California Love

I put together the memories of recent weeks in a lucky seven California list:

 * On Nov. 10 our Big Day took place. The ceremony was secular, but to our request , charming officiant read the piece of biblical Hymn of Love. The Best man, lovely bridesmaids and an adorable flower girl all did a fantastic job. The party lasted until late evening hours. Everyone received favor boxes, filled with almonds and folk designed magnets, brought straight from Poland by my sister.  Cake cutting, surprise slideshow for guests and tossing the bouquet to Single Ladies song will remain for long in my memory.

* We really wanted to show our guests the Mission San Juan Capistrano, started by the Spanish Franciscans in the eighteenth century. It is famous for the “miracle of the swallows''. Every year they come back from Argentina exactly on St Joseph Day, which falls in mid-March. Even in California, November is a cold month for them, so we only saw their nests. Luckily, mystical chapel, extremely high and thin palm trees and beautiful gardens await visitors throughout the whole year.

* Newport Beach, where we all stayed is famous for its spacious and very clean beach (alcohol and dogs are not allowed on it). One of the brave guests took a refreshing swim in the Ocean. Cycling, extraordinary sunsets, burgers and hot dogs barbecue hosted by my father-in- law and rehearsal dinner in a buffet type Japanese restaurant– were our local attractions.

* In California, it's hard not be tempted by solid shopping. It seems to me that most of the stores in this beautiful state are bigger than elsewhere. When we were looking for clothes substitute for lost baggage, we found an enormous branch of national chain Forever 21. Abundant selection and concrete discounts immediately put everyone in a good mood.  It is no wonder that apparently tourists come to California just for shopping, to continue it later in Las Vegas.

*A little bit of culture. Although time was in value, we were able to see the Getty Villa (and some also the Hollywood Museum), founded in the last century by an oil tycoon.  After the ancient art exhibits and after walking around the impressive outdoor pool, we went for a drink on the beautiful Santa Monica Promenade. Another cultural itinerary highlight was a movie ''About Time” in an elegant theater, where the waiters deliver drinks and snacks to the screening room . .

* Happy Birthday Martha - a moving inscription read below our bowling score at the Irvine Lanes, where we went for my mother's birthday.  It was great fun, and the after party was continued with wedding cake leftovers and a tasty pizza. Dean received a higher mark than that those playing at the same time local league. #proudwifemoment

* For the final lucky seven, let me go back to wedding. As it is a tradition, my dad spoke during the round of the newlyweds families toast. He wisely referred to the Polish poet Zbignew Herbert - "be faithful and go" to the line of American poet Walt Whitman  ‘’The Song of the Open Road ''. After two weeks our Californian voyage come to an end, but I'm sure, the coming ones will be, also for you Dear readers, similarly great:)

H.xx

                                                    

Belle-vue

Before we welcome our wonderful wedding guests in California, a few words of our area.

One of the candidates running in the current election to the city council defined Bellevue as a “beautiful, diverse world- class community.'' Approximately 130, 000 people live here, of about a third of which have  Asian roots .  I also often encounter Russians. Bellevue is the fifth largest metropolitan area of the Washington state. Interestingly, when Bellevue’s status changed to a city in 1953, its community numbered of about six thousand people.  

We live in a Bellevue high rise conveniently located in an elegant, yet cozy downtown area. Our complex is populated primarily by a multinational community of students and white collar workers, which is really not surprising, given the proximity of several colleges and Microsoft’s main campus. 

One can visit hair and beauty stylists here, or stop off at a tasty French Bakery for a snack. On Halloween, we gave out candy and nut to the beautifully dressed children of our neighbors.

As for Bellevue’s history, homestead  settlers are the  pioneers of this King County city who, as across all America received raw land as a part of agreement. Our compensation for moving to Bellevue was six free public transport tickets.

Skyscrapers in the center, surrounded by both small and impressive size family houses make Bellevue today unrecognizable from the old photographs that I found in the chronicles. Ironically, skirmishes with the Indians led Seattle residents to explore unknown territories and helped its development.

Beautiful views of the Cascade mountains (in a way they remind me of the Polish famous peak Giewont), low crime rates and good level of the health and school education, still attract new settlers. All these advantages contributed to Bellevue’s high ranking  in the survey conducted by Livability.com among smaller towns in the United States.

It is difficult to compare Bellevue to any European cities I know. In a way, probably because of the cultural mix of its people, it reminds me of the suburbs of London and Copenhagen. People are very polite, helpful and are willing to listen to stories about Europe.

In our free time we go to the cinema, bowling or go shopping at Lincoln Square  mall, which to me seems like the center of Bellevue. Other attractions include the Bellevue Arts Museum , and to my delight, many sushi restaurants . Golf courses (stay tuned for a post on golf), and Japanese botanical garden are also city’s urban advantages.  In the Downtown, I have also seen a church named intriguingly Mars Hill , as well as the assembly of numerous denominations of the Christianity.

I learned that Bellevue got its name from its first post office, which was so named for its beautiful view. Bellevue has changed over the years, but it remains charming, and true to its name, reminding its present residents of, I hope, their beautiful opportunities.

                                           

H.xx