Cannery Row!

Monterey is one place that I could easily live in and if the National Lottery should ever facilitate this, so be it! Accordingly, spending a few days here touring the local attractions is no hardship and faced with a warm spring-like day, we decided to take-in Fisherman's Wharf , Cannery Row, and the Old Town.

Walking by Monterey Bay, watching the seals, sea birds and floating kelp forests, is a must-do (the sea otters were far too cunning to be spotted today!).

We walked the Pier, but fish'n chips and clam chouder held no appeal at eleven in the morning. In fact the latter has no appeal, full-stop! We therefore exited stage-left for Cannery Row, first stopping-off for coffee at a favourite haunt. I always feel blessed being in Cannery Row having been a life-long fan of John Steinbeck and although the original function of the buildings has long since become redundant ..... now a mix of souvenir shops, hotels, and eateries (ranging from Bubbba  Gumps to Johnny Rockets) ..... the spirit of Steinbeck's magical stories and characters survives and its strange to see  the infamous Marine Biology Lab of Ed Rickets (The Doc!) still intact.

The day slipped by effortlessly and we were soon retracing our steps to the Old Town's historic buildings and retail outlets.

What's not to like about this place? Nothing!..... and to quote (or misquote) one of Steinbeck's colourful characters from Cannery Row's yesteryear "If all the dew were diamonds, we could be rich and drunk all our lives"! Well its a thought!!  This weekend Monterey hosts its annual Jazz Festival, but as I don't like Jazz, today's musical memory is a cheesy 60's rendition of an old pop classic, which played on XM today!