Trees and Ocean
Evergreen tree in the Berkeley Hills, where we stayed for a couple of weeks.
We are only just back to France after five weeks in the United States. The main purpose of our travel was to celebrate James and Daniel’s wedding and to reconnect with family and friends after being away from our native habitat for such an extended time. We participated in so many wonderful gatherings and enjoyed intimate moments with loved ones.
Today I don’t offer you my personal photos of those moments, but rather some images of the natural beauty of some of the places we found ourselves in. This blog is dedicated to our French adventures and the French landscape. We couldn’t help but compare the American environment with the one we live in here. They are much different, each spectacular in its own way. I noticed that I took quite a few photographs of trees, especially the way the sun highlights the rich greens. I found the California woodlands truly breathtaking. France, for all its many charms, has few virgin forests.
Rick and my brother Gary strolling through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton, California
Redwood trees are a kind of wonder of the world, especially as they grow so large and live only in the fog belt of northwestern American, (exclusively in northern California and southwestern Oregon). We loved strolling among these amazing trees while visiting my family in Santa Cruz.
Redwoods are the tallest trees on earth.
Their habitat is extremely limited and in the entire world, there are only 100 coastal miles that have the elevation, latitude and climate that can support their growth. The Pacific Ocean fog keeps them continuously damp, even in the summer heat.
Japanese Maple in James and Daniel's backyard.
We made several visits to the coast while away. I had forgotten how beautiful the San Francisco Bay really is, particularly on a sunny afternoon as one sails over the new Bay Bridge. One day while there Rick’s son and his family invited us on the spur of the moment to go whale watching on a Sunday afternoon. Whales had been sighted off Pacifica, a coastal town just south of San Francisco. Driving from Walnut Creek to Pacifica proved an easy endeavor. Rick was very excited, as he had never seen a whale in the wild before. He was not disappointed, as there was an entire pod just off the pier. We saw humpbacks gliding through the water, flashing their tail flukes, and spouting up here and there. Getting a photo was a challenge as these glimpses were fleeting.
Misty day in Pacifica.
On another day we went with friends to the Emeryville marina where we could enjoy a view of San Francisco across the Bay.
The sparkling San Francisco Bay on a bright day.
In Santa Cruz, where much of my family has lived most of their lives, we strolled along the coast and observed sailing vessels as they glided over the calm waters of the Monterey Bay.
One of the sandy beaches of Santa Cruz.
After a warm (in both senses) and lovely time among our people, making some memories we will hold dear, we left San Francisco and flew to South Carolina to spend a couple of very relaxing nights and quiet days at a retreat in Myrtle Beach. Our last days in the U.S. were spent in a virgin forest there, on the Atlantic coast.
A calm lake just a few meters from the Atlantic (beyond the far tree line).