Italy is Everywhere

Most days we take walks around the neighborhood of Clairemont, where RC lives. You already know that I'm taking pictures of yards that make me stop. This one in particular is so whimsical with the multi-colored succulents against the yellow house. There are also bird feeders and glass globes hanging on stakes amongst the plants. But since the drapes were wide open, I felt I should take the stealth pic from the side. Ira especially loves the Hollywood Juniper tree in the background.

This also adds to the whimsy LOL

This yard is so colorful! Though per our friend Nina, red in succulents equals stress, I still can't help but appreciate the vibrancy. As it turns out, Nina was right. Succulents turn red because of extreme conditions such as sun exposure, extreme temperatures, under-watering, inadequate nutrition and poor soil.

One evening, Ira returned later in the day from a re-potting session in La Jolla with David, so we decided to have our evening walk at the mall.

I had forgotten how pretty the open air malls in California are. Do you see the white streak in the sky? We found out later that SpaceX had launched their Falcon 9, sending 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force base in Santa Barbara County. Cool, right? 

I leave you with this last photo from the mall. I just finished chapter 3 of Pinocchio and here we find Geppetto's. How fun is that? Italy is everywhere LOL.

A dopo!




 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Few New Updates (#250)

Image
This morning we went over to the apartment. We made sure to go early since there's no electricity or lighting at the moment. Many of the rooms look the same, aside from the pile of old doors and materials that have now been cleared. The biggest change by far was the terrace. From the guest bedroom, you can see the progression: what it looked like last spring, what it looks like now...and the rendering of what it will someday become. Notice that the old bathroom is completely gone--you can now see straight through to the terrace. Guest bedroom Spring 2025 Guest Bedroom Winter 2025 (minus the terrace bathroom) Guest bedroom rendering Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've been able to save many tiles. Our original plan was to repurpose whatever survived into a medallion or faux rug in the foyer. So...we may be moving on to plan B. Tile demolition Below is the view looking out through the former bathroom door--soon to be a window--looking out on the terrace. The thickness...
Read more

A New Lunch Spot, A Little Bonsai and a Lot of Contractors

Image
Just when we started feeling a little smug about knowing our way around town--having our favorite cafes and go-to spots--something happened to remind us how much we still have to discover. Today we had lunch plans with Tim and Izabella. We told them to choose the restaurant, and they picked one we had never even heard of: Villa La Boccia.  There are no signs pointing you there, no flashy advertising, nothing to catch your eye as you drive past--which we apparently do regularly without ever noticing it. So naturally we were curious about this "secret" local spot.  When we arrived, the parking lot was completely full. Completely. The restaurant itself was large, with indoor dining and a courtyard, and every seat seemed taken. We were stunned. How had we missed this place? Luckily Tim had made a reservation--he told us he had tried before without one and failed to get a table. Good thing he planned ahead.  Inside, the place was buzzing and the menu was extensive. It was hard...
Read more

A Busy Last Week in San Diego

Image
Our last week in San Diego arrived faster than expected, and David is feeling the pressure to get as much bonsai work done as possible. If he'd had his way, Ira probably would have been working every daylight hour and only released at night. Unfortunately for David's plan, we already had a few things scheduled. One of those plans was a long-anticipated trip to the zoo with RC. With everyone's busy schedules, this was the first day that worked for all of us. And really, we had to take advantage of our annual pass, right? Kai arrived proudly wearing the gorilla shirt we'd bought him the last time we visited the San Diego Zoo . He was eager to show us how fast he could move and had a great time climbing and weaving his way through the polar bear exhibit.  This time the polar bear was just as active. It definitely pays to visit early in the day. Sadly I stopped recording too soon because right after he jumped into the water, swam toward us, climbed out, and shook himself dr...
Read more