vacation pt 1

All we did was laze around for days, as is our habit while vacationing.
It was ideal- we parked the car, checked in and didn't go anywhere we couldn't reach on foot for the rest of our stay.
Most people seem to 'do' things when they go on vacation, which seems the anathema of rest and relaxation. We spent the first leg of our European sojourn a few years back with German friends we met it Holland.
They were great do-ers of things and our contentment with relaxing in the scenic seaside village they'd chosen bemused them to no end.
But what wasn't to love?
There was a big ass cathedral in the middle of town, a couple of great cafes and an awesome bakery just down the street. They were all excited about the beach, but coming from California....well, let's say it was underwhelming and move on.

When we finally landed in Paris we hit the high points, but even there we spent more time happily sitting in cafes and parks reading than chasing around. The wife was especially fond of the cafe in the Luxembourg Gardens where her Asthmatic spiritual mentor Proust once cavorted, before taking to bed and composing his masterpiece. This was the location of my favorite comment in Europe, when a little old French lady at the next table exclaimed when I stood up "My God, he must be more than two meters!" (translation courtesy of the wife).

So why would we treat Hermosa Beach any different than the City of Lights?
The beach was at our doorstep and the hotel was crusted with shops, cafes and restaurants like barnacles on a piling. The view from the deck was stunning, the sea breeze was refreshing and the maids kept re-stocking the refrigirator with cold drinks.

It would have been positively irresponsible not to sit there for hours on end.

(to be continued)