Catalans a California

Escrit el 11/07/2008 (penultim dia de viatje!)

Avui ha estat un dia intens i de contrastos. No cal dir que ens hem fotut una bona raccio de milles, de forma q igualarem dema les 1000 milles (1600 km) q vam fer a Alaska!

Hem comensat esmorzant a Morro Bay, estuari i poblet pescador. I despres directes a la super maca i encantadora Santa Barbara. Aqui hi ha una "Mission", on missioners "espanyols" "educaven" als indis locals. I es que California era fins el 1821 espanyola, despres mexicana i fins a ser dels Usa el 1846. Just abans de comensar la febre de l'or.

I lo dels catalans? Doncs el fundador de moltes de les misiones de California va ser el Pare Junipero Serra, de Mallorca.

Ah, i jo m'he banyat x 1er cop al Pacific, a Santa Barbara ... S'estava be, fins i tot aigua tebiona :) i sense tiburons!

I despres ... Be, una paradeta tecnica a un outlet, x acabar de fer reventar la maleta, i cap a Los Angeles. Be, a l'aeroport, q es on tenim l'hotel. Pero hem nat a supar i prendre algo a Santa Monica ... Molt d'ambientillu hi havia.

I res, dema visita llampec a LA i a agafar l'avio a mitja tarda. I diumenge tarda ja a casa ... Hilversum i Viladecavalls/Bcn respectivament :)

Fins aviat!

C&C

Today has been an intense day, full of contrasts. Of course, we had our daily ration of miles, in a way that we will match the 1000 miles (1600km) that we drove in Alaska.

We started with breakfast at Morro Bay, estuary and fishing town. And then, to Santa Barbara ... super cute and enchanting. Here we visit one of the spanish "Mission", where spanish missioners "educated" native indians. Remember that California was spanish territory til 1821, then was part of Mexico and became a part of the USA in 1846 ... one year later, the Gold Rush began!

And what about the catalans thing? The founder of most of the missions in California was Father Junipero Serra, original from Mallorca.

Ah! And I took a swim in the Pacific ocean in Santa Barbara ... it was great ... water was even not cold ... and no sharks! :)

After Santa Barbara, we drove direction LA, but with a pit-stop at an outlet in Camarillo on Highway 101, just to burn the rest of the credit card and fill in the suitcase :) And then, to the hotel in LA, which is located next to the airport. Just drop the stuff and drive to Santa Monica for dinner and drinks. It is friday, so there's quite a lot of movement around. But we are beat ...

And ... tomorrow a short visit to LA and ... back home! Around 5PM we have both the flight which will take us back home: Hilversum and Viladecavalls/BCN.

[Santa Barbara Mission]

[Taking a swim in the Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara]