After a two week break from school... wham! I'm back in it up to my earholes.

It's October now. We went to Monterey, California, Labor Day weekend for a nice little getaway, improved greatly by the fact that it was about 75° there and about 105° in San Diego at the time. Got upgraded to a big suite at the Marriott. We visited the always wonderful Monterey Aquarium, which, take it from me, is the best in the world. Avoided Bubba Gumps and places of that creepy ilk, but had a truly marvelous dinner at Stokes, on Hartnell Street; had an unfortunate Gyro sandwich at a local Greek Street Fair, which made me vom.

Boy, Monterey was hopping. Those local tourists with their baby strollers were everywhere. Took an all-day drive east into Salinas County to the Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. We briefly imagined ourselves living in the hill country around Monterey but then got over it.


Last weekend was my brother Lucien's birthday. He is living in San Diego now, so his daughters, Rohanna and Hari, drove up from LA with Lilah, Ro's 2 year old daughter. She was a lot of fun, especially at the zoo the next day. She really came alive at the turtles exhibit, which is kind of creepy. In addition to the normal turtles swimming around, they have some with really, really long necks, which look a little too prehistoric.



We've made 6 months of travel plans: Guatemala at Thanksgiving, Thailand and Hong Kong at Christmas, and Buenos Aires for spring break 2010. Woo hoo! Almost all of that is on air miles and Marriott points. Suck on that, American dollar!

Summer vacation 09

Dear Diary: Where HAS the time gone? Summer is long gone now, San Diego is starting to be chilly in the mornings and dark when I slink away from my classes each night. Anyway, Diary, we had a good busy summer, filled with all that traditional summer business like family visits and quick weekend getaways and summer school and work and such. I always hope for a big 4th of July barbecue somewhere but I think maybe I'm just hanging on to my childhood.

So in no particular order: Went to Lubbock for a July weekend sibling reunion (there's the Berrier men below) at my sister's house. Sandi and her husband, Ron, live right around the corner from the old Hayloft Dinner Theatre, where I once performed in the classic "Not With My Daughter!" It was fun to see everyone and meet my latest great-nephew, Cohen. Lubbock was as expected: quite hot and quite Texas-y.

That asparagus won't cook itself!

Hector & Steve & new great-nephew Cohen Lenhart. He still has the price tag on!


Also, Carlos and Vanessa Ramirez came from Kentucky for their annual visit with the bachelor uncles. We took them up to Santa Monica for one night and walked along the pier, went up to Griffith Observatory (jazzed up since I was there a decade ago), wandered around the 4th Street Promenade, shopped on Rodeo Drive. They are very fun kids; it's our annual opportunity to learn the latest fashion trends from the Midwest.

Carlos & Vanessa on Rodeo Drive



We also had the pleasure of attending nephew Jorge Ramirez's high school graduation in Chula Vista. Here he is with his big sister, Ericka. Are they movie stars or what? Each time a grad's name was announced, hundreds of Dominguezes and Ortegas and Escalanteses rose to their feet in a show of family pride. No such thing happened at my graduation, which I didn't even attend now that I think about it...


We did our annual August week at our time share in Palm Desert , where it was so hot that you could fry an egg on the top of my skull. Our Marriott Vacation Club there is getting more and more crowded with ... well, people... every summer so we have decided to throw in the towel on that tradition and trade for a more exotic locale. Currently awaiting news on our request for Aruba in August 2010. Will keep you informed, diary.




Hiking in Palm Desert

Las Vegas

New Las Vegas Shoes

We used to come here several times a year. I like to play the slots and Hector likes to lay by the pool and go to the spa. But the past couple of years it's felt like a real extravagance, so the last time was last summer for Bobby's fun 50th birthday bash.

So Mark and Arturo got offered 3 free nights at Bellagio as part of a Players Club promotion, so I called and they offered it to us, since we're members, too. That shows they are really trying to drum up business because there is no chance in hell that we gamble enough to get comps. We came in on Saturday and got a great corner room, 7th floor, pool view, big window above the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. It often takes a little work to get a good room. Hector likes to pick out a Latino desk clerk for check-in, then proceed to become their long-lost best amigo. I love to see people breeze in and try to act like a hot shot at check-in. Nobody can shut you out like a Las Vegas front desk clerk.

I always have an eye out for who's in town; it's always fascinated me that foreigners seem to love to come to Vegas as much as [many] Americans do. Each time we're here there seems to be a particular country heavily represented, and this time it's the French. I mean, they are everywhere. I used to think it was really funny to see French people just at Paris Las Vegas, since it's such a garish American copy of the real thing, the kind of thing you'd think French people would just LOATHE, but they stay there. There's always many Mexicans and Asians here, of course, just like all over.

