Archives for July 2011

Back on the Trail

by Jeff Hester · Jul 20, 2011

I am a hiker, which for me, means hiking at least once a week. When time permits, I plan a longer hike on the weekend — 10+ miles — but I almost always hike at least once on a weeknight. During my three weeks in Paris, I did a lot of walking, but no hiking. Tonight was my first time back out on the trails since returning to California a week ago.

I’ve led a hike on Wednesday night for almost two years now. During the summer when the days are longer, we usually head for the local hills between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano on a modified 4.6 mile loop we’ve dubbed Roller Coaster Ridge for its up-and-down inclines. It’s a great mid-week stress-buster, and with over 1,000 feet of total vertical gain, a pretty decent workout, too.

But one of my favorite parts of leading this hike is sharing it with others and the social aspect of the hike. There are The Regulars: the people who will usually be there hiking with me 4 out of 5 times. The Newbies, who are curious about the trail, the area or just getting into hiking. And The Out-of-Towners, usually devout hikers here on vacation, and looking for a chance to stretch their legs on our coastal trails.

The size of the group really doesn’t matter. Sometimes there are just two of us, as it was the first time I hiked with my fiancée, Joan. Other times the group swells to 15 or more. But usually there are five to seven of us on any given Wednesday night. We gather at the trailhead shortly before 6pm, break a sweat on the climb, soak in the views of the coastline to the southwest and the mountains to the northeast. And we talk.

Last year when Joan and I hiked the John Muir Trail, she observed that the people we met were — simply put — wonderful. It didn’t matter what they looked like, their social status or age — they were friendly, warm and polite. There was a kinship among backpackers and hikers that is special. In sharing the outdoor experience, the sweat and the patient plodding up long, unforgiving hills, we become brothers and sisters.

hikers — The author, Joan, Barbara, Ammie and Doug on tonight's hike.

And for me, those Wednesday night hikes is a communion of kindred souls. A chance to take in the fresh, sea air. To watch the sun melt into the ocean. To catch up with friends, old and new. And to recharge my body, mind and soul.

After our hike, we sit around the table at Wahoo’s and share a well-earned taco and a cold beer, swapping stories about our weeks and plans for the weekend ahead. Yes, life is good.

If you’d like to join me on any Wednesday night hike, just let me know.

Change of Address

by Jeff Hester · Jul 14, 2011

Tonight, Joan and I picked up the keys to our new place. By the end of July, we’ll be moving out of our respective duplexes and into our new beach shack.

While the new place has much more space than either of our current homes, we’ll still have to consolidate our furniture make it work (one bed, not two; one couch, not two; etc.).

The new place has a great open living area and a wonderful, French doors that open onto a private courtyard in front. And you can even catch a peek at the ocean from the patio.

Of course the flip side to all this good news? I have to pack, and move by the end of this month. I better get started.

Front courtyard — A rather poorly stitched panoramic view of the front courtyard.

Au Revoir, Paris

by Jeff Hester · Jul 12, 2011

Today is a travel day. Our driver picks us up in front of the apartment at 10am (Paris time, mind you). From CDG we take a short flight to Heathrow, then the long leg to LAX.

Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately?) there’s no wifi on these flights, and I’ve got to get ready to go. This post will be short and sweet.

Paris has been amazing. The people have been warm and wonderful, with the occasional big city indifference. Joan and I loved being here for three weeks. I could see living here some day — not forever — but definitely for a while.

I enjoyed the break from the routine, and will resume more serious posts as soon as I get settled back into the groove. Hope you enjoyed following my Project 365 photos during our holiday.

Day 19 in Paris: Love, Locked

by Jeff Hester · Jul 11, 2011

If you look closely, you’ll find our lock on this bridge near Notre Dame.

This is a wonderfully odd real-world meme. The story I heard from a guy in our cooking glass (who has lived here in Paris for the past nine years) was that the guy who started this was despondant over unrequited love. He “locked his love” to the bridge, the jumped off and drowned in the Seine.

Not sure if that’s true, but since then, lovers have taken the idea to an extreme. And area sales of padlocks and Sharpie pens has never been better.

Oh, if you look closely, you’ll see a padlock for Joan and I, too. And that alone was reason enough for me to chose this as my Day 189 photo for Project 365.

For more on our trip to Paris, check out Joan’s travel blog and our Memolane timeline.

Day 18 in Paris: Refuge des Fondus

by Jeff Hester · Jul 10, 2011

One of the meals we wanted to enjoy was fondue. A quick search on Yelp turned up what sounded like a fun place in Montmartre called Refuge des Fondus. It’s small with a fixed menu. You get an apertif, an entree, your choice of cheese or beef fondue, wine (served in baby bottles to avoid the per glass tax), and if you choose, desert afterwards.

There are a row of tables along each wall of the narrow restaurant, with no room to scoot to the bench. So the waiter helps the ladies step on a chair and hop OVER the table.

When you’re finished, you can sign your name or leave a message on the wall, the ceiling, or anywhere you can find a scrap of available space. That’s what you see behind the beautiful Joan in this photo, #188 from Project 365.

C’est magnifique! And a lot of fun, too.

For more about our trip to Paris, be sure to check out Joan’s travel blog and our Memolane story.

Day 17 in Paris: Old Bones in the Catacombs

by Jeff Hester · Jul 9, 2011

On our 17th day in Paris, we visited the Catacombs. There’s a formal name for this which eludes me, because this is actually a cemetery of sorts.

It was created in the late 1700’s when overcrowding at the graveyards which traditionally surrounded each church became a serious health problem. The catacombs were a network of underground tunnels originally created as builders mined for stone for more buildings.

Each of the graveyards was transferred to a specific section of the catacombs and marked, so if you know where your loved ones were originally buried, you’d be able to find their new subterranean home, too. There are 6-7 millions Parisians in the catacombs.

It’s rather creepy. I’m glad we went, for the historical value, but for the most part, this photo shows you pretty much all you’ll see.

Oh, and you’re looking at my photo for Day 187 of Project 365.

For more on our trip to Paris, read Joan’s travel blog and check out our Memolane story.

Day 16 in Paris: Opera Garnier

by Jeff Hester · Jul 8, 2011

On our 16th day in Paris, we visited the amazing Opera Garnier. This Grand Foyer was designed with the thought that during intermission, the “performance” of life goes on… so why not provide a suitable stage to showcase the performance?

Joan and I liked the Opera Garnier better than Chateau Versailles — which was great, but overcrowded (and hot on the day we went). The Opera Garnier, though newer, is amazingly opulent, and still serves as a performance hall (mainly for ballet).

I also created an interactive panorama of the hall with Photosynth and my iPhone. Check it out!

This is my photo for Day 186 of Project 365.

For more details on our trip to Paris, visit our Memolane story and check out Joan’s travel blog.