A Winter Wonderland

Winter has arrived in Southern California. A big snow storm hit the Western US and it even snowed in Malibu. It also covered the SSP area with white powder. Local residents were out of electricity for three days... It's a hard thing when one's water pump, radiators and freezers run on electricity. The roads to and fro were closed, even via Mojave where my friend Ted had to spend a night in his car coming back from a ski day in Mammoth. I had to wait for the weekend to go up and by then, all was back to normal with some snow left.


The Grapevine near Gorman


The Lion's Trail


Cows and horses by the Rankin Ranch

Evan and Jorgy came up with me. It was Jorgy's first encounter with snow but it didn't seem to bother him. He walked cautiously at first but then after he realized the snow wasn't wet, he ran and slid quite happily.



We got to the cabin and were happy to find there was still snow around. A local friend had emailed me photos that showed everything covered in white but since we came a few days later, quite a bit of snow had melted. Still, I found it very pretty.



The next day we took off for a walk. The little creek has started flowing a little, slowly recreating its course.



Oaks in the snow, such a lovely sight.



We walked around the pond...





... And came across footprints. Can you guess what kind of animal left those? : )



It was cold at night but our trusted potbelly stove and some blankets kept everybody cozy.



We are all coming up for New Year's for a few days and I look forward to it. Meanwhile, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! My best wishes for health, love, prosperity, safety, peace in 2009 (and beyond!) to all.

Storms!

¡Viva México!

My HMIL was very generous and invited her small tribe to a cruise down the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I'm not the cruise type but like they say, never say never... What's not to like? You get first class service, bed made and unmade, towels changed daily, great foods, professional and caring waiters, entertaining shows, art auctions, you name it. There are exercise rooms, several swimming pools and jacuzzis, bars everywhere, discos, a library, an internet café and more. All you have to do is just be there, raise your finger if you need anything and just enjoy yourself. Easy to get used to. So much so that I actually miss our waiter...


The Sapphire Princess at sea

Our first destination was Puerto Vallarta, way down south, past the Tropic of Cancer. It took a few days to get there but that was OK as we just relaxed and enjoyed la dolce vita. The movie "Night of the Iguanas" put this town on the map. It was a quaint fishing village from what I read but today it has turned into a tourist spot. They should make another film there but call it "Day of the Hustle" instead... The scene reminded me a little of another film, "The Beach" with Leo de Caprio (great film by the way; it made me like Leo.)


On the beach in Puerto Vallarta

I asked the taxi to drop us off in Old Town thinking it was a charming, picturesque place but there was nothing really exciting about it save for the cobbled streets, and a few houses here and there. We walked all the way along the riva to the beach. Every step of the way, someone would invite us inside their store to see and buy things. There are even vendors who promise you lunch and a free ride to a great beach. Beware, they will try and sell you a time share once you get there.

Puerto Vallarta is on a bay where eleven rivers end. This means the water is full of sediment and not very clear. The water temperature is lovely however. We could have taken a tour to the jungle (it's in the tropics!) but instead we just decided to relax on the beach. We found a chalupa, ordered some drinks (otherwise five bucks a person to park yourself there on the beach under the shade,) and went swimming. We had a nice time except for the non-stop beach vendors trying to sell us something. I did buy a silver bracelet with the Aztec calendar.

I talk a lot so click here to see some photos of Puerto Vallarta. Click in the middle of any image to read my comments.

Our next stop was Mazatlán, right on the Tropic of Cancer, at the same latitude as Honolulu. This time we took a tour, skipping the beach. We wanted to see the real Mexico, away from the tourist spots and got lucky, we found a great guide: Marco. Marco spoke perfect English and knew a lot about history, botany, culture, crafts etc. He took us to visit a colonial village about forty minutes away from Mazatlán: La Noria which means "the well" because of its location. That was a great, laid back, authentic village. We visited the huarache makers, the saddle makers, Alberto the potter with whom I hit it off great (I speak Spanish,) we ate mole at a B & B, walked around, visited the church, bought a few things, met people. Mexican people are very friendly, right up there with the Italians.


