We are back in La Jolla for a two week stay at our timeshare overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The weather has been fantastic, 70-degree sunny days and 55-degree evenings. Our walking/running routine is firmly in place every morning as are our multiple trips on foot for shopping and restaurants and so forth. For the past week we have been getting 20K steps in before dark.
Much has changed in the two years since our last visit. The hills have gotten steeper, the prices have gotten steeper and I swear my legs have gotten shorter! La Jolla is still the village of designer clothes, designer cars and designer dogs; I’ve never seen so many ‘cutesy’ dogs, many of them dressed much better than me. These dogs have more gene varieties than a Calvin Klein showroom!
We had a car for the first six days of our visit so we could stock up on heavy groceries such as water and wine. We have also been able to go into San Diego to dine with our friends there, and it was lovely to catch up after two years of only emails! On Wednesday we drove north for about 40 minutes to Encinitas where there was a noon concert Cindy wanted to attend. It was held in the Encinitas Public Library and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful library! The south side of this modern facility is all floor-to-ceiling glass with spectacular views of the town, beaches and Pacific. I had fully intended to drop Cindy off and walk around for an hour, but unlike the dark, dreary musical venue here in La Jolla where we went on Monday for a concert, this one had a raised stage, plenty of chairs in comfortable configurations, and the backdrop was the Pacific Ocean!!
We drove home the long way and stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant right on the water. As we sipped our Prosecco we noticed a little roiling in the ocean very close to shore - and there, undulating with abandon - was a pod of six bottle nosed dolphins. They performed for us for twenty-five minutes going back and forth in front of us as they fed on the fish that appeared to be plentiful. Next we heard and then saw a red aerobatic plane directly above us. It turned out to be a skywriter and the plane released smoke that took the shape of a slithering snake! Who knew we would have such performances during lunch, which incidentally was excellent. (A mango/ avocado /shrimp stack and grilled salmon atop a salad.)
Sunsets here always find us on our bench at the beach waiting for the green flash, which we have seen two out of five evenings, always a highlight of our visits here. We have another six days here and they are packed with visits from family and friends. It is funny, we have more friends here that we enjoy being with than we do in West Virginia. We only lived here for seven years and we’ve lived in WV for sixteen, go figure! On the 7th we’ll take a morning flight to San Francisco, where Cindy will then take a cab to Palo Alto to visit one of her dearest friends. We have a room near the airport and will have a late dinner when she returns from the visit. The next day we have our flight home. We are flying Alaska and I now remember why I liked them so much when we lived in Washington State: They are head and shoulders better in every way than the big three, American, Delta, and United. The service was spectacular, the food was restaurant-quality, and the plane was spotless and comfortable. They even clean the toilets every so often, which is highly unusual in the USA.
And yes, we already voted! Stood in line for about an hour the day before we left to make sure our voices were heard. Now we just wait!!
With best wishes, Cindy and William
