Archive for August, 2008
We drove into San Juan Bautista at 7 am and the sun was shining, which was pretty amazing as fog was
surrounding the area. South of Gilroy we hit light fog and it looked thicker ahead. We were convinced San Juan Bautista would be blanketed in fog.
As we left the highway and entered the town Tom said ‘turn the clocks back 20 years’ and it’s true. Straightaway we encountered the first chicken, ambling across the road in front of us. Before too long we had seen at least another 20, either in groups, pairs or on their own, wandering around.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
The main street, Third Street, was almost deserted. All the cute little shops were closed and may be open by 11. We passed the Mission Cafe with the Open sign in the window. Last time we were here it was closed so we will come back later for breakfast. We decided to take a walk beforehand to take advantage of the sun. Who knows when the fog will roll in.
We headed towards the Mission along Mariposa Street, walking along the side of the Plaza Hotel and the two story outhouse at the back. The building is looking a bit dilapidated and in need of a new coat of paint. At the corner of Mariposa and Second Street is a small park and I walked across the road to check it out. There were a few chickens scavenging around and in one corner is an old settlers cabin but as the park doesn’t open until 10 I’m not able to get a closer look. There is an old rustic seat on the outside of the park at the crossroads which I had never seen before though, from the look of it, it has been there some time.
While I stood there taking photos, someone behind me said ‘Good Morning’. I turned and there were three young men, two of them in identical smart black and white pin striped suits with white shirts and white dress shoes. They looked so out of place there. I discovered that there 14 more young men around wearing the same suits. They belonged to a Mexican band from Santa Cruz and they have just cut their first disc. The reason for their visit is to take photos for the cover of their album and they were just off to Salinas to take more photos.
Tom was taking pictures outside the Mission so I wandered past and paused in the rose garden, peeped through the gate to the cemetery and gazed at the stature of St John the Baptist, raising his arms to heaven. At this time of the day, with the early morning sun blazing down on him, he looks glorious.
At the back of the Mission, alongside the original El Camino Real, are overgrown concrete bleachers. At one time El Camino Real was the route linking all the Californian Missions with Santa Clara Mission to the north and San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo – which was the headquarters and second Mission to be built – to the south. I climbed over the metal guard rail and walked along the bleachers amongst the brambles. Along the way I helped myself to a few blackberries. They are past their prime and were small but also very tasty. I am sure there were good pickings to be had a few weeks ago.
I sat down and started to write but spent most of my time gazing over the farmlands and especially a field of golden sunflowers in the foreground. The sun was still shining but the fog was out there in the distance.
After a while I walked back and found Tom. I told him about the sunflowers so we took a walk along the old road to get closer. Tom wandered off and I found some more blackberries. There were some bigger fruit here but all out of reach. If only I had a walking stick with a hooked handle.
It’s time for breakfast so we walked back to the Mission Cafe (see Breakfast Blog).
Afterward we took a walk along Third Street, where the shops were still not open. I noticed there were a few empty shops and the Inca Line one of my favorites specializing in goods made with alpaca wood – was gone for ever. Also missing was the wooden statue of the top half of a man wearing a read hat outside the Casa Juan de Anza House on the corner of Franklin and Third Streets.
The only shop open is the San Juan Bakery where we bought a French loaf, which was still warm from the oven and smelt wonderful, and an along poppy seed pound cake.
There are many more people around now so it’s time to head home. It’s been another wonderful morning, going back in time, in the magical San Juan Bautista.
August 27 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
The Mission Cafe in San Juan Bautista is again open for business. This time last year it was closed and forlorn but in March 2008 it reopened. Many times in the past Tom and I have had breakfast here. My first visit was in February 2001, just half an hour after Tom had proposed and I had accepted. A few years ago the cafe was for sale and we ventured down the path of make believe and imagined buying the place and running it. What better place to live than San Juan Bautista? To be so close to San Francisco, the ocean and everything we love so much about California but living in this quiet, rustic, community is almost irresistible.
Now it has a new lease of life. Inside it looks almost the same. The stools at the counter are new as is the bar but the layout is identical. It is not a large diner but it’s compact. In the front window is a large table for 6. Along the side are 4 four-seater booths. In the middle are 4 small tables for 2 and there are ten places at the counter.
Decorating the walls are lots of old photographs, some of San Juan Bautista views and a few portraits. There are a few other knick knacks on the window sills.
I ordered my normal oatmeal – $3.95 – and added toast – $2.45. Tom ordered Huevos Rancheros with hash browns – $9.70 and, of course, he had coffee.
The place was bustling but there were no queues. Mind you, it is only 8 am so maybe there will be people waiting later. Music was playing in the background. Our server was very pleasant and efficient. There was a nice happy, relaxed feeling.
