Second Home (1974-2016): San Diego (California, U.S.A.)
When my father retired from the army in 1974, my parents moved down to San Diego, (a five-hour plane trip!) and remained there for the rest of their lives. I visited when I could. In 2010, he contracted lung cancer.
I started moving back and forth, three to four times a year (weeks and months at a time), to take care of things for him and my mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was a stressful situation, but I loved San Diego!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
Thanks for taking me on an armchair tour
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at #20 InLinkz #WordlessWednesday (Words are also welcome). See you again next week!
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, Esmé! 🙂 Sorry, I’m still playing catch up from last week and don’t have an entry this time around. Thanks for the opportunity though!
How cool that you lived in San Diego, Sandee! I wonder if we were there at the same time? 🙂 It’s a real paradise, but what a shame it’s so outrageously expensive now! Sorry, I’m running a week behind…
Germany looks beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Brugge in Belgium which I have visited several times. I have never been to Toronto but it looks lovely with plenty of green. I live in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor so am used to green as far as the eye can see. In the other direction looking from our fields I can look down across Cornwall.
The only places we have stayed in Canada are Quebec and Vancouver. When we went to Quebec we were told they don’t like the English, but we found the locals very friendly. I think it is the attitude you have and I like to talk to people.
Germany and Belgium are neighbours with many similarities. Your area sounds lovely! I haven’t been to Vancouver (it’s on the list!) but Quebec is a favourite road trip. It reminds me so much of Europe! People in the bigger cities don’t mind the Anglais, but there is some animosity in the smaller locales. There’s still a significant Separatist movement there and they also have a political party, the Bloc Quebecois. Nonetheless, we never had an issue. 🙂
The world is your oyster, Debbie! The pictures look incredible. I’m someone who loves living in the middle of lush greenery, so San Diego, Soest, and Suburban Toronto look very appealing to me. Soest in particular seems absolutely stunning!
Haha, yes I’ve been around. 😉 San Diego is a real paradise with the perfect climate! Very expensive, though. My Canadian suburban enclave is lovely, but the city also has some beautiful green spaces. We took our wedding photos in Toronto’s High Park, which is 399 acres. Soest is absolutely charming, with a long history. There’s an ancient wall around it, built in medieval times. I’m sure you would enjoy it, Damyanti! 🙂 Thanks for coming by.
You’ve lived and traveled and experienced so many intriguing places. I’m envious. Your photos are breathtaking. I enjoyed seeing them. I’m sorry that your parents’ end of life was so challenging for you.
Some of that was accident of birth and being an army brat. 🙂 For sure, I have been fortunate with all the travel, and am grateful for the opportunities. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Thank you for the compliment!🌹 Yes, that six-year period at the end of my parents’ lives was brutal (I’m an only child – no siblings to share the burden), but at least I was able to spend more time in San Diego. It’s a true paradise! 💖
That’s so nice to revisit your home away from home. Love all the photos. I was able to revisit my oma and Opa’s home in 2009. The man who bought the place was fixing it up. It was nice to see it
Thanks, Birgit! 🙂 I was thrilled to go back, after 41 years away. Even happier that, while many places have been refurbished, not much had changed, otherwise. I’m glad you had a chance to visit your Oma and Opa’s home. That must have been a happy experience.
Hi Debbie! Wie gehts! (I’ll practice my Duolingo German on you, LOL). Always nice to start a new week reading your lovely SS posts! It turns out we lived in San Diego about the same time (from your 1974 to my 1980), we were neighbors! Balboa park hasn’t changed much since you lied there. I didn’t know that about Toronto being 4th largest city on the NA continent! Kind of like how Waikiki and Honolulu seem like one big urban center on Oahu (hope you can go someday). Your pics of Germany are so lovely, of course as all of yours are. Have a wonderful week, my friend and Happy Easter!
