Monterey / Point Lobos Nature Reserve

After an interesting night...someone tried to get into our room at 0600, I think it was folk from the next room, they were packing a car to leave early, and they went to the wrong door...they all looked the same.

We were all up by 0830, we headed out to find somewhere to get breakfast. We opted for a funky cafe that looked like the sort of place old hippies and vegans would hang out, it certainly had some trippy decor and the menu was 'interesting'. The coffee was not only hot it came in a huge bowl-like cup, but the service was extremely slow (someone was late for work!) and I think Chris was beginning to regret the café choice, and that did not improve when he actually got his breakfast pancakes...they were not good. I enjoyed my breakfast, basic eggs on toast, but it was good.

We set off toward Monterey, it is a lovely place, famous for music festivals among other things, it is a massive draw for tourists, the traffic was quite heavy for the time of day. We stopped off for coffee and had a fascinating conversation about American politics and the future of America from a European perspective. My take: The 20th Century has rightly been called the American Century but at the beginning of the 21st its influence is on the wane. In Europe there is a growing concern about the Americanisation of European cultures and the beginnings of a backlash against it. The Trump era has accelerated concerns about America's role globally, and in Europe there is a real concern that America could descend into civil war (the Jan 6th riot, the religion around Trump, and the rise of Christian nationalism, the backlash against critical race theory etc. are indicative of the further polarisation of American society), if not civil war it could become a right wing totalitarian State. None of which would be good for the liberal democracies of Europe. I think they may have been a bit surprised at my knowledge of American politics but the obvious point is of course that America is a global power with global reach...Scotland, not so much (yet).

We headed on to the Point Lobos Nature Reserve and arrived early enough to get a parking space, something that I guess would have been very difficult just an hour or so later.

It looked very beautiful and we spent most of the day having a walk around the coastal trail, the scenery, the wildlife and the company were all fabulous. I think Clint Eastwood has a house around here somewhere. Chris was a mine of information about the area, he is a really interesting person, with a good sense of humour, I think we are going to get on fine. It was really good to get out for a walk after having spent so long sitting in the airport, the plane and then the car the day before.

When it came time to go, I was sorry to leave, but it was time to head back to Pacifica. On the drive back we passed a lot of fields, of fruit and other crops, farming here seems to be done on a huge industrial scale, and I couldn't help but wonder how good that was for the environment and for human health.

We stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant called The Whole Enchilada, it didn't look particularly appealing but Meg and Chris had eaten there before and they said the food was good. I was unsure about real Mexican food as opposed to what passes for Mexican food in Scotland so I took the safe option of cod and chips - terrible I know, but I do have a severe food allergy and dying on the first day of the trip would have really spoiled the holiday. It was a good choice because it was excellent, one of the best fish and chips I have ever had, and both Meg and Chris enjoyed their meal very much.

We set off once more and went back via the coastal road which was very beautiful , it was exactly what I imagined the Californian coast to be. We arrived back in Pacifica and after a quick coffee and chat it was time for bed, it had been a long day but a fabulous one. Although I got off to a bad start on this trip - thank you Aer Lingus - the first day in America had been terrific and not least because of Meg and Chris who had both been fantastic company.Читать далее