Perfect weather today and the perfect driver Randy - skilful driver; talks only when something of interest to say, not afraid of silence and plays the occasional gentle San Francisco song like "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay". The 2 and a half hour bus trip to Monterey passed quickly on Route 1 along the coast.
Sunday in Monterey is buzzing - hot, noisy, crowded and CLEAN. As recommended by Randy we had the clam chowder in a bread bowl at Fish Hopper, lucky enough to get a table overlooking the sea where we could see otters playing amongst the seaweed and the occasional seal.
White peach sangria was delicious.
Our cases were dropped off at Monterey Bay Inn but we continued with the bus on the 17-mile drive to Bird Island:
Pebble Beach and The Lone Cypress, of great interest to David.
and then to Carmel. We are now retracing the footsteps of Alison and Christopher in May this year but travelling in the opposite direction. Carmel is fascinating with its acres of upmarket shops - a tea shop called Jane Austen at Home caught my eye - but it was closed. Fog was drifting in around 6 o'clock and the town felt dank so it was a relief to get a cab back to Monterey and let the rest of the bus go on their 2 and a half hour trip back to San Francisco.
They, poor things, were still on the bus when we were enjoying dinner at The Chart House and marvelling over David's Coconut Shrimp. My salmon looks ordinary although very good:
Your table at Fish Hopper is exactly the same as ours! And I think that kayaker was there in May too!
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