Now to the food. My oatmeal came in a large, round bowl – it looked just like a small pudding basin but I doubt whether that description would be understood by many in America. Back in England it would be understood as they are used to steam our hot treacle sponges and Christmas puddings. The milk, in a small stainless steel jug and the brown sugar, raisins and, would you believe it, honey, in small plastic containers came on a medium sized plate. I saved the honey to have on my toast instead of using the prepacked runny marmalade and jams already on the table. The oatmeal tasted great – nice and creamy – but it could have been a little warmer. Tom’s Huevos Rancheros and hash browns covered his plate. He said it was spicy but that was due to the excessive amount of Tabasco he put on it because the stopper was missing from the bottle. His comment after though was ‘great’.
The restroom was unisex, large, bright and clean. It was much better than the restroom in the previous version of the Mission Cafe. The only decoration now is a small black and white photograph on the wall near the sink. The water was nice and hot, which pleased me.
Our verdict – we’ll come again.
August 21 2008 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Last week was a momentous week for me as I become an American citizen on Thursday.
The journey has taken me nearly seven years. I first arrived in this country on November 5, 2001 clutching my fiance visa. Tom and I married at the end of November and in the following February I was given my first Green Card. It was only for two years and before I received my ten year Green Card, Tom and I had to prove that we were still married and living together.
Last year I decided it was time to become a fully fledged citizen and started the process by filling in the necessary paperwork at the end of July. In December I had my fingerprints and biometrics done and my interview and test were on June 23 this year.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
Six weeks after my interview I received the letter giving the date, place and time for the Naturalization Ceremony. It was to be held at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds on Tully Road at 10 am on Thursday, August 14. The letter contained very little information apart from the above and I had many questions – What is the parking like? Can I bring guests? If so, how many? Can I take a camera? I went on line to find out what I could and eventually gleaned some answers. Parking was no problem. Guests could attend and there was no limit but it was first come first served. Cameras were allowed. I also discovered that there were gong to be three ceremonies at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds in August, one on the 7th and two on the 14th; one at 10 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m.
The day after the first ceremony I read a newspaper report that 3,000 people had become American Citizens. The ceremony had been delayed by one and half hours due to traffic chaos on Tully Road. As there were estimated to be another 3,000 at both ceremonies on the 14th, the same was likely to happen again so we made plans to arrive early.
Don and Arlene, Tom’s parents, wanted to attend so they arrived the day before. Thursday dawned and we were up bright eyed and busy tailed and the four of us were the very first to arrive at 6.50 a.m, so no chance of my guests not getting a seat. We were able to walk into the hall because there was nobody else around. It was an enormous space. In the middle, 3,000 white folding chairs all with letters, brochures and a small American flag; 500 brown folding seats at the side for guests; a small stage and large screen at the front. The first officials arrived soon after and said we had to wait outside but I persuaded them to let Don and Arlene stay inside because 3 hours would have a long time for them to stand in line.
Tom had to go to the other side of the building to line up and I was at the front of the line of new citizens.
Soon there was a long line behind me and I could see the traffic getting snarled up on the road outside as more and more people arrived. At 8.15 we were allowed into the hall and we all had to go to our allotted section. I was about half way down in Section 2. I had to hand in my letter and Green Card and was directed to the chair I was to sit in. Somehow Don, Arlene, Tom, plus three of my friends from work, all managed to sit together but not within speaking distance of me.
It was a slow process to get everyone seated. I had a grandstand seat, front row of my section and next to 
the central aisle. One of the envelopes contained my voters’ registration card so I immediately filled it out. The brochures made interesting reading, information about the Declaration of Independence and the writing of the Constitution but I spent most of my time observing what was going on around me. Patriotic songs were playing and videos of scenes from all over America were displayed on the screen. The official in charge of our section made an effort to keep us amused by asking questions about the Constitution and Amendments. Every time somebody gave the right answer they were told their prize was ‘Fame and Glory’.
continue reading »
August 18 2008 | Further Afield | 2 Comments »
Once again we headed for the coast. Last weekend we made the same journey but it was way too foggy. Our plan was to visit Franklin Point and go for breakfast at the Nuevo Southwest Grill in Santa Cruz afterward. When we arrived at Franklin Point, it was not only extremely foggy but very cold. We abandoned that plan and kept driving north. As the fog was still thick, we drove inland stopping at Duarte’s in Pescadero for breakfast and then driving home. It was a long way just for breakfast!
