ca2016 (16 out of 94)

San Diego 03

We took a scenic drive through the desert, through Ramona, St Ysabel, Julian, and a bit of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The desert here is piles of rocks, lots of scrub and occasional cacti. The roads twisted between foothills or cut straight through the sides. We walked a little away from the road and had lunch in the sun with some stunning views; then stopped in quaint Julian - famous for apples - on the way back for apple pie (their traditional apple and all suga-rfree varieties are vegan). I chose boysenberry and apple.

We're both exhausted, despite having been sitting in a car for most of the day. I guess watching miles of foothills roll by took it's toll.

We had dinner at Sipz, a mostly vegan Asian fusion restaurant in Clairmont. Miso soup, edamame, BBQ 'pork' bun, dragon roll (very saucy), spicy basil with not-chicken and brown rice. Most of that is for breakfast. The had some great desserts I wanted to try, but no space.

🏷 ca2016 couchsurfing desert diego san vegan

Mon 23rd of May 2016 at 9:03pm (-07:00)

7:29pm

Tofu and beans burrito (half), potato and mushroom taco, chips, salsa (Potez)

🏷 burrito ca2016 potez taco

1:55pm

Spicy basil leftovers

🏷 ca2016 leftovers

Sunday the 22nd of May 2016

8:27pm

Miso soup, edamame, spicy basil not-chicken, brown rice, dragon roll, BBQ 'pork' bun (Sipz)

🏷 asian ca2016 jeannie rice sipz sushi tofu

2:22pm

Boysenberry and apple pie, sugarfree (Julian's pie shop)

🏷 ca2016 julian

2:22pm

Pie and tea

$6 (€5.35 / $6.00 / £4.12)

🏷 ca2016 food jeannie julian restaurant

1:15pm

Chilli, rice, potato, pesto, tofurky sausage

🏷 ca2016 leftovers

11:30am

Almonds

🏷 ca2016 snack

San Diego 02

Sitting on the sofa in my host's lovely home after a fun evening with her family. Fiona, the timid cat, was eyeing me up like she wants to be on the sofa but is too shy to ask. She eventually elected for the top of a big cat toy across the room, from where she continues to watch me resentfully. Yoshi, the less timid cat, is content in a little basket.

I got up lateish this morning and after coffee and breakfast and talking about pets, my host and I drove to La Jolla, an upscale seaside neighbourhood in the north of San Diego. We walked along the coast, enjoying the sun, watching the waves crash and baby seals play in the surf.

We drove back to pick up supplies and make lentil and black bean chilli, cilantro and almond pesto (who knew pesto goes with chilli) in time for her nieces and their families to arrive for dinner. A nice evening talking about travel, tech, and life in general. A four year old instructed me on stirring the chilli, ate copious amounts of my homemade coconut oil+cocoa+coconut sugar chocolate, and made me draw snowflakes and build a helicopter from blocks. Once I was on the floor amongst the child chaos it was hard to get up again.

🏷 ca2016 california couchsurfing diego lajolla san travel usa vegan

Sat 21st of May 2016 at 11:11pm (-07:00)

Friday the 20th of May 2016

11:28pm

3 nights shelter

0 (Jeannie)

🏷 ca2016 couchsurfing shelter

CouchSurfing reminds me that people are SO NICE it warms my heart. And you know me, I don't even like people. Maybe it's just the kind of people who give strangers a key to their home, offer them anything in their fridge and even drive them around. I'm SO glad I didn't hostel San Diego, and cost isn't even on the list of reasons.

🏷 ca2016 couchsurfing diego san travel

Sat 21st of May 2016 at 7:09am (+01:00)