A couple of stops

We made a couple of stops along the way to Santa Monica; the first in Santa Cruz, where we stretched our legs in the strangely deserted amusement park, then onto Carmel-by-the-sea, where we spent a lovely evening relaxing :)

Big Sur

We left San Francisco and drove along the Big Sur in a Big Car! We followed windy narrow roads with a steep drop to the ocean through heavy mist, it was quite thrilling! It felt like we were in the clouds at times, and then suddenly we found ourselves above the clouds...!

San Francisco pics part 2

I wasn't my usual snappy-happy tourist on this holiday for some reason. Maybe I just wanted to experience it directly, rather than through a lens. Above are a just few I managed to take on our wanderings.

I was SO excited to find a couple of my picture books in the shop at the SF Museum of Modern Art!!! I also saw a Japanese version of "That's love" (Ai no uta) in the Japanese bookstore "Kinokuniya" in Japan Town, which made me very happy, although I failed to take a picture of that one so you'll just have to take my word for it ;)

San Francisco pics

We got back from our fantastic 2 week break in California on Tuesday. I'm just about recovering from jet lag, but can't seem to adjust to the sudden drop in temperature...London feels so very cold, brr!

San Francisco was brilliant, a charming city full of diversity, culture and surprise. We walked a lot (up and down hills in the scorching sun and in the pouring rain), ate a lot (big portions of dim sum, Mexican, Japanese and American food) and saw a lot :D 

One of the places we visited was the brilliant Musée Mecanique on Fisherman's Wharf, a big warehouse full of antique arcade machines...oooh fun fun fun!

holiday pics part 8

We played chess on the ferry. I won! :D

holiday pics part 7

 The second half of our 30 hour ferry journey back to UK.

holiday pics part 6

Goodbye Bilbao! Sailing back to UK by ferry.

holiday pics part 5

Bilbao, Artxanda Mountain

holiday pics part 4

Aste Nagusia, Bilbao.

We arrived in Bilbao on 22nd August, to find out that there was all kinds of things going on as part of a huge 10 day fiesta, celebrating the end of summer Basque style.

There were thousands of people on the streets, partying all day and night!

We saw amazing fireworks every night, street performances, parades, chess competitions, cooking competitions, live music...it was so much fun :)

You can find out more about this wonderful fiesta here and here.