picture extraveganza!

the trip started quintessentially as we happened upon this french bistro for lunch in dana point. i had Le Poulet au Basilique: a spicy chicken basil sandwich with diced apple, celery and fresh spinach. twas zesty if not exactly spicy. the ambiance was perfect to the upscale american locals, the bread and jam and the authentically french owner... it was like being on holiday. after a driving diversion to a trader joes we made our way back and found our campsite. just one spot from beachfront. next time it will be ours! it will be a particular regret of childhood that i did not get to go camping all the time or stay weeks at some other place...
we spent our mornings eating tasty things like eggs and bacon.. and proudly i made a parfait and we ate it on the beach along with some tea. idyllic. yes. down to the fresh raspberries and blueberries. and the quiet and the break of the waves.

over all it was a strange holiday bcs we went out every day into town and sampled the food from san juan capistrano to san clemente. so i wouldn't call it a camping trip so much as a sort of mellow meandering vacation with a few scenic driving diversions which we'll never speak of again. we managed to get a blanket for mom after i uh, forgot her sleeping bag after a night of sharing... and a new fuse from the ford dealership after we blew our outlets and had to finish 'school of rock' as a 2 parter. besides finishing lemony snickets: 'the end' we also watched 2 excellent movies via the most excellent laptop in the car were 'all about eve' and 'the devils backbone' (a spanish thriller) oh and not to forget '39 steps'. one of my favorite early hitchcocks. and while we were not sampling the local eateries we bird watched... we think these guys are 'coots' but if someone knows for sure let me know! among these funny birds we saw loads of pelicans plummeting in the water for fish, egrets, comorants, gulls, mallards, sandpipers and little fastwalker something or others.



we also went kayaking... and the waves were calm as a lake- and the day was hot and the water looked inviting. we went tandem and i had an unsettled stomach and clogged sinuses. so i only lasted an hour. we decided to be 'cute' and try to propel ourselves onto the plastic boat launch. i scooched us back and mom torked us to the right but the kayak being just a hair on the plastic still... pivoted us into the water instead. instantly my malaise was gone and i was finding myself refreshed and very wet in the harbor. luckily we were laughing... and i chidded myself for being lazy and not docking properply but glad... and then regretted i didn't take the time to practice trying to get back in the kayak once capsized. alas. after the fauna are some flora and the place mom and i had our one english outing to compliment the french.... pasties and shepards pie... next time we'll order the champange brunch... after that we wandered around in an antique mall, and found a ladys home journal picture all about a girl eating nervous walnuts... we took walks on the beach and were generally relaxed and comatose. i found myself slightly restless at points though like i had to get back to something... as if all that driving reminded me of where i was headed next... which was my garden at home and 'the job' which i must blog about poste haste. the rest doesn't matter. it was all delicious. and much like being in another world. mom says who has to leave the country to have a proper outofplace experience. i say, this will do for now.