The Salk Institute, La Jolla

Jet lag is a nuisance, I woke up nearly every hour but did manage to get enough sleep that I woke up feeling refreshed.

We had a most delicious breakfast at The Lodge. Breakfast buffets are not really a thing in the US as they are in Europe, so we had to choose from an a la carte menu and we chose well as we all enjoyed our breakfast. Gavin and I had omelettes and Luke had something with grilled aubergine and eggs. 

Adam was working all morning at the lab - when you are in the middle of running experiments you cannot just leave your samples to deteriorate. We drove to Del Mar and went for a walk on the beach. It was cloudy at first but then the sun came out. The water is freezing here and it was quite cool and breezy on the beach, not unlike Norfolk! We saw so many Tesla Cyber trucks, they are so ugly! We can’t understand why so many cars here don’t have front number plates, just rear ones. Maybe an American can explain that? The first extra was taken on the beach at Del Mar.

Then we drove to La Jolla Cove. I really liked this area, there were many seals, sea lions and shags on the rocks and it was very busy with lots of people. Parking was tricky to find but then it is Memorial Day weekend. The second extra is of a sea lion sunning itself on a rock.

Afterwards we went to meet Adam at his lab at the Salk Institute and he gave us a guided tour. It’s an incredible place, a very modern building built in 1962 and it still looks impressive. There is so much expensive equipment there. The main image is of 'The River of Life' in the central courtyard. The water feature represents the constant trickle of discoveries spilling into the greater body of knowledge. The sun sets along the axis of the water feature twice a year at the spring and autumn equinoxes.

Adam then took us to his home which is an apartment in a complex nearby, which has a lovely swimming pool, a gym, BBQ areas and is ideal for him. 

Later in the afternoon we all went in Adam’s car to fetch Tommy from the airport. After driving an electric car in the U.K. for 6 years Adam now has a fun Jeep, which suits his Californian lifestyle. We could not get a booking at a restaurant for supper until quite late, so we went to Whole Foods and bought some delicious salads and roasted chickens for supper, which we ate at Adam's apartment. 

Now it's off to bed as tomorrow we are playing golf!