8th Day - Day 8 (for English scroll down)

The plan today was to drive up the coastal Highway 1. Unfortunately, there was a landslide on the coast which required a change of plans. Hearst Castle had to be cancelled. We crossed a lost country road that went through a US Army camp - a huge area where soldiers were trained. They had our FULL attention :-) We didn't even dare to say anything negative about Trump out of fear of being listened to, followed, and taken away! We didn't dare to take photos either, but we engraved the gentlemen firmly in our photographic memory ;-)
Then we drove over a pass that easily beat the Julier... REAL switchbacks with no guardrails, extremely narrow, we rocked so much that it rocked Zoë to sleep and beads of sweat shot onto my forehead...
The view was very rewarding though - beautiful on top and foggy on the coast. At some point, we got back onto Highway 1 and a stunning cliff coast opened up. Unfortunately, it was still a bit foggy - almost like autumn. Along the way, we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns to admire the beautiful beach where the McWay waterfall poured into the Pacific. We continued over the Bixby Bridge. We wanted to experience the magnificent nature of Big Sur on horseback, but Zoë's stomach was growling so terribly that we gave in to hunger and skipped the horseback ride. The road then took us to Carmel. A wide, white, half-moon beach on the Pacific, with super fine sand, surrounded by cypress trees - beautiful... The town was also pretty and expensive - similar to a summer counterpart to St. Moritz.
Unfortunately, the Monterey Aquarium was already closed, but we will take a closer look tomorrow.

We planned to drive up north the Highway 1, but unfortunately there was a landslide and we had to change plans. We skipped Hearst Castle. On a lost country road we crossed a US soldier camp. An imens landscape where soldiers were drilled. They had our FULL attention;-) We didn't even dear to say something negative about Trump - of fear we would be taped, hunted and arrested. We didn't dear to take pictures either, but we memorized the gentlemen thoroughly in our photographic memory :-) Thereafter we drove over a mountain pass which beats the Julier pass by far. REAL Serpentines, no guardrailing, extreme narrow, it rocketed Zoë to sleep and provided me with beads of sweat on the front... However the view was very rewarding. Above very sunny and foggy on the coast. Eventually we reached Highway 1 again and a beautiful coastline opened up. Still a little foggy it fealt like autumn. On our way we stopped at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns where we high above the Pacific could enjoy the breathtaking view of the beach and the McWay waterfalls. We crossed Bixby bridge. We planned to enjoy the beautiful nature of the Big sur by horse, but Zoë's hunger was so great, that we headed to a gorgeous restaurant instead. Thereafter we proceeded to Carmel. A wide, white halfmoon beach on the Pacific with incredible soft sand, framed by Cypresses - just ever so beautiful! The little town of Carmel is very charming (and expensive) - kind of a summerpendant to St.Moritz. The Monterey aquarium was already closed, but we will visit it tomorrow.