Alberto the potter and I showing our matching tattoos

After that, we went to Las Osunas agave tequila distillery. I'm not a big fan of tequila but the process was very interesting. We ended our tour with a visit of the riva, the place where the divers do their thing for two dollars and of Old Mazatlán. Mazatlán's Old Town has a lot of character with narrow paved streets, restaurants and sidewalk cafés. Many Europeans emigrated there last century (and before) and it had a real Old World feel, like being back in France or Croatia for me. As a matter of fact, the coast reminds me a lot of Croatia. Click here for some photos of La Noria, the distillery and Mazatlán


Lovers' Beach at the tip of California

Our next and final stop was in Cabo San Lucas, the southern tip of California. I don't know why but we had to be back on the ship by 1 pm so we only had time to go to the beach. Mind you, I didn't mind taking a few swims in the beautiful, clear and warm ocean before heading back to cooler climes in LA... We left with our heads at peace and full of sun, our skins tanner and some sand in our hair. I look forward to another, longer visit to this friendly and beautiful country. Click here for photos of Cabo San Lucas.

A little village by the sea

We decided on Monday, bought our tickets on Tuesday and flew out on Thursday. I had long ago given up hope to go but life is full of surprises... So, we were on our way to Croatia for a little vacation. I previously wrote about the coast, Dalmatia, here.

We flew out on Lufthansa and for once, the flight path went north right away so we got to go over the east side of the Central Valley. Here's Lake Isabella:



and Tehachapi, the Kern River, Mount Breckenridge and beyond, the Super secret Place:



We had a stop in Frankfurt where I found in terminal 56B a new system for smokers that reminded of gas chambers. I can't complain though, it beats having to get out of the airport and go through security again like here in the States. We had a little bit of time and I met a Mexican man who emigrated to Israel. We talked about living and working in different parts of the world. I learned among other things that Israel has socialized medicine.



We had a direct connection for Split and got there early in the afternoon. We were all quite jet-lagged but happy to be there.

The next day we went to the village where our ancestors come from, Budimiri which means "stay in peace". We visited the cemetery to pay our respect to those before us. There's also a little church there where my brother got married over a year ago. The custom is for the groom to get married where his wife comes from. In that case, my sister-in-law is from the same village as us so in our family, my brother and great grandfather are the only two to have been married there. Here are some shots:





After that, my father, my son and I hung out at the ancestral house. Here's a video.



This is the key to the house...



The photo below shows some houses in a hamlet nearby. My dear old stones, the stories you could tell... The sad part is that most of those villages are now deserted except for the occasional weekend visits. Three years ago, a small village nearby called Strmadolac (where another branch of our family lives) was full of people. Now, only an old man lives there. Everybody moved to the city. I remember Budimiri when my grandparents lived there. Most every night, the old-timers, the only inhabitants left, used to get together to watch the news on my Dida's black and white TV. There they were, Nikola, Ana, Ruza, Vukusha, Baba, Dida, laughing, talking and giggling, not paying any attention to the very somber news announcer. I miss them so much.



On the way back, we stopped at the bottom of the village so I could take a picture of what long ago was the priest's house. He was killed during WW2 and his house destroyed. The walls still stand, in spite of bullet wounds and erosion.



As we were short on time, we left the next day for the island, Brac (pronounce "bratch".) I didn't get a chance to visit Split this time but made a panoramic image from the boat. You can click on all the images to see them much larger.



After a 45 minute crossing, we got to Supetar, the cute little town where the ferry lands and I shot this other panoramic:



Finally! We were almost there. We had rented a car in Split and drove the three miles south to Splitska following a very narrow two-lane road that hugs the sea, vineyards and gardens on one side, the sea on the other. The coast is full of trees and driving with our windows down, we could hear the sweet sound of the cicadas. Imagine that sound in your head, add the smell of the sea with a hint of lavender, feel a gentle breeze on your skin, close your eyes and you're there.

We arrived and of course, had fun competing who would be the first one to spot our house. Although I took this photo later, I might as well show you what the village looks like as you get there.



The house was still there, as it has been for several hundred years. We are in what is called Varoš (pronounced Varosh--"Old Town") and I feel very privileged that our place is a traditional Dalmatian stone house in the original village. Strange fact for us here but many families share houses, a bit like townhouses. For example, my dad's neighbor Ante lives in one place above his son, his brother lives next to him on the upper floor also, and his son right below him. Our house was long ago split in two, probably because two family members inherited it at some point, so we only own half the structure.

