San Juan Capistrano Mission

Like it states on the plaque: The San Juan Capistrano Mission, Orange County California's only Mission, was founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra, the seventh in a chain of 21 missions established in Alta California to christianize and civilize the Indians. The stone church was destroyed in the 1812 earthquake. The mission was expropriated during Mexican rule then returned to the Catholic church in 1865  by proclamation of the president, Abraham Lincoln.

Here are the original walls of the stone church- what still stands after the earthquake of 1812,  200 years ago.

The United States is young in it's architectural history- comparative to the European and other countries in the world. So, to see such a magnificent and imposing structure more than 200 years old and in California-  it is truly a sight to behold.

There are 10 acres within the mission, available to wander and learn as much or as little history as you'd like,  a self-guided audio tour is included with the admission fee.

Courtyards, gardens and fountains are all surround by Spanish style adobe architecture all beautifully preserved and maintained.

Check their website for daily activities, summer programs,special events and re-enactments.

The Mission heart, or spiritual center, is located in the Serra Chapel, which dates back to the 1780s. Generations and generations of Catholics have celebrated mass, attended weddings, baptisms, and funerals in this chapel.

The Serra chapel within the Mission still holds services M-F at 7 am, For the mass schedule at the Basilica, the San Juan Capistrano Parish's main house of worship, please click here.  

So much history and beauty in one place is astounding. Plan a visit to If you have at least a few hours and you're in southern, coastal Orange County, I would recommend a visit to the darling town of San Juan Capistrano and it's historical Mission.

To view more photos of the Mission, look here.

Sydney, we love you...

We spent our last day wandering around Sydney, picking up souvenirs, taking plenty of pictures, people watching. When we came to this monument in Hyde Park we felt moved to take some parting shots.

Everyone held up their treats and smiled...

then made sad faces... when a little note taped to the stone caught our eye.

Ladies, I feel the same way.
When I am here I want to throw my arms out like Mary Tyler Moore and spin around. We'll miss you Sydney, heck, we'll miss this whole darn country.

Nambucca Heads Public Art

Driving through the town of Nambucca Heads we were stopped in our tracks by the mosiac street art/ bus stop in the center of this sleepy coastal town. We all piled out of the RV in amazement and started exploring.

The best part was that the mosaic wasn't haphazardly constructed- it tells a story all the way through. We learned later that the mosaic is called "Fish & Chips" and was constructed by local artist Guy Crosley and a team of volunteers, school children and art students, started in 1996 and completed in 2000.

Every piece of "Fish & Chips" was constructed from ceramics and objects donated or specifically made by artists locally and from around the world.

Here is the story: Starting from the serpentine deep sea: sharks, whales, rays and schools of fish begin their journey to the shore, through exotic waves of tile and rock into the Smokey Cape Bay, passing the headlands, through the river mouth onto the break-wall and along the river passing the ugly brick suburbs and pastureland to Macksville, over the hills and forests to the fertile earth beyond. All types of earthly and airborne characters adorn these landscapes. Beneath the colourful and glossy facade there is a dark undercurrent that surfaces including a large drunken octopus with three pigs in the clutch of his tentacles, monsters that dwell within the waves that wait offshore and a rainbow serpent wrapped around a gold topped mushroom where people await a magic bus to arrive.

C's favorite part- the windy roads of the suburbs- perfectly sized for his cars.

night lights

All over Sydney for the month before Christmas historical buildings are light up. The lights change on each building, about 4 different patterns per building, that follow the architecture of each facade. We wandered all over the city marveling, snapping photos, eating ice cream family style (this is when you stop into a market as you're walking around the city and buy a 6 pack of ice cream bars, skipping the fancy ice cream shops and saving yourself a bundle).

we couldn't take our eyes off St. Marys Cathedral

This building has the 12 days of Christmas projected.


Looks like candy...

We hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas week, wherever you are! Peace.

big boat race

While we at the Opera house we got to see the finish of a big boat race. Billion dollar boats that take a million dudes to sail. Pretty groovy, but not as cool as racing Lasers at Jordanelle.

6 days in Sydney

We did 6 days in Sydney, we could stay a month it is a great city. We are heading north today. We will try to update more often. We got our internet sorted out and should post more often. (this photo is a break on the walk to Bondi Beach- Grandpa notice the improper footwear for a long walk)

Maia’s photo assignment #1

Maia had a her first photo lesson or assignment. It is our first whole day in Australia and I told here to talk the big camera and shoot some photos of the camper and what was going on this morning, here are a few of her favorites.
She said, “I didn’t even mean to take one of the coolest photos, I didn’t meant to take the reflection of myself I was just trying to take a picture of the inside of the RV.”
We are having fun and doing a little art work, journal writing, a lot of looking around and a bit of relaxing.

Maia’s photo assignment #1 (part 2)

Sydney

We got there or we got here?
anyway, we are are in Sydney.

in transit

We made it. We are very jet lagged. About 24 hours in airports, planes, waiting for the camper van and getting lost in Sydney. Driving on the left side of the road, in a big van in rush hour traffic had me more stressed than I want to admit. Noelle was a brilliant navigator. We are in a campground in a forest on the outskirts of Sydney. We will leave that camper here for 4 days and take buses into Sydney for a look around. The kids are happy and having fun.
Quinn says, “Jet lag sucks!”
Maia says, “I’m not jet lagged.”
Fischer says, “Party on!”
I say that we are going to sleep great tonight.
Noelle and Crew are in the shower.

HOME

HOME
We are home.
Safe and happy.
It was a wonderful trip.
Lots of smiles, memories and fun with my favorite people in the world:
Noelle, Quinn, Fish, Maia and Crew.
Noelle put the whole trip together.
She is a rock star.
She is an angel.

Noelle I love you.
You are brilliant.
An amazing mother.
Funky groovy wife.
You have a big heart.
Thanks for showing the kids the world.
Let’s do it again.
And when the kids are gone we will do it again then too.
I love you!
Your spouse,
Steve O.

Noelle (and Fish) at the Museum of Bags and Purses, Amsterdam.

Could you show me the Noelle O. collection?
Excuse me, you don’t have a Noelle O. collection?
Wait a minute you don’t have a single Noelle O. purse.
I am so out of here, this is the worst Museum of Bags and Purses I have ever seen.

Tak- Holbaek, Denmark

Jason, Pernille, Carina, Thomas, Hannah, and Marcus.
Ream family, a very big thank you for everything.
We had so much fun in Denmark, you guys rule.
Thanks for the fun, the late night cards, the swimming, the bike rides, the yard party, the Sønderby party, the log jam duels, the Michael Rasmussen translations, the churches, the castles, the place to sleep, the bus rides, the walks, the Danish treats, and the quiet times on the farm. It was brilliant to watch the kids play nonstop for 3 weeks. Skibby is the most amazing place. You are great, you have big hearts, thanks again for sharing.
We love you.
See you in the USA next year.
Steve, Noelle, Quinn, Fischer, Maia, and Crew.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Hotel party tonight. The kids enjoying some bulk legos we got at Legoland.

Orange

Our last day in Europe. We are in Copenhagen, Denmark. Noelle looking at shops and stuff,
me danish film institute and a bike shop.
Kids are enjoying our fancy hotel (only second one in Europe)

Amsterdam 5 star lunch

A typical lunch. We found out early that we could not afford to feed the kids at fancy European sidewalk cafes, so we started packing Noelle lunches. Here is a typical big city lunch in an alley in Amsterdam.

Salzburg rain

Quinn and Carina

Rest Stop #2- Roskilde, Denmark

Maia.

Rest Stop- Roskilde, Denmark

Noelle

Crew at Viking Museum-Roskilde, Denmark