SOL 4: Monterey

            I set off again for Monterey today, this time with my nephew Geoff and his girlfriend, Jess. On this gorgeous sunny, crisp day, we did make it to this small city at the southern end of Monterey Bay, home to Steinbeck's Cannery Row and the Monterey Aquarium with its guide to sustainable seafood.

            First we had lunch at a lovely little (and I do mean little, only six tables) Lebanese restaurant called Paprika, where Jess and I had the garlic chicken salad, and Geoff had the Kafta Kebab platter. All the food was delicious, and the pita was light and tasty as well. The owner cooks all the food from recipes he learned from his mother, so even what made the lemonade special was a secret.

            By the time we finished lunch, it was too late to get to the Aquarium considering how expensive admission is ($50 for the younger people; $40 for me). Instead we walked down to the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail in Pacific Grove and walked along the paved path to the rocky point you can see at the right of the photo at the top of this Web page, just over a mile. Along the way we stopped to watch seals hiding in the water, quantities of seagulls, a cormorant, and perhaps some white pelicans. The views, the sun, the sea... a delightful afternoon.

There are five seals near the beach; how many can you see?

View across Monterey Bay

Is that a gull or a pelican on rocks?

Monterey cypress

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I’m participating in the 10th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 4 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!