One can't spend a summer in California without visiting Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. Santa Cruz's beach and boardwalk attracted us on a regular basis, with different friends every times. Monterey and Carmel, a little further south, were the destination of three of our trips, with new sides of the city discovered every time, while reviewing the warming properties of the finest sand one could wish for. More odacious was a long planned bluefish barbecue in Big Sur National Park. The most interesting part of the story is that bluefish only swims in the atlantic, and that Federal Express delivered it the day before the Barbecue. The day ended at the beach, climbing Sand dunes, and dancing Gypsy Kings until the stereo filled with sand. The next expedition included only the bravest five of us, and reached all the way to San Diego, after sleeping one night in the back of our car in a parking lot in Monterey, another night in a one-bed room in a Motel 6 in Los Angeles, and finally in a friend's house in San Diego, after an entire day in Universal Studios, Hollywood ending in a Jurassic Park water ride extravaganza until 10pm. The next day was spent body surfing in the warm waters of San Diego, and the last night was spent melting marshmallows in the fire by the jacouzi. The last day of the trip, after Greek Dancing in a pizzeria downtown San Diego by the shore, we drove back, stopping to visit friends along the way for coffee, friendly dives in their swimming pool, or dancing with their parents. In one of the houses, while finishing my watermelon, i saw a little hummingbird for the first time of my life. Since then, every time Lisa sees me, she points in front of her nose and goes "Hummingbiiird!" Needless to say i had the time of my life!
