Monthly Archive: November 2011

0

A trip into wine country

Monday 28th – Tuesday 29th November Drinkers of Californian wines will have heard of Napa Valley, an area about five hundred miles north of Cal Son’s home. Nearer is Temecula, an inland valley about thirty miles north and a bit east of San Marcos.  Last visited about seven years ago the idea of a drive up there took hold. The route (US pronunciation “rout”) was via Freeway 78 heading east, then Interstate 15 heading north into Riverside County. The four-lane...

0

Boys and toys

Friday 25th – Sunday 27th November Last Sunday the Captain and Boatwif watched as Cal Guy Jnr fell irrevocably in love with trains. That was at Poway. (See  https://boatwif.co.uk/uncategorized/these-are-a-few-of-my-favourite-things/) On Monday the older brother escorted the Captain and Boatwif from Cal State University to Escondido on the Sprinter (light railway) – just two stops away, the purpose being a bookstore visit. Waiting for us at the top of the ramp at Escondido overlooking the station (US: transit center) were Cal...

0

Outdoor Adventures

Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd November             Cal Guy Snr was detailed to escort us up to Double Peak Park, a city park about  a thousand feet above San Marcos from which, on a good day, wide views can be seen.  It was a good day.  After the severe rain on Sunday night cold sector weather left the skies clear and with good visibility. The skyscrapers of San Diego (about 35 miles south) could be made out, and...

0

“These are a few of my favourite things…”

San Marcos and Poway     It was at the local play park the other day that Cal Guy Snr pronounced himself King of the World. He had scrambled to the topmost position of the climbing frame and adapted the well-known “I’m the king of the castle” expression. “Well, if you’re king of the whole world,” ventured Boatwif, “what would be your first rule?”             Back came a reply: “All lessons in school will be about trains and planes and nothing...

0

Chasing the Sunset

London Heathrow to San Diego: 5485 miles It was a first flight for the Cleddau crew from Heathrow’s Terminal 5. What a delight that embarkation point is.  It is thoughtfully planned for passengers’ arrivals by road or rail, for the swift dispatching of baggage to aircraft and for the smooth management of passenger security checks through to airside (though not so for the two Italian passport holders in front of us: their photos were not of the right sort of...

0

By water – for water

Friday 4th to Sunday 6th November 2011     Can a reverse of about one hundred yards and a forward propulsion of equal length be considered “a cruise”? If so, then Cleddau cruised on Friday morning, from her pontoon at Victoria Pit Moorings, Higher Poynton to the water point beside the Trading Post – and back again.     The boat had been “dewatered” as a precaution against winter freezing about three weeks ago but with the decision to sleep on board...