Hossegor Beach, Southern France
Posted July 22, 2009 , add a comment
Surfer outside the Rock Food Cafe. http://www.flickr.com/photos/13956632@N00/3320027370/
Part pastoral, part Baywatch, Hossegor is an interesting mix of Basque history, Landais, and now modern day surf culture. Set among stone cottages, old growth pines and Le Lac d’Hossegor, the town has recently become one of the premiere surfing locations in Europe, boasting such well-known breaks as Seignosse, Gravi?re, La Nord, Capbreton, and La Piste. Throughout the summer months Hossegor supports a thriving nightlife, centered at La Plage Centrale. And every September, the town hosts the Quicksilver Pro France surfing competition, attracting pros and fans the world over.
Kelly Slater, world surfing championship 2008. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25933559@N04/2886647269/
I haven’t been to Hossegor since before the Euro, which tells you just how very long it’s been. But I’m planning on going back, even if it looks a bit like home. It’s my home en fran?ais, ma maison, et c’est si belle.
Bolinas Beach, West Marin, California
Posted , add a commentIt is fitting that I write about Bolinas Beach right before the 4th of July. After all, throughout high school I spent every 4th of July there at the beach, drinking beer during the day and dodging bottle rockets at night. Perhaps best known for its residents who supposedly tear down road signs along Highway 1 so that outsiders cannot find their way* toward the town affectionately called Bo Bo, Bolinas is not for the faint of beach lovers.
Bo Bo surfer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cproppe/3184005582/
Legend has it that a woman rides her horse along the shorebreak, naked a la Lady Godiva. I have never seen it myself, but believe it nonetheless. One time a man at the beach asked me to take his picture, so I did. Before I could snap away he had taken off his pants (but not his shirt). I have seen fights in Bolinas, parades, festivals, drinking, surfing, swimming, beautiful artwork, I have heard poetry and music; I have taken a bottle rocket to the eye in Bolinas.
Artwork on the beach. http://www.flickr.com/photos/localleaflover/520883765/
I could describe the sand (white, sugary), the water (friendly but cold). I could describe the beach, the flora, the fauna, but who are we kidding? Bolinas is a beautiful beach but it is the people that make it what it is. Bolinas is artists, musicians, freaks, surfers, nudists, dogs running after waves and kids running after balls. Bolinas is a wonderful place to go. Special. If you can find it.
Possibly part of a parade, possibly not. http://www.flickr.com/photos/11114469@N00/223712234/
*Please note: the map on the link is incorrect. Like, incredibly incorrect. It will lead you to a beach between two tony towns. This is not Bolinas, but this is indicative of the humor of the town.
A Slice of SoCal in NorCal: Stinson Beach, Marin County, California
Posted , add a commentI owe the cluster of freckles on my shoulders from summers spent at Stinson Beach, the smattering of teeny dots left over from a terrible teenage rebellion against sunscreen, the inevitability of aging and my mother nagging me about the danger of melanoma. Oblivious to anything but the draw of the sun and cute boys who surfed, I would pile into my friend’s Volkswagen Bug and speed over the hill and to the beach, the window wide open because the car leaked a constant cloud of gasoline fumes from beneath the dashboard. Once there we would rub ourselves with oil, no SPF, cooking oil really, but somehow it smelled of coconut and young. We squeezed lemon on our hair and flicked on our portable radio, listened to reggae and laid out.
View from the bluff over Stinson Beach. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jweiss3/473570667/
These days I’m all about SPF 50+. I know that lemon only dries out one’s hair and there is this spot on the back of my hand that maybe-might-possibly-please-say-it-’aint-so-but-admittedly is an age spot. The last thing I laid out is an outfit for work the next day. Still I love Stinson Beach. The wide beach, the lifeguards in the summer, the smell of corn dogs and french fries wafting from the little cafe. I love the way that everything is a little brighter at Stinson Beach, the water a smidgeon bluer than up the coast, the sand almost white and clean. Stinson Beach is the closest to a Southern California beach one can get without having to drive through the traffic of Los Angeles.
Surfers at Stinson. http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeythumbsca/357256755/
In addition to the beach itself, Stinson boasts such facilities as rest rooms, (cold) showers, picnic areas, bbq grills and plenty of parking, making this an ideal beach for a party or family gathering. If you don’t want to cook for yourself but find yourself hungry after a beach walk, a tasty snack bar is open during summer months at the base of the main lifeguard tower.
Regardless of your interests, Stinson Beach has a bit of something for everyone: surfing, kayaking, hiking, beach combing, volleyball or just snoozing on the sand. Do watch out while in the water, though. Not only are there sneaker waves and fierce rip currents, but there have also been a few documented Great White shark attacks in the area. Luckily, the water is usually quite cold and not entirely inviting.
Taking for Granted Our Local Treasures - Athens, Greece
Posted , add a commentTaking for Granted Our Local Treasures - Athens, Greece
I’m not sure what sparked the idea for this article. It may have been when a friend of mine mentioned that he was going to Yosemite National Park, and I realized I’ve still never been there. I have lived in northern California all of my life and, on at least three occasions, driven my motorcycle right past one of the park’s entrances, but never went in. That started me thinking that, during our upcoming trip to Greece, I would conduct an impromptu survey.
I wanted to ask local Athenians who have lived in the shadow of the Acropolis their entire lives, how many times they have visited this world famous monument. (Actually, I had Helen ask, because my Greek is still pretty weak.) I made a prediction before we left and it turned out to be pretty accurate.
We started with Helen’s cousin and his wife, who live in Piraeus, just south of Athens. Her cousin Illias had visited the Parthenon once while in school on a field-trip. His wife, Julia, had never been there.
At our hotel, with a fantastic view of the Acropolis and Parthenon from the rooftop bar, I asked the bartender how many times she had visited the Parthenon. She told me she had been several times, but she was from Poland and had only lived in Greece for the last five years. Each time members of her family would come to visit, she would take them on the walk up to the Parthenon. She did, however, tell me that on more than a couple of occasions, actual Greeks, visiting Athens from one of the islands, had asked her what that “building” on the hill was. Wow.
During a stroll around the Plaka, I wanted to get in a few more queries. There were two police officers on the corner. They didn’t really look too busy so, I thought, what the heck? Besides, Helen would have to do the talking. They were younger men, maybe in their late twenties, and quite friendly. Helen went ahead and asked each of them how many times they had been up to the Acropolis. The first replied that he had been there many times because it was on part of his patrol. The second officer said he had only been there “maybe five times,” to which the first officer replied “What? Only five times?” Then the first officer confirmed what I had a hard time believing before. He said that, on more than one occasion, a Greek citizen has asked him, pointing to the Parthenon, “what’s that big castle on the hill?” Honestly, I really would have thought that pretty much everyone on the planet has, on at least one occasion, seen a picture of the Parthenon. Apparently, I’m wrong.
A little further down the street, we met a pair of police female officers, about the same age as the first two officers. They were also willing to participate in my completely unscientific survey. The first officer said she had only been up to the Parthenon once on a school field trip. The second said she had been there many times as, like the first male officer, the Acropolis was sometimes on her patrol.
That was the extent of my survey. I know it wasn’t very scientific and the sampling was fairly small, but it confirmed the prediction I mentioned earlier. So what does Athenians not visiting the Parthenon have to do with me never having been to Yosemite? Everything. It’s exactly the same thing. This leads me to think that people do this all over the world, which is sad. It’s sad because life is too short and people don’t get out and take advantage of what’s in their own backyard. And it’s not because people don’t care about the monuments or parks around them. I think it’s more a case of thinking that “we’ll do it later. It will always be there. We’ll go next week.” But next week comes, then next year, and before you know it, ten years have gone by and you still haven’t done it.
I live quite close to San Francisco, a beautiful, world-class city. The last time I went was last year when some friends from Belgium came to visit. Before that, it had been years. I actually live in the Tahoe National Forest, but do I go to Lake Tahoe? No. Not since last year, again with the Belgians. So, I’m just as guilty of this and this experience has made me see that I need to stop. Everyone does. We need to get out and learn about our local history and culture. Explore what is near. Now, even more, with the economy in the shape it has been lately, trips to local treasures are the way to go.
It seems to me that, instead of spending your entire life trying to make a living, you should just take some time to actually live.
Lots to Explore on a Trip to San Jose
Posted July 15, 2009 , add a comment
Museums, parks, gardens, opera, trails, shopping malls, all this and much more describe San Jose. Located 50 miles south of San Francisco, San Jose attracts millions of tourists worldwide and never leaves anyone disappointed. You can visit museums, gardens, parks, shop in the malls or in the flea market and lots of other things. Here is what all you can do in San Jose: Museums San Jose is home to a number of unique and interesting museums such as Museum of Quilts & Textiles. As the name suggests, this museum is solely dedicated to quilts and textiles. Other such interesting museum is Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies. This museum is a delight for any Beethoven fan. This is the only institution where you can explore the largest compilation of Beethoven’s works outside Europe. There are numerous other museums which you can explore on a San Jose tour. Some of the museums are dedicated to science and technology; some are cantered around Portuguese or Egyptian history while some are educational. Going to any of the museum in San Jose is an entertaining as well as a learning experience. However make sure that you travel in a comfortable vehicle. If you truly want to have a rich and fulfilling experience of watching these museums, then the best way to do so is to hire a limo from a San Jose limo provider and travel in the comfort of the lavish vehicle. Hiring a limo is also a practical solution because all the museums are scattered all over the vast San Jose. Moreover finding a suitable parking in San Jose is quite a task. By having a limo at your disposal, you won’t have to worry about these issues as a limo driver is always there to handle traffic and parking hassles. Gardens & Parks How about spending an evening with beautiful roses all around? Check out the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden which is dedicated exclusively to roses. Spread over 5.5 acres, this gorgeous garden has more than 180 varieties of lovely roses. In order to have a picnic with your family head to the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden in Kelley Park in San Jose. Once there, have a picnic, enjoy the picturesque views and don’t forget to check out the koi filled ponds. Shopping San Jose is a paradise for any die-hard shopper. There are several high-end shopping malls such as Eastridge Center. Located in eastern San Jose, the mall features a number of shopping outlets, restaurants and even a theatre. For a complete luxury shopping experience, you must head to the Santana Row. At this upscale mall, you can shop for all kinds of luxury products in the world all under one roof. Apart from the luxury brands you can also enjoy dining in any of its luxury restaurants located inside the giant mall or you can also get a massage or a facial done at one of its spas. But if you enjoy the feel of the open, flea markets, then San Jose has them too. Spread on 120 acres, San Jose flea market is the largest open air market in California and it is one of the major attractions for tourists. Are you wondering how you would carry all the shopping bags back to your hotel? Well, in order to have a hassle free shopping experience it is best to hire a limo from San Jose limo rental company only which provide San Jose limo services, Napa limo services, Sonoma Valley limo services etc. Traveling in a limo would ensure that you won’t have to carry your shopping bags everywhere. Moreover San Jose is too vast to be explored by a public transport. A swanky limo is the best choice for traveling to the various attractions in San Jose.