I hear how Vegas is really taking it hard in the recession, but there seems to be lots of people here right now, although the upscale stores here at Bellagio are deserted and MANY restaurants, even upscale ones, are offering good deals for 3-course prix fixe menus. We're seeing no shows this time. I just bought a pair of sneakers at d. fine downstairs and the sales clerks were all over me, like pigs on shit. By the time I left, they had pulled down half a dozen silk jackets off the rack, offering 40%! NO, 50% OFF!! It was like fleeing from the market in Marrakech.

Tonight we're eating at Aureole, at Mandalay Bay, tomorrow morning we head back home. I haven't won anything, Hector did pretty well at a 1-cent slot machine. The most you can hope for is to spend a bit less than you planned, that's my Las Vegas motto.

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Post script:

Days later and we're home sweet home now. Our dinner at Aureole was good, but very inflated. Service was apathetic, except for the sommolier, who was charming. Can't say I'd recommend it. Eat at Joel Robuchon at MGM instead. Reminder: never book Las Vegas departure before noon.

San Francisco

Shopping in Chinatown

After our 2 Up With People houseguests moved on to continue their tour of the least interesting parts of America, Hector and I left for San Francisco. He had to work for a couple of days so naturally we stretched it into a longish weekend. Flew into Oakland, always the better alternative, and returned to the Renaissance Stanford Court, an historic old building atop Nob Hill. They've remodeled since we were there a year and a half ago and it's really nice. We got a comfortable corner room and settled into some intensive relaxation. Well, I did for sure.

We walked, did a small amount of shopping in Chinatown and environs, visited the wonderful De Young Museum, and ate at a few fun restaurants: L'Ardoise, a great French bistro on Noe Street, Scala at the Francis Drake Hotel, and our little Chinatown dive, New King Tin, at the corner of Washington and Waverly. In order to appear frugal to the Company, we didn't rent a car this time, just walked and took expensive cabs. There's so much to see on foot there's not really a need for a car unless we want to leave to go to Napa or Muir woods or somewhere. Weather: partly cloudy and breezy, just what one wants in one's San Francisco weekend.

Granada

Balcony View of Alhambra

Alhambra Courtyard


Carved plaster in the Alhambra

The Generalife Gardens at the Alhambra

As a break from luxuriating at Al and Marc's house, Hector and I drove up to Granada for two days. I'd heard a lot about this town, mostly the famous Alhambra, which is a restored palace, built by the Moors, who controlled Spain until the 13th Century. The drive through the mountains was spectacular, and Granada itself is quite beautiful. We stayed at another Room Mate Hotel, the Migueletes (115€ for a balcony room with a view of the Alhambra), situated on a narrow little alley off the Plaza Nueva, very centrally located.

There was some doubt that we would be able to get tickets without an advance reservation to tour the Alhambra, because it's very popular. And after hiking to the top of the mountain where it's located, we were indeed turned away in shame. So our hotel booked a group tour for us, we were with about 25 others, which was fine. We got a lot of historical background we wouldn't have touring it alone. It's an incredible structure, or series of structures, really, since it was changed and added to over the centuries.

The rest of our stay we walked around town and visited churches and museums and ate tapas and drank wine. Granada has a very large university so there was a definite college town atmosphere. All the restaurant workers were students, and there was no shortage of pot smoking backpackers. It's not a place I'd like to live, but it is fun for a few days.

Returning to Al and Marc's, we chose a different route that took us south to follow the coastline, which was dotted with little resort towns, full of sunburned British and German expats, looking very out of place. Not my cup of tea. We had a good seafood lunch at Nerja, then back to our mountaintop for more luxuriating until time to return to Madrid and home. Once back in Madrid we visited all the places we liked so much the first time. Adios.

Costa del Sol

Al and Marc's House: El Carligto

Ronda

View from the Hilltop

After 4 days in Madrid we caught the brand new high-speed train heading south. Oh, what a pleasure…clean, quiet, stress-free travel. Our coach ticket was 78€ each. 165 miles an hour and 2½ luxurious hours later we arrived in Malaga, which is on the Mediterranean at the Costa del Sol. We never got to see much of the city because we rented a car at the train station and headed immediately out to Al and Marc’s house, near a village called Canillas de Aceituno (trans: Olive Crossings or Olive Pits, depending on who you talk to).

