Searching for peace, quiet, and cool
The drive out of the Valley was one marking the temperature countdown. It wasn’t till we passed the Viejas Casino and Contribution Collection Center that the temperature finally dropped below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Friends asked how much cooler was it in San Diego. It was a high of 79 but the humidity rose to an equivalent number at nighttime. Yikes! There is no escape from the Summertime Blues.
And it’s not necessarily any quieter in San Diego. Here in El Centro, we have the ECRMC Air Force, and the Medevac helicopters that fly day and night to and from the hospital. Plus, we ha ve a motorcycle guy who lives nearby who enjoys full throttle to set off car alarms. Not what you’d call a good neighbor. In the big city, the motorcycle noise echoes for a few extra blocks as the sound bounces off tall buildings.
We have double-pane windows in San Diego, but in the summer they are often open. Best to just keep the music up a bit louder . With the windows open we g et a whiff of Mary Jane, or whatever it is called these da ys. Gen Z partying? Not really. Just a couple of older neighbors from Canada sitting on their veranda burning bud. Must be the medical mari - juana cards that attracted them to America’s Finest City ( it’s imprinted on the police cars) in the first place.
A big attraction in our North Park neighborhood is the v ariety of restaurants. We practically live in a highly- rated Italian Restaurant, Siamo de Napoli. We know one of the co-owners, Favio, and everybody who dines at the restaurant knows him. It’s because a key part of the job of being a restaurateur is engaging with your clientele, and making them feel welcome. And he is great at it. However, you can’t fake the food, and Siamo’s food is excellent from antipasto di mare to Gnocchi Campagnola.
In fairness, the Valley has come a long way. We receive pleasant greetings when we do our Swee t Saturday lunch at La Fonda. Wesley, the manager of Fujisan, gently chides me for not f inishing my small salad. My comeback is that it contains too man y pieces of dreaded celery. I am an omnivore, but I draw the line at celery. Wesley runs a great restaurant except for the celery. Come for the sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. And give Thai Bistro a visit. The food is delicious. Call f irst since the hours are a bit irregular, 760592- 4611. It’s difficult to keep steady restaurant help in this post- Covid era.
Back in San Diego, we walk to restaurants and other attractions. Balboa Park isn’t far by car, but good luck in finding a parking space there. I grew up with public transit, something my Valley friends find strange. So we take the number 7 bus to Balboa. Only $ 1.25 for seniors is now pa yable with a swipe of your ATM card. We are years behind Western Europe which has become practically cashless. Using a credit or ATM card is safe and easy.
I love Balboa Park for its museums, gardens, and scale. However, I will give it a bye for a while since the pandas have returned to the zoo. The zoo will roll out Xin Bao and Yun Chuan on August 8th. The zoo is expecting an exponential increase in the number of visitors. The zoo will see a wind - fall in the sale of panda shir ts, caps, and stuffed bears. If you g o, bring some bamboo. Maybe it’ll help you get up close.