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Recently a friend of mine was vacationing in California. He rented a little cottage on the beach in Malibu for a couple weeks.
I'm sure you've heard of Malibu, right?
It's the land of the extremely rich and the most famous of celebrities. It's also the place of ongoing fires and mudslides. Such is the terrain of Malibu ....
When I was a kid, and before the area was so exclusive, my paternal grandparents used to have a house on the sand in Malibu. We'd visit every summer. I have a lot of childhood memories of playing on the beach there with my siblings. It was a time in my life when everything was safe, secure, and carefree. Of course, it probably wasn't that way for the adults, but I was a kid and, for me - the youngest of three children, it was a time of fun-filled beach days.
I thought about all of these things, and more, as I made the two hour drive from my house to Malibu last week.
My host had invited me for lunch. He loves to cook and his cooking abilities far exceed those of anyone else I've ever known. He told me to relax out on the deck while he worked on lunch.
If you insist ....
He brought me wine, homemade, fresh salsa and chips to enjoy as he cooked.
What diet?
Did someone say low-carb?
I don't know what you're talking about.
While he was busy cooking, I began exploring with my camera.
There were steps leading down from the cottage.
It was a breathtakingly, beautiful, day.
The steps led to a lower deck.
I wanted to move in. Right then. That very same day.
If I had an unlimited budget, I think I'd rent out the cottage for a few weeks. It was so quiet there. I would spend my time reading, writing, and roaming the coast with my camera. It would be heaven.
In the winter, being alone in the cottage, would be powerful in an isolating, haunting, and fantastic way. I can imagine the waves crashing against the rocks in a storm.
I love the ocean.
I love the beach.
Visiting Malibu was a little bit like going home ...
Back to my childhood.
© Twenty Four At Heart
Beautiful photos! Are they on your photo site yet?
Posted by: Kelly | August 19, 2010 at 12:15 AM
Oh WOW. I would be in heaven if I could live there year round. Oh to be wealthy enough to retire right there on the ocean's doorstep. Bring on the chips and salsa and maybe a bit if caribbean music. Heavenly.
Di
Posted by: di | August 19, 2010 at 04:01 AM
Love this post, what a beautiful area.. I've never been to Malibu and this was a great set of photos to give the "vibe" of the area.. what a great beach house, it doesn't get any better..and the water's blue green hue.. I can see why it's become a celebrity enclave.
LOVE that wine glass, by the way..what a cool design.
Posted by: Karen | August 19, 2010 at 04:11 AM
Oh I would move right in!!!!
Posted by: A Mom on Spin | August 19, 2010 at 05:07 AM
*sigh* No, that's not jealousy. Honestly.
Well, maybe a little...
Posted by: Jan | August 19, 2010 at 05:16 AM
WOW! Just WOW!
Posted by: Linda | August 19, 2010 at 07:13 AM
What a gorgeous house in a gorgeous spot. It must be amazing to have the ocean right there. But does he worry that his house will be swept out to sea?
Posted by: LPC | August 19, 2010 at 07:30 AM
Unbelievable!
Posted by: Tami | August 19, 2010 at 08:24 AM
Wow! Talk about right on the beach! Beautiful! What a nice treat of a day:)
Posted by: Nancy @ The Wife of a Dairyman | August 19, 2010 at 08:39 AM
Beautiful. You really captured the serenity.
Posted by: missy | August 19, 2010 at 09:34 AM
Oh. My. God. as Jan said. "sigh" .....
Posted by: Nancy P | August 19, 2010 at 09:38 AM
This is why I want to be ridiculously wealthy. I don't care all that much about money, but to live on the beach would be extraordinary.
Posted by: Jack | August 19, 2010 at 10:38 AM
I'm with the commenters above...holy crap..it would be live heaven to me...living on the beach like this is one of the things I would do if I ever had money...I have a cousin that lives there and she has begged me many times to let her fly me there and come stay with her...my god why haven't I? I keep saying "some day...when I can take a break from my job or kids.." One of these days I must take her up on her offer!
Posted by: Lori | August 19, 2010 at 12:17 PM
I know for a fact that's not jealousy - it's pure honesty!
This is the first time in a long time that I haven't lived in the ocean in Maine, and despite the fact that I live (by everyone else's standards) on a gorgeous lake in upstate NY, I HATE IT! The only reason we moved into this house is because it was budget friendly (oh and have we ever found out why!), and because my hubby lost his job in Maine and we were forced to move where the work is.
This is a hard adjustment for me. I'm not very good at "blooming where I'm planted" but I really really long to go back and live on my beloved ocean.
Posted by: Audrey at Barking Mad | August 19, 2010 at 01:19 PM
DUDE! I want to move there. Right this very second. Sigh. I miss Malibu. So purrty and sparkly. Mildewy too. But no one tells people that. Doesn't sound right on a brochure.
Posted by: Issa | August 19, 2010 at 03:16 PM
Oh my god, his house is going to wash away! Yikes! If that were the Atlantic ocean, it would be gone in one hurricane season. But it is totally beautiful. We used to spend summers near Myrtle Beach, SC before it was a den of iniquity and golf. I know how you feel. My dream has always been to live by the ocean someday. Maybe when I retire!!
Posted by: Jane | August 19, 2010 at 04:01 PM
Oh my... that truly looks like a slice of heaven to me. Not to mention the wine and fresh salsa for the tortilla chips. Hmm, that just might BE heaven for me. Perfect combination, sigh.
Posted by: Poppy | August 19, 2010 at 10:08 PM
Lori. GO!!!!! Or I shall have to go in your place ;)
Posted by: Poppy | August 19, 2010 at 10:09 PM