Family Flashbacks (13): Yes, Sur!

Squiddy had one more day of work at the lab, so we were up early again. This time we went to the Moss Landing Café for breakfast, a funky spot that we immediately liked, full of locals. I had a Denver omelette with squid and CD had cod fillets with eggs, then we dropped Squiddy off and headed down the coast to legendary Big Sur, which I’d never visited before. We followed the coastal road as far as Lucia. I was mostly at the wheel this time, as CD was still wary after her harrowing negotiation of the road from Fort Bragg to San Francisco. But this drive was nowhere near as precipitous and there were guard rails in place at each outside curve, so that one didn’t feel that stomach lurch that comes when there’s a sudden frightening drop that could prove disastrous with a moment’s lack of concentration. When we reached Point Lobos it started to rain, so we drove back to our motel in Castroville to pack for the drive back to San Francisco. And tomorrow: Whales!

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Welcome to Krikit Arts! I'm a veterinarian; photographer; finger-style guitarist, composer, instructor, and singer/songwriter; fisherman; and fly-tyer. Please enjoy--and please respect my full rights to all photos on this Website!

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14 Responses to Family Flashbacks (13): Yes, Sur!

Steve Schwartzman says:

November 19, 2020 at 10:46 pm

I did a Google search for Big Sur and the first hit had to do with Apple’s new operating system for the Macintosh. Another hit said this: “Big Sur is a region on the Central Coast of California. It contains vast wildernesses and breathtaking views as it stretches 90 miles along the rugged Pacific Ocean.” I hadn’t realized Big Sur is defined so broadly, so I had too constrained a view. The relevant Wikipedia article says that “the original Spanish-language name for the mountainous terrain south of Monterey was el país grande del sur,” which we could translate as “the great country to the south,” which then got shortened to the English-Spanish hybrid Big Sur.

krikitarts says:

November 19, 2020 at 11:01 pm

I know that my constrained previous (imagined) view was broadened considerably with this all-too-brief visit. We kept peeking down through the infrequent gaps in the rocky cliffs to try to catch glimpses of sea lions or even whales, but had no luck with that. We were, however, rewarded with these grand vistas of spray-softened distant coastline and the treats of the myriad floral displays.

Steve Gingold says:

November 20, 2020 at 12:19 am

Wonderful scenery. Your breakfast sounds rather cannibalistic.

I’ve never been to Big Sur but did visit Point Lobos with my brother the one time we flew out there. While we were on our way back to his house there was an earthquake (a minor one) but the shock absorbers absorbed the shock and we never felt it.

- krikitarts says:
  
  November 20, 2020 at 5:53 am
  
  There was an earthquake during the night while we were in Castroville too. We heard it (CD remembers that it was like a Mack truck crashing into a building), but we also felt nothing. Folks at the restaurant the next morning mentioned it, else we’d never have known. I don’t feel that eating an occasional bit of squid or cod makes us cannibals. ;8-}
  
Steve Gingold says:

November 20, 2020 at 8:39 am

Does Squiddy partake? :-)

- krikitarts says:
  
  November 20, 2020 at 8:54 am
  
  A most excellent question. As you might expect, she is extremely environmentally aware and meticulously conscientious. She taught me long ago not to eat lobster (many live for many decades, mate for life, and walk for thousands of miles to breed) or shrimp (most are harvested by chain dredging, which destroys coral), and so on. But the little squid that are usually on the menu are not endangered. There is a very informative, printable and downloadable source of smart seafood choices here: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/best-fish-guide.
  
  - Steve Gingold says:
    
    November 20, 2020 at 9:54 am
    
    Thanks for the link. I actually am not fond of seafood, especially fish, so don’t eat much. I’d actually rather have tofu.
    Actually my question was more sophomoric humor than serious. Squiddy eating squid.
  - krikitarts says:
    
    November 20, 2020 at 8:07 pm
    
    Many people ask if the really large (giant and colossal) squid are edible, and they actually are not, because their flesh contains a high concentration of ammonia; they are, however, the favorite food of sperm whales. Also, just for the record, let me assure you that Batty has no interest whatsoever in eating bats.
  - Steve Gingold says:
    
    November 20, 2020 at 9:58 pm
    
    She about about 7.5 billion others are a bit peckish now when it comes to bats.
  - Steve Gingold says:
    
    November 20, 2020 at 9:55 am
    
    Augh! What was I thinking? Three actuallys? Better brush up on my grammar. Yikes!
bluebrightly says:

November 21, 2020 at 10:48 pm

Oh, what a trip down memory lane…we ate at Moss Landing cafe too, and did the same drive, and I have a photo of that same single tree on that rocky point, and we had heavy clouds and changeable weather as well. Thank you for prompting me to scroll through the files. :-)

- krikitarts says:
  
  November 22, 2020 at 6:26 am
  
  You’re more than welcome. What great fun it is to be able to share these memories and, in the process, help to recall those of other friends who have been on similar journeys–and possibly also to inspire others to share in what we have experienced and treasured. And it works both ways. I, too, love scrolling through the files, as you say, in response to hidden memories triggered by others’ offerings. The tangents are limitless.
  
Meanderer says:

November 22, 2020 at 2:35 pm

Glad to hear that the drive wasn’t as harrowing! I like the pretty red flowers in the first image.

- krikitarts says:
  
  November 23, 2020 at 10:33 am
  
  Thanks. There weren’t many, but they really helped to brighten up this window of opportunity.