Route 1

 

Big Sur ... Simply one of the most magnificent car rides in the world. To quote Henry Miller: It was here at Big Sur that I first learned to say Amen.

Amen indeed!

 

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Untitled

 

I almost fell in love with Carmel. Sunset was gorgeous, the beach beautiful. The town is quaint and feels like money. At night, Carmel reminded me of an European town, quiet, people walking but, most importantly, there is very little ambient light. It is a treat to wander under the starlit sky among the shadows of the town in the darkness.

But then came morning and reality as we popped into a UPS/FedEx/Postoffice. The owner had retired from Silicon Valley and opened this business. And, business had been booming... he had eight employees. Then the crash of 2008 happened and over night his business died and never came back. He has only himself in the store now. The town is filled with art galleries. He used to ship eight huge piece a day, " Now nothing. "

"This used to be a real town for real people, now it's just for Texans who found oil on their property... uneducated, inarticulate, tacky taste... The town survives on them." There are people and towns really struggling in the US as a result of the 2008 downturn. No wonder there are fewer tourists on Vancouver Island. The Americans are keeping their money close.

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Palo Alto

We are on the road, leaving our six days in Palo Alto behind. Our friend was right, Palto Alto is the equivalent of 16th century Florence. It has changed and is changing the world. In the late sixties, I have some vague recollection of the demise of slide rules and the advent of calculators. OMG, we have come a long way, baby! We leave Palo Alto with a greater sense of the creative forces behind the past 35 years and with a more learned nod to the future. All this energy, creativity, wealth in one area are working on the next big thing.... Could it be anticipatory marketing? Amazon, or whoever, will just send you what they intuit you want, remember that coffee you couldn't be trusted to add your own cream to? Now, you really don't know what you need or want to buy... but they will....

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Palo Alto's Favourite Coffeeshop

Palto Alto, the town of future promise, is the home to the uber rich, the uber smart and the uber creative. For example, we are driving down the highway at 100 mph (that's miles, not kilometers) and are passed by the Google car... a self driving vehicle ... and we can't catch it! Money flows in the street and coffee flows in the funky sidewalk bars.... which brings us to Philz Coffee.

This is the hotspot, the epicentre of the cool and hip. The room is filled with conversation and digital devices. The line up for coffee stretches out the door. So what makes this place so special? It provides a totally narcissistic experience. Each order of coffee is made individually. No coffee urn here. No one shares the same coffee. Every choice is carefully explained to each customer. Then it is carefully prepared, cup by cup. The customer is not trusted to add their cream or sugar... they may screw the coffee up! If you don't like the amount of cream or sugar added or the flavour of the coffee, it is quickly removed and made all over again. I have to think that this whole experience is designed to make you feel special, like royalty... you are unique... Philz caters to a generation raised to feel that, yes, they are special, but interestingly cannot be trusted to even pour the right amount of cream into their very individualized special coffee.

 

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Truffle Salt

We are on a winter break... a break from our ongoing life of leisure. In fact, my new motto is 'idle forever'. R and I flew from Bellingham to San Francisco. Whenever I travel to the United States, I feel that I am going to the dark side... that the US is slightly less civilized. And, then, of course, I am inevitably forced to change my preconceived ideas. Our first stop, Bellingham, was my point of reckoning. We stumbled in to an olive oil tasting. Amazing, delectable, nuanced oils... ethusuastic, incredibly knowledgeable staff... I am going back in two weeks. And, then as as I am leaving, they insist I try a truffle salt. OMG, flavour burst in my mouth and I nearly sunk to my knees with pleasure. Damn those Americans.... they just get it so right sometimes!

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