Dankeschön! Mir geht’s gut. 😀 Chat with me in German, anytime, Terri. Your husband is German, yes? From which area? It must have been wonderful, growing up in San Diego! To me, it’s a real paradise. 💖 Love all the palm trees and the climate. Balboa Park was a favourite place, for sure. That said, I also love Toronto and where I live (except in winter). If only I could spend January-March in San Diego every year. Where is that lottery win?! 😆 I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Soest is a beautiful historic town, like so many other places in Europe. Thanks for providing this weekly photo-sharing opportunity. 📷 Happy Easter to you as well! 🥚
Thanks for sharing your birthplace and homes through photographs. It’s interesting to see where other people live or lived. Toronto is a big city! Have an awwwesome, boogietastic Monday, Debbie!
Thanks, Cathy! 🙂 Yes, Toronto is big and getting bigger all the time, yet there’s a housing shortage. And traffic is quite the nightmare, but there’s so much to see and do there. That said, I’m happy to live in the suburbs. All the conveniences of the city, but with less crime and grime.
If I ever lived in a “big” city, then I certainly would live in the suburbs, too. The housing shortage is a crazy thing. I wonder if the influx of illegals is to partly to blame. Forcing those who can only afford to pay rent to purchase a home because they can’t find an apartment. I would love to visit NYC but it’s that’s a bit scary of an undertaking. I don’t think I would fit well into the big city environment.
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34 thoughts on “URBAN SIGHTS #SundayStills (On a Monday) #Photography 🏢🏗️🏭🏨”
Soest is such a beautiful looking place Debbie. Some great photos of the other places too
Debbie, your urban photos are stunning!
I enjoyed seeing the places you’ve lived through your lens.
Happy Easter!
Thank you so much Veronica! 🙂 I have been lucky to experience different places.
Thanks for taking me on an armchair tour
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at #20 InLinkz #WordlessWednesday (Words are also welcome). See you again next week!
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, Esmé! 🙂 Sorry, I’m still playing catch up from last week and don’t have an entry this time around. Thanks for the opportunity though!
I enjoyed this! I love living in rural areas and visiting cities. I’m not sure I could live in a big city.
I wouldn’t want to live downtown and am happy out here in Suburbia. It’s close enough to visit any time I want to. 🙂
I agree…I probably couldn’t do downtown, but just on the outskirts might be fine.
I used to live in San Diego. It’s a beautiful city.
Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday, Debbie. Hugs. ♥
How cool that you lived in San Diego, Sandee! I wonder if we were there at the same time? 🙂 It’s a real paradise, but what a shame it’s so outrageously expensive now! Sorry, I’m running a week behind…
Lovely pictures of some wonderful places, you are blessed to have lived in them.
Thank you, Keith! 🙂 I was fortunate to experience life in different locations.
Germany looks beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Brugge in Belgium which I have visited several times. I have never been to Toronto but it looks lovely with plenty of green. I live in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor so am used to green as far as the eye can see. In the other direction looking from our fields I can look down across Cornwall.
The only places we have stayed in Canada are Quebec and Vancouver. When we went to Quebec we were told they don’t like the English, but we found the locals very friendly. I think it is the attitude you have and I like to talk to people.
Germany and Belgium are neighbours with many similarities. Your area sounds lovely! I haven’t been to Vancouver (it’s on the list!) but Quebec is a favourite road trip. It reminds me so much of Europe! People in the bigger cities don’t mind the Anglais, but there is some animosity in the smaller locales. There’s still a significant Separatist movement there and they also have a political party, the Bloc Quebecois. Nonetheless, we never had an issue. 🙂
The world is your oyster, Debbie! The pictures look incredible. I’m someone who loves living in the middle of lush greenery, so San Diego, Soest, and Suburban Toronto look very appealing to me. Soest in particular seems absolutely stunning!
