Nicholas Quirke was moving on From San Francisco. It was an early start as he had a busy day journeying south.  When he had made his original plans he had not taken into account the closure of part of Highway one so it was disappointing that he would not see Big Sur but always on his itinerary was visiting Monterey and it was still a good place to start. Not only for the stunning landscapes depicted in Big little Lies, but specifically as this is the setting for ‘Cannery Row’ a Great Depression novel by another much loved American author John Steinbeck with its foot firmly in reality . For a second day Nicholas found himself lost amongst a fictional real world. Little remains of the poverty and the working conditions the novel bought to life but what is there is truly evocative of the hardship and world his characters inhabited. Beautiful scenery but highly commercialised. Due to the road closure Nicholas had to take the inland 101 highway and was not expecting to see anything to compare with the view of the pacific. He noted a Correctional Facility and attempted to capture that and enjoyed some of the place names, Los Lobos, San Jose that he spotted en route. So when he finally turned off through the mountains to Highway 1, the unexpected sights before reaching the ocean took his breath away.Combined with the sun, the views and  the Pacific Ocean Nicholas had high hopes for the home that took 28 years to build. Hearst Castle and getting into it was like army manoeuvres and he sensed the money and power that continued to control the minions who wanted to visit. Despite the excellent show they put on, walking into the world of the super rich was an unsettling experience. Ceilings, walls, ancient  artefacts, all co-existing in the most eccentric of homes because of money. Money and power to plunder and buy. “If you have a dream, this is proof you can achieve it” Terry out guide kept telling us; well yes, if you have millions, and start with millions! Nicholas Recognised it as an amazing achievement and was quietly impressed as he stepped on the tiles to the pool house made in Murano of real gold  Given that you couldn’t touch anything he was surprised they allows us to tread on this extravagant flooring. Yes, remarkable and beautiful. Night came upon him quickly and much of his his drive to Santa Barbara was through a land of shadows. He would have to wait till morning to enjoy the sights.