Its the end of the year … already! How quickly time flew. I’ve been busy catching up on processing videos and photos, and there’s quite a bit to share.
We spent the holidays rather quietly. R and I felt that G wasn’t ready for any big ambitious trips so we planned small this year.
We took a driving trip down the California Central Coast and visited Big Sur and Hearst Castle. It was a wondeful trip – the weather was mild and Gabriel was very well behaved. We brought along his baby food and he didn’t make too much of a mess when he fed so we were quite relieved. And he handled the winding journey along Highway 1 very well.
There were breathtaking views of the sheer cliffs and powerful Pacific surf; elephant seals by the shore; rustic towns like Cambria and a beautiful sunset. Hearst Castle was the main highlight of the trip and it was an incredibly beautiful mansion set on the hilltops built by a Californian tycoon who spared no expense to collect all forms of antiques and art.
Here’s a link to the video of our trip.
Hearst Castle was an impressive place but I left with a sense that all the priceless art seemed a little … displaced. There were roofs that came from a chapel in Italy with carvings of religious icons set in a dining room where they were relegated to being part of a collector’s horde. At Hearst Castle, there was little time to ponder on the origins or the meanings of these sculptures or paintings – and I felt a little disappointed. Nevertheless, still worth the visit.
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