Ah, that Californian lifestyle - a day at sunny Mission Beach

Hey man! Its mission beach dude!
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Its late November and I have been swimming in the Pacific off Mission Beach today.

A week or so ago I was fleeing the snows in New Mexicos Sangre de Christos mountains and now I striding out the surf in onto the sands of a Californian beach. Its not blistering hot - only about 18 degrees but too a lad who spent every summer in the wet reaches of Wales it is tropical. And certainly good enough for a swim and a lie down in the sun.

There was a bohemian air with Indian mantra music wafting over the sound of the sea and the caw of gulls.

Surfs up dude!
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San Diego is wonderfully mellow. The downtown is walkable, the attractions superb and the beach lifestyle a bus ride away. There are downsides - you have to keep out of Balboa Park at night and there are some strange characters at the trolley stops but I like it. Its also gearing up for Christmas. I'm used to the marrow-chilling cold of Northern Europe for Christmas. It takes some getting used to seeing shoppers at Horton Plaza in shorts and sunglasses clutching tinsel and wrapping paper.

The hostel is between Broadway and Balboa Park, near city college. Its actually very pleasant with a rich mix of characters and very easy to make friends. But today I was to meet Andy Atkinson outside San Diego zoo. So it was a straight walk up Park Avenue through the park with its rolling yellow lawns and yucca cacti. He was waiting for me under a piece of topiary clipped into the shape of an elephant and we walked back to Broadway. The house he is looking after is in Hillcrest and is very nice - Spanish revival I think he called it. The family, the Vincents, are selling the house and need someone to look over it. An old Mexican cleaning lady comes in once a day otherwise he has the place to himself.

Back on Broadway we waited for the bus to Mission Beach which headed northwest to the ocean bypassing 'Seaworld' on the way. We then entered the California of legend - surfer bars, cafes, condominiums and a giant rollarcoaster lording it over it all - everything led down to a sandy beach with the Pacific thundering in. We thought about hiring surfboards but it was $30 a day, even the bicycles were $20 a day. So instead we settled for a walk along the promenade.

If I had to live in San Diego (and it wouldn't be too hard) then this place would be first choice. Small bungalows lined the promenade where people set up benches in their gardens to watch the surf. Its a seductive scene -a scene where everyone doesn't do anything but wear bikinis and clutch surfboards. There was a bohemian air with Indian mantra music wafting over the sound of the sea and the caw of gulls.

After a swim and a sunbathe Andy had to head back to town to meet the Mexican cleaning lady but I wanted to see more of Mission Beach and so walked north. You can see the beginning of the La Jolla headlands, and the huge beach extends to grey sand cliffs topped by condominiums and villas perched on top. It became a beautiful scene as the sun set about 3.30pm and as I walked by there was one guy sitting outside playing his guitar. It was like something out of 'The Doors' movie.

That evening at the hostel I made more friends and we all went down to a bar not far away. We got drunk on American beer and the only thing a really remember is "En Vogue" on the jukebox. Yes, how nineties is that?