What have you done with your California today?

[GrumpyGranddad]

View attachment 82169View attachment 82170View attachment 82171Dinner in the Beach at the beach (Sitges, near Barcelona). Every time I open the door it makes me laugh. If people in Spain ask, I tell them VW hired me as a consultant, then gave me the prototype as thanks for its success. When people ask if it was hard to adapt to being an immigrant in Spain, my answer is zero effort, after all Spain is just the European branch of California, and (true story!) most French and Spanish vineyards were replanted from California stock (which, yes, was originally brought from Europe) after the European vines were wiped out by https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera.

Had to get rid of my Mexican accent from moving there for work when I was 23 though. It turns out Road Runner cartoons in Spain were dubbed in Mexican Spanish, so people absolutely lost it when this 6’ blond symphony musician from California began to talk. Some said they could only understand me if they closed their eyes and imagined that I was the salesman for Acme dynamite.

Ah Sitges! I attended a 3Com business conference there many many years ago. Lovely town.

 

[The Merle]

View attachment 82169View attachment 82170View attachment 82171Dinner in the Beach at the beach (Sitges, near Barcelona). Every time I open the door it makes me laugh. If people in Spain ask, I tell them VW hired me as a consultant, then gave me the prototype as thanks for its success. When people ask if it was hard to adapt to being an immigrant in Spain, my answer is zero effort, after all Spain is just the European branch of California, and (true story!) most French and Spanish vineyards were replanted from California stock (which, yes, was originally brought from Europe) after the European vines were wiped out by https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera.

Had to get rid of my Mexican accent from moving there for work when I was 23 though. It turns out Road Runner cartoons in Spain were dubbed in Mexican Spanish, so people absolutely lost it when this 6’ blond symphony musician from California began to talk. Some said they could only understand me if they closed their eyes and imagined that I was the salesman for Acme dynamite.

Sitges is a great place I was there in 2016 and it was baking in the high 30s, definitely need to pop back and explore the play some more.
Very jealous

 

[clarinetbcn]

Sitges is a great place I was there in 2016 and it was baking in the high 30s, definitely need to pop back and explore the play some more.
Very jealous

I come down here (40km) when it’s too hot in Barcelona and I don’t have enough time to get to the Pyrenees. It has its own micro climate, moré temperate than Barcelona.

Tomorrow yoga on the beach at 7:30am. I will surely be the youngest (the class is given by a woman 10 years older than me, and I clearly remember the Beatles’ debut on the Ed Sullivan show when all TV was strictly live because nobody had figured out how to record it), and the least flexible, but I try.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Very jealous

I sometimes get jealous of my younger self dancing shirtless till dawn in Sitge’s great clubs. These days I sit at the wonderful outdoor cafés and criticize what people walking by are wearing.

 

[The Merle]

Listening to the waves breaking onto the beach is my thing or watching the clouds and stars.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Listening to the waves breaking onto the beach is my thing or watching the clouds and stars.

I’m currently doing a moonlight beach walk. It’s nearly August so the water feels warm. This is an exceptional place.

 

[California4x4]

Joined Leigh from Comb Valley Campers for his second Campers and Coffee gathering at the B Road Hunting Club.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Ahead of a trip to the coast tomorrow another trip to the allotment today to harvest some veg’ for dinner (and swapped some beetroot for 6 fresh eggs)

 

[66tim99]

Ahead of a trip to the coast tomorrow another trip to the allotment today to harvest some veg’ for dinner (and swapped some beetroot for 6 fresh eggs)

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Looks immaculate GG, grown by a green fingered expert by the looks

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Looks immaculate GG, grown by a green fingered expert by the looks

My neighbours love me for the freebies.

 

[TheDoc]

Spent 6 hrs washing, polishing and waxing the beach. Hard graft but it looks superb.

 

[66tim99]

Spent 6 hrs washing, polishing and waxing the beach. Hard graft but it looks superb.

What process took six hours?!
Let’s have a photo of your mirrored Beach then!

 

[TheDoc]

What process took six hours?!
Let’s have a photo of your mirrored Beach then!

Citrus spray, snow foam, pressure wash, ferrous duller, shampoo, polish, wax, plastics dressing, wheel polish, tyre dressing, glass polish and rainexed.

 

[TheDoc]

It’s a bit dark out now but it’s shiny!

 

[chris151151]

This idea is copied from several other fora where it always seems popular.
I'll kick it off and say this morning I chauffeured my wife 50 miles to a meeting and visited the local VW retail centre whilst I waited for her meeting to conclude. Had a look over the new Tiguan, it seems practical and fairly well equipped.
The journey there and back was smooth and relaxing, confirming that the Cali. is just as versatile as a run around as it is camper van.

900k trip from Perpignan to Châlons en Campagne site. Parked up and made salad and pasta. 2/3 bottle of Roussillon rosé to accompany. Despite cracking on at 130km/h on autoroute got 40.6 mpg.
At least according to VW computer. And still fuel in 80l tank. It really is very good to drive, as good as a decent car. ACC also invaluable on autoroute. So good I have forgotten punitive cost of UK tests to get back in..

 

[Elmo3]

A quick wash. Scrubs up well for a 12 year old.

 

[BeagleMum]

Ahead of a trip to the coast tomorrow another trip to the allotment today to harvest some veg’ for dinner (and swapped some beetroot for 6 fresh eggs)

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Fab looking basket of veg

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Day trip to West Wittering today. Walked a circuit of East Head and then along to East Wittering for lunch and back (in the rain). 7.5 miles total. Lovely day out.

 

[TripleBee]

Annual, obligated MOT (keuring).

Passed for another year.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Drove to The Hertfordshire Golf Club in Broxbourne. Lovely course and club house, shame about my golf! :-(

 

[LemonDrop]

Last day of an impromptu trip to the New Forest.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Last day of an impromptu trip to the New Forest.

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Long Meadow Campsite near Brockenhurst?

 

[LemonDrop]

Long Meadow Campsite near Brockenhurst?

Spot on

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Spot on

Nice there with direct access to the forest paths.
We did a long circular off road bike ride which was great fun.

 

[LemonDrop]

Nice there with direct access to the forest paths.
We did a long circular off road bike ride which was great fun.

Yes it's a great spot. I can highly recommend riding to The Oak Inn in Bank for lunch. It's not a long ride, lovely food and mostly downhill on the way back. Win Win! They get busy so best to book.