The only surprise was that there used to be a vacant garden across the street and now, there's a new building with five units. A local developer built this to sell as summer apartments. Things change...



Add a flag on each side and you have yourself an official government building. Splitska's new city hall? Well at least it's clean and finished, not like some houses on the mainland that have been under construction for decades.

Here's a quick tour of our tiny house:



My friend Philippe I knew as a kid growing up in France and his family had spent three weeks at our place before us and he had painted, patched and cleaned up everything so the house was in tip-top shape. Having a house so close to the sea means more upkeep than a house inland.

Here's a quick sweep of Splitska's riva (riva = boardwalk by the sea):



Instead of babbling away, here are different photos so you get a feel for the place. A French couple we met in Supetar came one day to visit and they taught me a new French word: Splitska is very bobo (bourgeois-boheme.) Not true! : /





This is the beach we go to. This pretty lady was just finishing to put her top back on. Breasts are not evil or dirty in Europe.





This cute kitty cat started hanging around our house and was fell fed during the tme we were there. Then cute kittens appeared...





Here's a decorative wheel from the time of Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was fished out of the harbor. Splitska was quarried to provide the stone to build his imperial palace in Split, his birthplace.



Fresh from the sea. This fish is called orade in Croatian, dorade in French but I don't know how in English. A little olive oil, some garlic and parsley, yummy!



Things were a little quieter than other times we've been there, probably because we got there late in August. I think it made things even nicer. Still, the local restaurants were still doing good enough business. Here's a birthday party at a restaurant on the riva down the street. Splitska has three restaurants close to each other around the riva but thank goodness, so far, no hotels. The government is well aware of the ugly overbuilding disaster that ruined Spain's Mediterranean coastline so they have instituted laws to preserve what's old and limit building permits. Now one can't built anything less than 70 meters from the sea. Old stones are called a national treasure and can't be knocked down or sold. Up on the road above the village however, I noticed a development with ten new houses being built, complete with swimming pools. I was told the developer is Russian.

Anyway, here's a birthday party at one of the restaurants:



We have a mini supermarket down the street where we can buy most everything but the butcher and fish market are in Supetar. Here are some views of Supetar:









Here's a sweep from one of Supetar's many cafés on the riva:



We took a trip to Postira, a little village on the sea just a few kilometers south of us. We had tasted homemade olives at our friends from Osijek (they have a vacation house here too) and wanted to buy some. They told us they bought them at the farmers'market but we didn't find any. Here are some photos showing Postira.









Retirees playing card on the riva. Talk about the weather, play some cards, catch up on local news and enjoy a good laugh. La dolce vita!



We met a nice Italian family from Naples: Nino, his son Mimmo, his brother-in-law Cino (pronounced Chino), his sister Severina and wife Maria. They have been coming every year to Splitska for a long time. Nino told us that every morning he sits on the deck to enjoy his coffee and look out to the sea, and says "Thank you Jesus!" He's not religious but I understand what he means. Nino has a way to tell a story. We cracked up hearing him tell us about his first trip to Croatia many years ago. They came by car and when they got over the border, exhausted and hungry, all the hotels were booked up, same deal with the camping sites. After much trouble, they found one. You have to hear Nino talk about his nudist camp experience...

Here's Nino fishing:



My brother came one day with his wife and his brother-in-law, Nikola who is 6'8" tall. Nino & family were very impressed.



It was time to get ready to leave. Yes, too soon. Here's a panoramic view of Old Town, the original Splitska. I saw photos from the 1930s and there were no houses on the hill across.



We left Sunday morning to ctach the 10:30 ferry and the last friendly face we saw leaving Splitska was handsome Mimmo. Ciao Mimmo! A rivederci!



We spent our last day at my Dad's and my brother's who lives next door. They live on the mainland right across from Splitska. We went swimming one last time at the beach down the street from their place, sat at a café, and watched the sunset on another blissful day. Here's a last look at Brac.



We're back home, back at work and in school but Splitska, every smell, every place, every sound, every person, is in my head and in my heart. Soon...

p.s. Meanwhile, I can see Supetar live!

Supetar, Brač, webcam view of the boat landing

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