I have been incredibly busy since returning to work last week. Being back at work has been a good way for me to deal with the last few weeks. This past Thursday was Yom Kippur. Having been at a year-round school for so long makes you really lose track of time! The traditional schools such as Wilson High School got the day off. So, since my best friend is also on vacation for another 2 weeks, I pitched the idea of the 2 of us driving up to Santa Barbara for the day, and that is exactly what we did! Besides spending the day with Sergio, I got a chance to see 1 of my dearest and oldest friends, Cam, who is the Chief of Police of Santa Barbara. I did the driving, something I really LOVE to do! And so, the 1st stop we made when we got to Santa Barbara, was at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Back home, the Coffee Bean is where I spend a lot of my free time. We had a pastry each and Sergio had a cup of coffee and I had an iced tea. While doing this, I laid out the day for Sergio, since I was left in charge of planning (must be the administrator in me!). When we finished our pastries and caffeine, we headed to the Santa Barbara Mission. I must have taken about 100 photos there. Sergio and I had a blast the entire day. Here are some of my shots... the 1 above is a frontal shot of the mission.
This is a view of the back building and part of the garden. I have this thing for doors and archways, and of course, Spanish architecture, so I enjoyed tremendously photographing the various doors and archways.
This beauty is from a small grapevine that is located in the front of the mission, in the area where the fountain is. Look at the colors on the leaves, especially this 1. Beautiful!
I LOVE the roots and character of this tree! It is 1 of the biggest trees I have ever seen in my lifetime. This area is a side yard that is actually the cemetery.
Sergio asked me when was the last time I was at this mission. I told him about 3 years ago. This is 1 of the side doors of the church. This door leads into the cemetery. If you look closely, you can see 3 skulls and crossbones over the door. I have been to this mission many times over the last 10 years, and originally, there was only 1 skull there. The other 2 are relatively new and really stand out like a sore thumb! But eventually, they will age and fit in.
This is a shot of 1 of the doors and the surrounding walls. Notice the beautiful colors around the door. Each mission is distinctive for its painted walls and their patterns. The Chumash Indians painted each of the missions with paints derived from plants and vegetables.
Another shot of the cemetery. Look at the spectacular show the Mexican sage puts on! This is 1 of my favorite plants and it has made its way into every 1 of my gardens.
A statue of the Spanish priest, Father Junipero Serra greets visitors to the mission.
A shot of some of 1 of the pathways leading from the church to the gardens. It is a long walkway that really showcases the Spanish architecture such as the beams, stuccoed walls, and arches.
I liked this shot because it has a lot of things going on at once. It looks like a still-life arranged in the fountain. If you look closely, you will see a goldfish swimming above the lily pads. I have more photos of our day in Santa Barbara that I will post in the next few days. It was a great trip and the weather was amazing; it was 78 that day.
I have been incredibly busy since returning to work last week. Being back at work has been a good way for me to deal with the last few weeks. This past Thursday was Yom Kippur. Having been at a year-round school for so long makes you really lose track of time! The traditional schools such as Wilson High School got the day off. So, since my best friend is also on vacation for another 2 weeks, I pitched the idea of the 2 of us driving up to Santa Barbara for the day, and that is exactly what we did! Besides spending the day with Sergio, I got a chance to see 1 of my dearest and oldest friends, Cam, who is the Chief of Police of Santa Barbara. I did the driving, something I really LOVE to do! And so, the 1st stop we made when we got to Santa Barbara, was at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Back home, the Coffee Bean is where I spend a lot of my free time. We had a pastry each and Sergio had a cup of coffee and I had an iced tea. While doing this, I laid out the day for Sergio, since I was left in charge of planning (must be the administrator in me!). When we finished our pastries and caffeine, we headed to the Santa Barbara Mission. I must have taken about 100 photos there. Sergio and I had a blast the entire day. Here are some of my shots... the 1 above is a frontal shot of the mission.
This is a view of the back building and part of the garden. I have this thing for doors and archways, and of course, Spanish architecture, so I enjoyed tremendously photographing the various doors and archways.
This beauty is from a small grapevine that is located in the front of the mission, in the area where the fountain is. Look at the colors on the leaves, especially this 1. Beautiful!
I LOVE the roots and character of this tree! It is 1 of the biggest trees I have ever seen in my lifetime. This area is a side yard that is actually the cemetery.
Sergio asked me when was the last time I was at this mission. I told him about 3 years ago. This is 1 of the side doors of the church. This door leads into the cemetery. If you look closely, you can see 3 skulls and crossbones over the door. I have been to this mission many times over the last 10 years, and originally, there was only 1 skull there. The other 2 are relatively new and really stand out like a sore thumb! But eventually, they will age and fit in.
This is a shot of 1 of the doors and the surrounding walls. Notice the beautiful colors around the door. Each mission is distinctive for its painted walls and their patterns. The Chumash Indians painted each of the missions with paints derived from plants and vegetables.
Another shot of the cemetery. Look at the spectacular show the Mexican sage puts on! This is 1 of my favorite plants and it has made its way into every 1 of my gardens. 
A statue of the Spanish priest, Father Junipero Serra greets visitors to the mission.
A shot of some of 1 of the pathways leading from the church to the gardens. It is a long walkway that really showcases the Spanish architecture such as the beams, stuccoed walls, and arches.
I liked this shot because it has a lot of things going on at once. It looks like a still-life arranged in the fountain. If you look closely, you will see a goldfish swimming above the lily pads. I have more photos of our day in Santa Barbara that I will post in the next few days. It was a great trip and the weather was amazing; it was 78 that day.
2 comments:
Amazing pictures! Glad you got to spend time with Sergio...thanks for reminding me that my vacation time is slowly coming to and end, lol. When are WE getting together???
Give me a day and let's do it! Also, I read on your blog that someone had a birthday? When is your birthday, Claudia?
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