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Nov 20 / Administrator

Autumn 2015 – Trip to California

A year ago the thought of being able to go to California for a month was a pipe dream, but the National Health Service and specialist Travel Insurers made it possible and we have just returned from 31 days in California.

We started by visiting Jo and the children in San Jose.

We had a lovely week end and then Oliver was sick so we looked after him on the Monday when he should have been at school.  We then spent Tuesday with our friends Sharon and Cliff whom we met on our trip to Sorrento back in August.  They had just moved back to their home in Richmond near San Francisco after a spell in the UK looking after aged parents.  They made us very welcome and we enjoyed a pleasant prolonged lunch before returning to Jo’s.

We had heard the day before we left the UK that the swimming pool at Ocotillo Lodge in Palm Springs would be closed for major renovations throughout our stay. So it was with some trepidation that we left Jo to head for PS.  However, we were greeted with an invitation to a Pot Luck supper starting an hour after we arrived – a hasty trip to the supermarket saw us ready in time.  It was lovely to meet up with our friends and sit in the pleasant evening warmth.

The pool may have been disappointing to look at but the palms at sunset and the mountains were just as beautiful as ever.

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We walked for about 4 miles on most days and found it very pleasant finding different routes around the local area.  We also visited Lake Elsinore, Dana Point and Idyllwild where we had lunch at one of our favourite restaurants – Gastronome.  At one mile above sea level, Idyllwild was somewhat cooler that Palm Springs but the crispness of the atmosphere and the alpine smells made the trip as wonderful as ever. Bristol may have had its Gromit and Shaun the Sheep trails in the past but Idyllwild had a series of painted deer dotted around the town.  We managed to find one right outside our restaurant.

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During the three weeks we were at Ocotillo we had another two Pot Luck suppers and two invitations to dinner at friends’ condos.  Our friends at Ocotillo are very special and despite the lack of a pool we enjoyed our stay with them.

Our final few days were spent269-20151026i.JPG back in San Jose with Jo.  We celebrated Oliver’s tenth birthday with a fondue supper followed by a large ice-cream birthday cake.  On Saturday the children were with their father but Jo, Annie and Gerry managed to see the new James Bond movie Spectre (well worth a trip) followed by a brilliant evening of cocktails and food just a taxi ride away from Jo’s home.  Alexander then returned on Sunday and the four of us went fishing at Capitola.  It was a great trip. Alexander caught 7 fish Gerry two and Jo one when she was using Gerry’s hired rod!

We headed back from San Francisco airport with Virgin Atlantic.  The flights were very good and we had paid for extra legroom which made travelling in cattle class very much more enjoyable. The return journey was rounded off with a very quick trip through Heathrow and then we were met immediately by our friend Ray who drove us home.

Back to earth with a bump as we awoke to wind and rain and a day of medical, dental and hair appointments.