people just as I go about my day. Also on the train and the Uber drivers are Uber helpful :)  I've had no time to get lonely or homesick (YES!! I DO miss you Derek xx) and am quite happy with the way things are going.

"I'd love to be...under the sea...in an octopuses garden in the shade" Ringo Starr

Weather Max 22 Min 12

Gorgeous day today. Mild, clear, honking seals and noisy seagulls and sailing boats in a sleepy harbour. Perfection. When I was a kid and did jig saw puzzles this was my ideal scene.

Cannery Row

I started off by going to the Monterey Aquarium. Very impressive and got a decent "old lady discount" :)

$10 Granny Discount

I spent quite a few hours in the aquarium and these photos don't do it justice... it was quite amazing.

This diver was hand feeding the fish

A sign on the wall as you go in and it really felt like you were under the sea

I'm not sure why they thought I would ...but I did stay fully clothed.

 I left the aquarium to go for a wander, not realising I was right next to my coffee house from yesterday so I spent another couple of hours drinking coffee on Cannery Row and reading THE book. Most enjoyable.

I set off to walk the 5 miles back to the Motel and maybe I got lost once or twice...or maybe I didn't. I did end up back at the motel....eventually. Some lovely sights along the way.

Beautiful park area

The Autumn foliage is gorgeous

Fat Old seal.....I don't think he moved except to honk all day

I was relieved to get back to the motel....... I wasn't lost I tell you .......  I just located an up till now undiscovered route ;(   

I'd previously asked the not-so-helpful dude at reception if there was a laundry and he said no. He never mentioned there was a laundromat 300 meters down the road. Jerk!! I came across it by accident. I have found a lot of that attitude and I don't understand it in a service industry. How hard is it say "sorry, no, we don't have a laundry but there is one just down the road"? So easy to provide that extra bit of information.

I spent the next hour or so beating my clothes on the rock at the laundromat and stopped at Denny's for a steak and egg and hash brown.

Last night there were people in the room next door and they stomped and banged around till after midnight - I hope they have moved on tonight. Together with the noise and the cold night - one thin blanket on the bed - I didn't get a lot of sleep. I did end up getting my sleeping bag out and I was warm as toast.

Tomorrow is my last day in this neck of the woods so i'm thinking of heading to Car-mel......not Carmel. If you say Carmel noone knows what you mean. To me it doesn't seem like a huge mispronunciation but you would have thought I had said Woolloomooloo or Yorkey's Knob.  Ok ....I'm obviously tired and fractious so I'll send myself to my room and have an early night lol. Maybe I'll see Clint Eastwood tomorrow ...in Car-Mel.....and he can go ahead and make my day!!

Monterey

Weather Max 19 Min 13 - well it doesn't  sound hot but it was very humid :(

I uberred to Fishermans Wharf in style - a very flash black Mercedes - and wandered around reacquainting myself with the area. The first thing you notice about Fishermen Wharf is a strong smell of fish - not surprisingly - but your nose gets used to it very quickly.  The whole area really does appeal to me. I don't know quite what it is about Monterey but it just feels right. It's a lot bigger than I remember and I walked bout 13 kms today just enjoying the sights.

Fishermans Wharf

Fishermans' Wharf

I skipped breakfast and partook in a bread bowl of clam chowder....was wonderful.

Clam Chowder

Love it

There are big fat old harbour seals vegging all over the place on rocks in the ocean - I would have added  a photo but they just look like rocks lol

Plastic bags for dog poop - great name - Mutt Mitts

Now this is what you call and oxymoron

Cannery Row is the waterfront street in the New Monterey area. It's the site of a number of now defunct sardine canning factories. (The last cannery closed in 1973). The street name, formerly a nickname for Ocean View Ave, became official in 1958 to honour John Steinbeck and his famous novel Cannery Row. In the opening sentence of Cannery Row Steinbeck describes the street as "a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream". Very apt.

Cannery Road

Cannery Row

Just about everything I saw was named after Steinbeck....I'm not sure if he would be impressed or horrified. 

Before I left Oz I downloaded Cannery Row so I could sit in  a coffee house on the real Cannery Row and read it and feel it. Was so good. I stayed for so long I didn't have time to do my planned trip to the Aquarium. Never mind. Tomorrow is another day.  Ah retirement.....I am beginning to understand how you work. 

Being short sighted can be an inconvenience but it also brings me many laughs. I often see a sign and what I see from a distance and what it really says will range from the rude to the hysterical to the ridiculous.  This one I read as Nasal Pomegranate School. Each year I need to get closer and closer to read what they really says lol