BIG NEWS!! JOIN ME IN MOROCCO
After a twelve-year hiatus
I will  go “home again” and join forces with
ADVENTURES BY THE BOOK

MUSINGS:
In my backyard
OH! NO! FIGS AGAIN!

Catalina Island Rediscovered
Merci, Mr. Wrigley

Overheard
At the beach

San Diego Book Fair
Lobster Taco=WOW!

Vive le bilinguisme :
Pourriel?? (YOU MUST read the explanation)

From Morocco and beyond

Kitty in the media:
Paella a la Californiana

California Center for the Arts: New Show!

MUSINGS:
Figs again . . .

Many of you have followed the saga of my fig tree over the last two years. It became so prolific, and so heavy we had to chop it down. But we made cuttings. Now, they are reaching for the heavens. This summer, they produced just enough figs to share with birds, rabbits, and possums…but not enough to make jam or chutney. I’ll wait. LONG YELLOW figs developed specifically for our San Diego County micro-climate, are still the best I have ever tasted.

Kitty 2 for 2
The blue jay got there first!

Once the handful of figs harvested, we headed out of town for a return trip to Catalina Island off the coast of Long Beach (CA). I have written about Mr. Wrigley’s utopia before. Each time I set foot in Avalon, I am struck by the chewing gum magnate’s vision: He conceived the island as a holiday destination for everyman, nurturing the environment and excluding cars. The anchor remains its extraordinary art deco Casino, still the principal attraction.
Since we had explored Avalon on previous occasions, we decided to take a boat ride to Two Harbors, a diminutive beach nestled on a sandy crescent 50 mn up the coast. I can’t recommend this boat ride highly enough, especially on a sunny day. Two Harbors is also the narrowest point on the island, and you can walk from one side to another in about 20 minutes. We faced a small flotilla of sailboats bobbing in the emerald water during lunch on the beach, in an atmosphere reminiscent of a Mediterranean hideaway.

I announced the San Diego Book Fair in my last Chronicles. This is an event well-worth attending with dozens of authors from San Diego and beyond, and a wide-ranging children’s book section. Adventures by the Book (tour to Morocco organizer!)and Novel Network, my hosts for the event, had secured a prime spot at Liberty Station.

Kitty with Selina of ABTB
Shamefully, I had never set foot at this San Diego landmark located on the grounds of an old military base. No wonder Old Town San Diego has fallen into the doldrums. Its “authentic” depiction of the first settlement in the state is dusty and somewhat drab. Liberty Station, on the other hand, vibrates with activity, houses a couple of museums (New Immigrants Museum and a Museum of Comedy, I think?)..dance studios, stores, restaurants, and vast expanses of lawn for picnics and other events. A fun place in spite of planes landing and leaving Lindbergh Field. https://libertystation.com/directory/all
My main goal after signing a few books was to look for the FOOD! And the Liberty Public Market offered something for every palate: Lobster tacos anyone? https://libertystation.com/go/liberty-public-market.

Kitty in the media:
Coronado, CA (another utopia!) the “island” in the middle of San Diego Bay,  now ranks its own  Crown City Magazine. See Paella Perfection
https://www.crowncitymagazine.com/
and my recipe for Paella Californiana
(It works!)

Overheard at Carlsbad beach:
Two, fifty something women, walking and chatting:
“I need to find a different way to express my love. . . . I guess!”

on the beach walk

Overheard in Avalon:
9AM.. group of 10 20-something men and women in tight fitting sports gear.
“Yeah. We just didthe Alps!”

New show at California Center for the Arts in Escondido (CA)
Call ahead for a docent-led tour.
DesEscondido/No Longer Hidden: Public Address Art Exhibition
September 29 – November 18, 2018
artcenter.org

LE FRANCAIS A l’HONNEUR : FRENCH IS IN!

Vive le bilinguisme :
https://france-amerique.com/fr/the-boom-in-dual-language-classes-in-new-york-2-3-demand-is-high-enough-to-open-50-more-schools/?

word: https://www.hopper.com/fr/corp/about.html

Who says French is moribund?
What is POURRIEL ?  C’est pas joli ca ?
Let me break the word down for English speakers:
Courriel=e-mail
Pourri= rotten
Pourriel= rotten emails (I surmise?) = SPAM !!!!!!!!!!
And you can reserve your plane ticket while doing so!
https://www.hopper.com/fr/corp/about.html

De Marrakech à l’ONU, la quête d’empowerment de trois jeunes Marocains

News from Morocco:
A new museum in Marrakech dedicated to WATER
https://lepetitjournal.com/rabat/lun-des-joyaux-de-marrakech-le-musee-pour-la-civilisation-de-leau-240269

Moroccans and water conservation:
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-03-29/these-moroccans-are-turning-foggy-days-solution-their-water-crisis

A TECH CAMP FOR GIRLS!
PRI’s The World: Morocco and women’s career dreams
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-09-11/these-girls-morocco-tech-camp-presents-rare-opportunity-pursue-their-career?

For these girls in Morocco, a tech camp presents a rare opportunity to pursue their career dreams

PRACTICE FRENCH IN THE US:
Practice your French in Louisiana : On parle français en Louisiane
https://france-amerique.com/en/louisianas-application-to-la-francophonie-to-be-determined-in-october/

Brush up on your provençal:
https://lepetitjournal.com/culture/labecedaire-des-expressions-provencales-225937

Provence: Les Romanichels (gypsies)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/18/world/europe/catalan-gypsies-perpignan-france.html

Book news:
Mint Tea and Minarets: a banquet of Moroccan memories
Ebook out soon on Amazon.com
NEXT:
Le Riad au Bord de l’Oued (French version)

Comme toujours,  as always:

Bismillah
and Bon Appétit!