California! I’d (almost) forgotten how the air smells (of eucalyptus and blossoms with a whiff of mint), how low the toilets are, how big the cars (and the food portions), how sweet the sun – and the people! (apart from the odd cab driver). Maaike and I slept all night and after a slow start ambled down the broad avenues of Berkeley where the Elephant Pharmacy prescribes yoga, and where south Asian cuisine rubs shoulders with one-screen cinemas.
We had lunch at Cafe Gratitude — we ordered “I am joyful” (quinoa, tahini sauce and steamed vegetables — more delicious than it sounds), as well as “I am luscious”, “I am eternally sweet” and “I am accepting” ( the bill). We found Black Oak Books, our first second-hand bookshop of the trip, and I eventually had to drag Ewan out. Maaike declared (at least ten times) that she is going to move to California. If she does I will follow her, and become Berkeley’s first CPP psychotherapist .