I began to get a little concerned as our directions led us higher and higher up into the mountains. By the time we reached the village, I had already stopped breathing, and was hanging upside down from the ceiling. This fucking village is quite literally hanging on to the side of the mountain. Marc and Al met us at the village roundabout and proceeded to lead us around a series of twists and turns on a cliff-face dirt road just wide enough for a car and a half. After about 15 minutes we reached their property, perched on top of a summit facing south, toward the sea. They have a 4-bdrm house with pool and 500 yards away is a duplex with another 4 bdrms and pool. They are about to refurbish it into a luxury guest house so we snuck in before they start charging people. They are surrounded on all sides by hillsides of olive orchards and grape vines, although how anybody can pick grapes at a 45 º angle is beyond me.

We spent 4 luxurious days here at El Carligto (trans: the eucalyptus tree), sunbathing, sleeping late, drinking wine, and having long dinners. It was heaven. The four of us took a day trip to Ronda, a gorgeous little town built over a ravine so deep that I can’t even talk about it.

Madrid

Changing of the Guard

At the Plaza Oriente

On the Gran Via

Spiderman at Plaza Mayor

Well, we had a strange route. San Diego-Dallas-Miami-Madrid, but lucked into a full upgrade using VIP stickers or something instead of air miles… not sure how that happened, but more to the point, why doesn’t it happen more often? Incredibly, there are no Marriotts in Madrid so we were forced to actually stay someplace different. And pay for it. I stumbled online onto a charming little Spanish hotel chain called Room Mate. They are all small boutique hotels with that loungy minimalist look and basic amenities. Free breakfast and wifi and I loved the location of ours (Alicia 90€ a night)—smack dab in the center of the historical district at the Plaza Santa Ana. So we were happy.

I guess I expected Madrid to be like Mexico City: trashy, chaotic, obnoxious. But it’s just wonderful. The tourist area is spotlessly clean and the architecture gorgeous. Every day we walked miles around town, from Plaza Mayor to the Parque Retiro to the Palacio, it’s just a fantastic city for walking. We visited the Prado Museum, (celebrity sighting: Ethan Hawke) went rowing on the lagoon at Retiro, sat for hours at the Plaza Mayor to watch the flow of tourists and performers, and generally dithered until it was time for more tapas and wine. On weekends, thousands of local families stroll through the parks and plazas; it was extremely civilized. I’m smitten. We spent a couple of extra nights in Madrid at the end of our trip. The Alicia was booked so we moved to the eccentric, wonderful and considerably more costly (285€) Casa de Madrid. Check it out.

Sunday at El Parque Retiro

Catalina

Steve, Ron, and Sandi

I made my first trip to Catalina last week. Imagine living in Southern California 23 years and not going to Catalina! As the song says, it’s just 26 miles across the sea. Anyway, my sister, Sandi, was in town for a visit, so six of us drove to Dana Point, caught the ferry ($70 roundtrip each), and made a day of it. The ride over was fun-- an hour and a half, calm seas so there were no barfing passengers. We saw no whales, it’s a bit late for them, but we did see a huge school of dolphins surfing in the wake of the boat. It was just spectacular.

The view as you enter the harbor is the best one; it’s the famous one of the hillside and the old casino, now turned into a museum or something. Things were pretty quiet in town, but Ron, Sandi’s husband, knew the place well, so he was our guide. We had lunch at one of the cafes on the harbor, then rented a six-person golf cart ($60 per hour!) to circle around above the town for all the views. The botanical garden is a great place for a walk, heading up the hill through all the native plants to the huge Wrigley Memorial Phallus. More great views as we continued the drive around the top of the mountain above the town. Most of the island is controlled by the military so it’s only possible to see a small portion of it. We saw deer but none of the famous wild bison.

Back in town we stopped for a coffee and a stroll around the dull, touristy shops selling T-shirts and birdhouses. It’s odd, nobody mentioned it until later but it looked like everybody who lives and works on the island is Mexican. Where does everybody live? Surely not in the expensive condos and vacation homes. What do they do until all the tourists arrive in summer?

We caught the 7pm ferry back to Dana Point, drove an hour back home to San Diego, exhausted as though we’d swum home.

Waxahachie

Friday before last, I joined Hector after he finished working in Dallas all week. It was a shock to see how brown everything is this time of year. Our Marriott "Suites"was pretty ho hum. Friday night we had dinner with my niece and hubby, JAnne and Colin, at Mi Cosina in Highland Park. They're expecting a baby named Cohen Jacob Lenhart. Mi Cosina was absolutely squirming with yuppie blond couples and their kids with expectations.

