Californie!

Finally, spring break is here!

Junior, Le Husband and I are off to California for a week. We have had enough rain and wind in Seattle this winter to last us a lifetime. Something tells me there will be a lot more waiting for us when we return... Time to go and look for some sun. Ah, la Californie, as Julien Clerc used to sing back in 1969...

Many years ago, Le Husband and I decided to celebrate our engagement and drove down Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was January, but the warm California sun showed up for us everyday. This week, we will be following in our (much younger) footsteps and showing the sights to Junior, with stops planned in San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, and finally, Los Angeles. 

We had the perfect excuse to plan the trip: We need to renew our French passports. Problem is, the new biometric passports are not as easy to come by as the old ones. Paperwork has to be delivered in person at the French Consulate in San Francisco. About three weeks later, the brand-new passports have to be signed and picked up, once again in person. Wait... so this means all three of us will have to fly to San Francisco AGAIN this spring?! Ah bon, tant pis. S'ils insistent (if they insist).

"10 (easy?) steps to obtain your new biometric passports"-- hmmmmm...

The trip starts in San Francisco. The City by the Bay. A mythical place, an instant hit with most French people when they visit. Is it the big city vibe? The unique layout? The cable cars? The water? Is it because of movie classics like "Bullitt" or "Vertigo"? French people a.d.o.r.e. San Francisco. I will not pretend to be any different. This reminds me of a song I used to hum when I was younger, back in old Europe. 

Ah, memories. Maxime le Forestier. Famous French artist. Survived the 1970's quite well (I would not be surprised if I found out he was in San Francisco during the famous "Summer Of Love".) Less hair. The voice is beautiful still, and the song has not aged one bit, or maybe just a little (haven't we all?) 

I am planning to keep blogging during the trip. I will also be busy taking notes in my travel journal and taking pictures. This is all très exciting, except for the part where we get to sit around the French Consulate for a couple of hours. I should have known French citizens can't escape the French Administration for long, even after they get an American passport, even after 15 years. I am a bit rusty at dealing with French civil servants. This could prove quite entertaining. Stay tuned, chers lecteurs...

A bientôt,

San Francisco, Maxime Le Forestier. Click here for lyrics. 
La Californie, Julien Clerc. Click here for lyrics.