(Click on the images for larger versions)
When we set out conditions were clear and we remained optimistic but as we approached Santa Cruz we ran into fog. We headed for the wharf where we found a parking place. Although there was fog and we couldn’t see far out to sea, we could see the boardwalk behind us. It was not nearly as cold as last week so we took an early morning walk along the wharf.
Tom immediately started taking photos and I wandered around stopping to
look at things which caught my eye. My first stop was outside the Lifeguard Headquarters, where I studied the handwritten noticeboard outside. It contained all sorts of information about the air and water temperature, surf height, wind direction and velocity, swell direction, times of low and high tides and the UV rating and dangers. At the bottom was a Comments section and there was this interesting quote – “Understand happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.” Profound words.
Behind me I could hear the bark of a sea lion so I took a walk across the road and looked over the guard rail. Down below on a pontoon were a harbor seal and two sea lions, one large one making all the noise and a smaller one. I watched them for a while before I set off again.
A small building attracted my attention. A sign outside said Venture Quest Kayaking. Outside were brightly colored kayaks stored in a wooden rack. In the window of the building were notices advertising prices and also details of their Nature Tours. The latter looked very interesting. Every weekend the tours start at 10 am, 1 pm and 5.30 pm. Single and double kayaks are available and the price of $55 includes all equipment, instruction and guides. Now that would be fun, especially to get up close to sea otters.
I heard the sound of voices and the creaking of machinery and headed back to the guard rail. A small fishing boat was being lowered into the water. Already on board was fishing equipment and as the boat bobbed on the water, four fishermen climbed in, unhooked the ropes that lowered the boat and set off into the fog for their days fishing. The boat rental company was doing great business as I watched three more sets of fishermen set out.
Back across the road I spotted a kiosk with a sign which said ‘Marcella Fishing Boat Memorial. On three sides, posted behind glass windows, was a series of 14 sheets of information giving the history of a small commercial fishing boat named Marcella which is displayed behind the kiosk. The history is written by Robert Podesta, who owned the boat for 30 years. There are several photos displayed as well. After reading all the history I went to look at the actual craft. It looked tiny, almost like a model. There was a small, glass cabin on the desk but the door was so small I’m sure only a child could have entered it.
continue reading »
August 13 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
The address is 2-1490 E. Cliff Drive. This is the restaurant Jane Baker recommended (this link is broken but Jane still loves the place and so do we) a couple of weeks ago. Finding it was a bit of a challenge. We tried to program the address into Mollie (our GPS) but the dash in the address did not show up. We found East Cliff Drive alright and drove all the way to where East Cliff becomes Seabright but no 2-1490, so we rang the restaurant to ask for directions. We told them where we were on Seabright and Murray and they told us they were on East Cliff and 15th Avenue but couldn’t tell us how to reach them from where we were. We went back to Mollie and put in 15th Avenue and eventually, with a few more wrong turns, we arrived at our destination.
The Nuevo Southwest Grill opens for brunch at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It was 9.15 when we arrived and were the first customers of the day. As the name suggests, it is a Mexican restaurant and we were greeted at the door by Mexican music. Tom needed a newspaper to read but there were no stands outside. He asked where he could find a newspaper to buy and was given a personal copy of the Santa Cruz Sentinel by one of the servers, which was extremely kind of her.
A first glance at the menu convinced me I wasn’t going to find any oatmeal and said as much to Tom. His reply was ‘What do you expect in a Mexican restaurant?” On closer inspection though I was surprised to see that they do, in fact, offer oatmeal – served with brown sugar and cinnamon – for $3.95. I also ordered toast ($1.50). Tom was gong to order from the menu but changed his mind when the server went through the specials. He finally ordered Chili Verde, eggs, beans and flour tortilla for $8.95.
The restaurant itself is a bright and cheery place. It is fairly large with a lower section and a slightly higher section. There are no booths at all, mostly wooden, Formica topped tables with wooden chairs with the exception of one wrought iron round table with four matching chairs just inside the restaurant.
Outside there is a small patio with three tables. The site is screened with a vine colored trellis and lined with little lights covered with orange, yellow and beige plastic covers. In daylight they don’t look too pretty but Tom assures me that at night they will give off an attractive glow.
On the walls inside there are a selection of canvasses, four of them framed, mostly of beach and coastal views but some of flowers and gardens. One of the framed paintings is very unusual. The frame itself is much larger than the picture inside and is a picture itself of a mountain and desert scene. Hanging from the ceiling are large bunches of dried hot chili peppers.
