Hi everyone,

With this post it looks as though I may indeed catch up to today’s date.

 

October 3rd to 7th

I’m in the town of Jamul in southern California, in the San Diego area, with my friends Fabienne and Wayne.

We spend Saturday taking a grand tour of San Diego, starting in the north and heading southwards through the beach communities of Solana Beach, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Coronado and more… Wayne must have been exhausted by the end of the day. Here are Fabienne and Wayne at the Torry Pines Glider Port with the Pacific Ocean in the background. Those of you back home in Besançon and at the CLA may recognize Fabienne. She’s a bisontine (that is to say, from Besançon) and was once one of our students.

 

Later that day we have lunch at Loew’s, a harbor resort south of Coronado…

…with a very nice view northward:

Our waitress accepts to take a picture of the three of us.  Too bad we have the sun in our eyes:

 

At Nahrain’s Fish and Chicken Grill

In the evening we go out to dinner and I meet some of their friends, a most wonderful group of people:

From left to right we have Chris, Wayne, Will, Arwa, Jeff (standing), Fabienne and Dennis.

Here’s the group minus Dennis who’s taking the picture:

(photo by Dennis)

 

Here’s Dennis now, charming the ladies:

(photo by Jeff, I believe)

 

Arwa has now selected our fish.  There was a lengthy discussion with the proprietor as to whether we should have two small fish or just one big one.

(photo by Dennis)

Arwa shows us our bread:

(photo by Dennis)

 

Wayne and Arwa have just concluded a pact…

a

(photo by Dennis)

 

Here Wayne suddenly understands that he has committed himself to a trip to Mexico with Will and Arwa…

(photo by Dennis)

…to Fabienne’s great amusement:

(photo by Dennis)

A great evening and a great meal in great company.

 

On San Diego Bay

The next day Wayne takes me out on his boat, the Tender Lady:

 

(photo by Wayne)

 

Captain Wayne:

 

First mate Dennis:

 

The crew:

 

The sole passenger, John:

(photo by Wayne)

 

The first mate hard at work:

 

Once out on the bay we encounter some seals sunbathing on this buoy:

 

Downtown San Diego appears in the distance:

 

The view beyond Coronado Island:

 

The Spirit of San Diego overtakes us:

 

As we approach an aircraft carrier a small Naval Security vessel comes to greet us:

 

The same carrier a few moments later. Apparently we’ve convinced security that we’re no threat:

 

We approach downtown:

 

Another carrier, the Midway, now a museum:

 

At the foot of downtown:

 

The Star of India moored near downtown:

 

San Diego International Airport is quite near and the planes come in very near and very low:

 

Back in the harbor the crew puts the Tender Lady back in her slip:

 

The Cabrillo Monument

Later in the day Wayne and I go up to Point Loma and the Cabrillo Monument:

 

Cabrillo was this guy…

…briefly introduced by this sign:

I remember studying him in California history at school. You can learn more about him here.

 

Here I am looking through binoculars at the panorama of San Diego Harbor and Coronado Island:

 

A few of the views:

 

Back at the house in Jamul

The entrance to the house:

 

Needless to say, Fabienne and Wayne have plants…

…that you don’t find just anywhere:

 

Such as this pepper tree:

 

Such familiar plants as agave and prickly pear…

…but this prickly pear appears to have only rudimentary spines:

 

And numerous flowers:

 

And something that we do indeed frequently find elsewhere:

 

I’ve had a wonderful time here in San Diego, as you can well see. I feel as though I’ve discovered one of the great cities of my home state, with wonderful people and its own way of life. And I’m very grateful to Fabienne and Wayne for their hospitality and their friendship.

And here I’ll stop. I’m leaving Jamul tomorrow to begin slowly moving up the California coast.

I’m in no hurry.