Haha, yes I’ve been around. 😉 San Diego is a real paradise with the perfect climate! Very expensive, though. My Canadian suburban enclave is lovely, but the city also has some beautiful green spaces. We took our wedding photos in Toronto’s High Park, which is 399 acres. Soest is absolutely charming, with a long history. There’s an ancient wall around it, built in medieval times. I’m sure you would enjoy it, Damyanti! 🙂 Thanks for coming by.
That’s a great selection, Debbie. San Diego looks very appealing!
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete! San Diego is a real paradise. 🌴☀️
You’ve lived and traveled and experienced so many intriguing places. I’m envious. Your photos are breathtaking. I enjoyed seeing them. I’m sorry that your parents’ end of life was so challenging for you.
Some of that was accident of birth and being an army brat. 🙂 For sure, I have been fortunate with all the travel, and am grateful for the opportunities. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Thank you for the compliment!🌹 Yes, that six-year period at the end of my parents’ lives was brutal (I’m an only child – no siblings to share the burden), but at least I was able to spend more time in San Diego. It’s a true paradise! 💖
That’s so nice to revisit your home away from home. Love all the photos. I was able to revisit my oma and Opa’s home in 2009. The man who bought the place was fixing it up. It was nice to see it
Thanks, Birgit! 🙂 I was thrilled to go back, after 41 years away. Even happier that, while many places have been refurbished, not much had changed, otherwise. I’m glad you had a chance to visit your Oma and Opa’s home. That must have been a happy experience.
Hi Debbie! Wie gehts! (I’ll practice my Duolingo German on you, LOL). Always nice to start a new week reading your lovely SS posts! It turns out we lived in San Diego about the same time (from your 1974 to my 1980), we were neighbors! Balboa park hasn’t changed much since you lied there. I didn’t know that about Toronto being 4th largest city on the NA continent! Kind of like how Waikiki and Honolulu seem like one big urban center on Oahu (hope you can go someday). Your pics of Germany are so lovely, of course as all of yours are. Have a wonderful week, my friend and Happy Easter!
Dankeschön! Mir geht’s gut. 😀 Chat with me in German, anytime, Terri. Your husband is German, yes? From which area? It must have been wonderful, growing up in San Diego! To me, it’s a real paradise. 💖 Love all the palm trees and the climate. Balboa Park was a favourite place, for sure. That said, I also love Toronto and where I live (except in winter). If only I could spend January-March in San Diego every year. Where is that lottery win?! 😆 I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Soest is a beautiful historic town, like so many other places in Europe. Thanks for providing this weekly photo-sharing opportunity. 📷 Happy Easter to you as well! 🥚
Hi Debbie, guten abend! Yes, hubby (Hans–German enough for you? ) was born in Colombia to German parents. He grew up speaking Spanish and German.
Cool! And yes, Hans is a very German name. Are you learning Spanish also? 🙂
No Spanish for me. 😵💫 Ich liebe Deutsch!
I love all the beautiful shots, but the one with the boats are my favorite.
Have a fabulous day and week, Debbie. Hugs. ♥
There’s something festive about boats on the water in summer. 🙂 Thanks for coming by, Sandee!
Thanks for sharing your birthplace and homes through photographs. It’s interesting to see where other people live or lived. Toronto is a big city! Have an awwwesome, boogietastic Monday, Debbie!
Thanks, Cathy! 🙂 Yes, Toronto is big and getting bigger all the time, yet there’s a housing shortage. And traffic is quite the nightmare, but there’s so much to see and do there. That said, I’m happy to live in the suburbs. All the conveniences of the city, but with less crime and grime.
If I ever lived in a “big” city, then I certainly would live in the suburbs, too. The housing shortage is a crazy thing. I wonder if the influx of illegals is to partly to blame. Forcing those who can only afford to pay rent to purchase a home because they can’t find an apartment. I would love to visit NYC but it’s that’s a bit scary of an undertaking. I don’t think I would fit well into the big city environment.
I love all your photos!🧡🌷
Thanks, Kymber! 🌹