Took a drive up to Santa Barbara

[montréaliste]

^^^ Great info, Thanks!

I suppose there had to be a downside to the prettiness. As a contemporary architect, it is a limiting context, I agree.

I do appreciate on the other hand the virtue of enhancing the Spanish character in spite of the loss of Your Victorian gems. A smart mix of the two would have been à propos, but at least the overall context looks swell, as Carole Lombard and Clark Gable would have said.

[mt_climber13]

Originally Posted by montréaliste

I suppose there had to be a downside to the prettiness.

Yes, the smell of burning oil, oil sheens everywhere in the water, the taste of oil in your mouth as you swim in the ocean, oil rigs all along the coastline, and tar pebbles everywhere on the beaches that stick to your feet and which requires a deep scrub in the shower afterwards. Charming!

As long as you’re looking east though, and cover your nose, it’s gorgeous.

[montréaliste]

Originally Posted by mt_climber13

Yes, the smell of burning oil, oil sheens everywhere in the water, the taste of oil in your mouth as you swim in the ocean, oil rigs all along the coastline, and tar pebbles everywhere on the beaches that stick to your feet and which requires a deep scrub in the shower afterwards. Charming!

As long as you’re looking east though, and cover your nose, it’s gorgeous.

A good substitute for suntanning oil, maybe? What's not to like? lol

[10023]

Originally Posted by plinko

^Well, in the case of Santa Barbara, that's entirely by design. The development process here (even in the case of single family homes) is absolutely horrendous. The projects that survive it (particularly any of the commercial variety) are nearly all homogenized into a made up style by all of the various boards that have the power to review such things.

That sort of review exists in most places in Europe. It helps preserve the identity of a place. Although it’s a shame that the style is so made up... but that’s what you do in a new place.

[plinko]

Originally Posted by mt_climber13

Yes, the smell of burning oil, oil sheens everywhere in the water, the taste of oil in your mouth as you swim in the ocean, oil rigs all along the coastline, and tar pebbles everywhere on the beaches that stick to your feet and which requires a deep scrub in the shower afterwards. Charming!

As long as you’re looking east though, and cover your nose, it’s gorgeous.

Well the first 3/5 things you said aren't entirely accurate (at least not often), but whatever. I'd take the beaches here over nearly any in Hawaii or on the Med. for a variety of reasons.

[10023]

Originally Posted by plinko

Well the first 3/5 things you said aren't entirely accurate (at least not often), but whatever. I'd take the beaches here over nearly any in Hawaii or on the Med. for a variety of reasons.

Well, most Mediterranean beaches aren’t real beaches, and they’re certainly not ocean beaches. It’s not particularly cool and you can’t surf. If you want a proper beach in Europe, try the west coast of France.

[mello]

Originally Posted by 10023

Well, most Mediterranean beaches aren’t real beaches, and they’re certainly not ocean beaches. It’s not particularly cool and you can’t surf. If you want a proper beach in Europe, try the west coast of France.

What do you mean they aren't "real beaches"? Not particularly cool as in the water is tepid and not refreshing? What about the North Coast of Spain and Portugal beaches look dope.