Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Well, you got a little break there, due to Toby putting the laptop out of commission and Graham having his hip replaced.  The laptop is now better and the husband is getting better, so on with the saga! We thought it would be kind of nice to venture out on to the Pacific Ocean, rather than just look at it from the shore, so we investigated our options.  The Channel Islands seemed like a pretty manageable trip, even with a one-year-old, so we booked a boat and hoped for fine weather.  The Channel Islands National Park encompasses five islands and the ocean around them, just off the coast of California.  Like many islands, they have some pretty incredible biodiversity, with many unique plants and animals.  It would have been great to stop off and see it close up, but actually staying on the island entails taking everything you might want with you.  With a toddler this always seems to involve everything bar the kitchen sink (actually, that could be handy too), so we decided to stick to

Those two words really ought to rhyme, shouldn't they?  You might not expect to find them in such close proximity, and in California, of all places.  But read on, and all will be explained. The Spanish is pretty obvious.  As you may be aware, the Spanish were the earliest European settlers in these regions, and as in Texas, they sought to convert the natives and colonise the area by building missions.  You can tell they had the pick of the land, because the Mission in Santa Barbara is in the most beautiful spot, just in the foothills of the mountains.  We spent a while relaxing and letting Toby run around in the park, which incorporated a rose garden and some venerable trees. Looking at art from a recent festival - not your average chalk drawing! View from the Mission Toby loves having sun cream put on his face!   The self-guided tour took us through the peaceful inner courtyard of the Mission.  Up some stone steps, we wandered into the graveyard, where thou

On one side of Santa Barbara is the ocean; on the other side you very quickly find yourself in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.  Our excursion in this direction turned into one of those serendipitous days where nothing goes as you'd planned, but it all turns out rather well in the end.  Our idea was to drive downtown, pick up a National Forest pass and go to a park, then drive up to a viewpoint in the afternoon.  Unfortunately Toby downright refused to go in the car, so we plopped him in the pushchair and walked to a local park instead.  It was a pretty little place, with nasturtiums sprawling over wooded banks, and a little stream running through.  There we just happened to get chatting to a local family, who suggested that Gibraltar Road would be a good drive up into the mountains. The buggy stops here! So after Toby's nap we plotted out our route and set off up a steep and winding road.  Graham was having the time of his life, doing some 'proper