Big Sur

Today we drove up from Santa Barbara via San Simeon (where we glimpsed the immense Hearst Castle up on a hill) through the Big Sur to Monterey. The guide book said that Big Sur leaves visitors grasping for adjectives to describe its beauty, and this is no exaggeration. It's probably one of the most beautiful places we have ever been, and that includes Scotland and Norway! Narrow (for the US, that is) roads wind up and down craggy outcrops and in and out of deep bays. The flora are also incredible. There were long stretches of bright carpets of ground cover plants in a multitude of colours on either side of the road. The Pacific also had constantly shifting shades of blue.


Well I'll have to leave it at that, because as the book says, words fail to do it justice. I hope a picture will do better.


We had dinner at a fish restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Marjolein had crab cakes (she likes to compare the quality of crab cakes when we're in the US) and I had a combination of three grilled fishes. Delicious.


Today's accommodation: EconoLodge Monterey Fairgrounds.