Then we had dinner with Diane and Marc and his son, Michael, at another Mexican restaurant on Saturday night. Sunday, we drove down to Waxahachie to check up on all the family graves, of which there are many. Hector made a nice little arrangement of WalMart perma-flowers (plastic) for Mom and Dad, then we headed out to the sticks to visit my great grandfather, who is buried in a tiny 100 year-old cemetary called Greathouse. As always, the bored local teenagers had come through knocking over headstones, so we re-arranged the place a bit. Great grandad is hidden behind a tree so he was safe. Later we drove to Red Oak Cemetary and found Aunt Velma and her clan.

We had lunch at the 1886 Cafe, across from the Ellis County Courthouse (see photo). It was busy with all the families getting out of church. We drove around town a bit so I could show Hector, for the 500th time, all the houses I once lived in there. I made many original remarks about how much things had changed, and we returned to Dallas. On Monday, we fled back to San Diego.

Disneyland

Yesterday, Friday, Leslie and I snuck off and went to Disneyland for the day. She goes all the time with grandkids and such, and she has always had an annual passport. Hector and I used to go quite often, too, but I had not been in a couple of years. It’s always a thrill, walking up to the entrance gate. I find I always want to start running, just like the 6 year-olds. It was a gorgeous day and since we got there early, we rode a bunch of rides quickly before the crowds made their way back toward Frontierland and New Orleans Square. Got a 10 am drenching at the log ride.

She was pretty set on eating lunch at Blue Bayou, or whatever it’s called, overlooking Pirates of the Caribbean. That place is so over-priced and the food is never great, of course, but it was nice to be out of the sun and away from teenagers for a bit. Why weren’t they all in school? They all seemed to know each other, walking around in giggly throngs. Fortunately, Frontierland is mostly too square for them; they were all congregating in Tomorrowland. Leslie was very entertained by all the teenage girls, with the attitude and cell phones and nonsense, but really I was thinking they all need a good shaking. There were many clumps of 3 or 4 girls; each clump had a sullen younger brother attached to it, who hung off to the side, looking humiliated. My sympathy was entirely with the brother.
By 3pm I was beaten by the sun so we walked back through Downtown Disney toward the parking structure, where we wandered for over an hour until we finally found the car in a different building altogether. Dropped Leslie in Carlsbad, home at 630!

Christmas Over

I suppose we're back in the swing of things now. It always takes me several weeks to get over the holiday comedown. Rush, rush, excitement, travel, parties... hangover. Hector was recovering from pneumonia all of December, but was well enough for us to take a little pre-vacation vacation to Palm Springs for 3 nights. We stayed at the charming Viceroy, a swanky place created from the ruins of a couple of old 1930's Hollywood getaways. Just a block off Palm Canyon Dr, so it was very convenient to walk around. We got an upgrade to a one-bedroom casita with fireplace because the joint was pretty dead. Did a spectacular drive through a snowy Joshua Tree National Park.

Then we left for a week in San Francisco with Mark and Arturo. Our Marriott at Post and Mason was very nice, but the Exec Lounge was closed for the holidays so we didn't get all the free breakfasts we usually do. Lots of walking, San Francisco is such a great city to walk around in, even with all the hills. Let's see...we rented a car and drove up to Napa/Sonoma one day to do some wine research, hiked in Muir Woods, we visited the new Academy of Sciences Museum in Golden Gate Park (along with a million others), ate wonderful Dim Sum in Chinatown, went to a great restaurant for dinner one night, Gary Danko's, which is across the street from Ghiradelli Square. They did a 3-course tasting menu that was out of this world. Great food, wonderful service. After three hours, the 4 of us got poured into a taxi by the sweet hostess, with hugs and little gift bags of cookies each.

Next day we toured a coffee factory that supplies Mark's bakery with coffee and tea. It was wonderful. Big, loud roasting and grinding machines and automated assembly lines, with that heavenly smell everywhere. They made us swear we wouldn't divulge any of the Labels we saw being packaged but one was Trader Joe's.

I had expected the city to be sort of quiet, but because of all the department store sales it was crawling with shoppers from all over the place. In fact, dowtown was gridlocked most of the time we were there. Lots of French and Spanish overheard. People dragging huge shopping bags up the hills. We bought nothing. Came home in time for a relatively quiet New Years Eve, after which we both caught bad colds. Have now gone through 3 boxes of Kleenex with Aloe Vera.