Now for the food. My oatmeal was served in a small, round deep bowl with the sugar already on the top. The bowl was on a round plate with a doily. Cinnamon had been sprinkled on top of the oatmeal and all over the plate and doily. I had to ask for some milk. The toast came without butter and jam and I also had to ask for them. The server was happy to get it but the portions, when they arrived in two, small, stainless steel bowls, were meager to say the least. At first the oatmeal appeared watery but it tasted very good. The toast was white – I normally have wheat toast but was not offered a choice – and very crisp. Even though it was difficult to stretch the butter and jam between the four slices of toast, the taste was excellent.
Tom’s chili verde came with two eggs, large cubes of pork covered in the chili verde sauce, pinto beans, a tortilla and salsa. His verdict on it – very good verging on fantastic.
Last, but not least, the restroom. After our last visit to a Mexican restaurant and their appalling restroom, I was a bit dubious but this one was vastly different. As soon as I opened the door I caught the welcome smell of potpourri. I’m guessing it came from the dried arrangement of grasses and seed heads in an urn on the wall. There were two flower pictures in there plus a flowering plant in a pot on a side table and, yes, it was a real plant and not artificial. The only criticism I have is that the water is no where near warm enough.
All in all, we enjoyed our visit to the Nuevo Southwest Grill. We can recommend the service and food and the surroundings were very pleasant.
Jane also mentioned the Farmers Market which is held just across the road on the Sunday so of course we paid a visit there as well. We took a walk round and sampled the pluots and blueberries (the first were a bit sharp but the blueberries were scrumptious). We did buy some fresh fish there – Coho salmon from Alaska – so we were very happy. Thank you Jane for your recommendation.
August 10 2008 | Breakfast Log | 2 Comments »
We have had this date in our diary for some time now and were both looking forward to it. I have only been
once before and enjoyed it very much. The night before though there was some doubt as to whether we would actually be able to go. We had nine cubic yards of cedar bark delivered and spent all of the afternoon trying to move and spread it. It was back breaking work. By the end of the day we had moved only half and were exhausted. Would we be able to even get out of bed in the morning?
(Click the image for a larger version)
Amazingly we were both fine when we woke up. According to the weather forecast it was going to be a beautiful day, although the temperature in Berkeley would be a bit cooler than in south San Jose. There didn’t seem to be too much wind about but closer to the Golden Gate it would be different.
Our route is easy, north on 101 and then 880 all the way to the Bay Bridge. Berkeley is a short hop from there. 880 is almost as devoid of scenic interest as 101 so there wasn’t much to grab my attention apart from noting how rarely you see drivers holding a cell phone these days. I wonder whether there has been a decrease in accidents since the new law came into effect of July 1st.
The roadworks south of Fremont are nearly complete and it looks like there is going to be a carpool lane on this freeway. The road surface is much improved as well. In fact it was smooth most of the way to just north of the Oakland Coliseum. Then suddenly we were driving on one of the worst road surfaces ever!
After an interesting breakfast at Cafe Durant in Berkeley, we made our way down University to the Marina. There were traffic signs warning that there would be congestion between 11 & 4 due to the kite festival and you’d better believe it. As it is only just 9 we were fine.
There still doesn’t seem to be a lot of wind about but a few flags were waving slightly. Last time we came we were able to park for free but no more. There are no parking signs up everywhere and just one designated parking lot where the charge is $10. We had to go for that as there was nowhere else to park. All the available spaces were taken up SUVs and trucks with boat launches attached. The car park is not very big so I’m guessing it will fill up quickly.
The festival is held in Cesar E Chavez Park and there is no fee to enter the park. We followed the path uphill and could see a couple of small kites up in the sky and came to an area where they were offering free kite lessons Now I’ve never flown a kite and would like to one day but not today. Next came the vendor and food booths.
More and more kites were getting into the air. Tom and I stood and watched as a huge rainbow colored sting ray was slowly hoisted aloft. It was part of the static display and tethered to a pick up truck. While we watch the slow progress, two other amateur photographers joined us. We stood and chatted for a while. They were both retired and spend most of their time traveling. They talked about the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, Bryce Canyon, Tall Ships in San Francisco and several other places they’ve visited. Can’t wait until we retire!
Out in the main arena there were several kit fliers practicing. The three keen photographers wandered off for a closer look to take photos. I decided to sit on the grass, write and enjoy what was happening all around. I had nothing to sit on but the rather scrubby and pot holed ground but I didn’t mind. There were a few family groups settled nearby with their rugs, chairs, food, etc. More and more spectators gathered all the while I sat there. I tried to keep an eye on Tom but somehow he wandered off without me seeing in which direction he went. I knew I would bump into him somewhere later.
continue reading »
August 01 2008 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
surrounding the area. South of Gilroy we hit light fog and it looked thicker ahead. We were convinced San Juan Bautista would be blanketed in fog.
