Easter Time

The Easter weekend, a time for sharing food, stories and joy with family and friends. 

This weekend I was lucky enough to have my Dad and Alice come and stay in Santa Barbara and visit with me for the holiday (although it sadly isn't a public holiday here). In the lead up to Easter IV has been lovely, in a quiet lull with most of the student population either at Coachella, recovering from the festival or heading home to see family. Although I probably should have been studying it was perfect for catching up with friends including a delicious potluck dinner on Thursday night. Whilst I didn't stretch my culinary abilities too far, I did whip up some chocolate chip cookies to make cookie/icecream sandwiches for everyone. My sweets were rivalled though by Lisa and Cassie's raw, vegan pecan pie which stole the show.

Friday, although overcast, was a great day to reconnect and wander around downtown. The three of us braved a new coffee place off Camino Presidio and I had one of the best Chai lattes in quite a while. We also strolled past the museum and had a delicious dinner at a restaurant called Jane (pictured above). 

Whilst an apprehensive plan was made on Friday to do some exploring, Saturday was glorious and perfect for an adventure. We journeyed out early to Solvang, a Danish town north of Santa Barbara that is fitted with quant buildings and kitschy stores. The town was first settled in the early 1900s with a school and agricultural centre. Since then it has blossomed into a tourist area and culinary hub. 

First step on the adventure was to grab some lunch at Succulent Deli and Charcuterie on the main street. Although our meal wasn't typically Danish the food was awesome and the homemade lemonade especially refreshing. If we weren't full enough already we then took a tour of the town and settled for dessert. The trip wouldn't be complete without some delectable Danish pastries and Ableskivers. The whole experience was delectable. 

The architecture of the town replicates a quintessentially Danish style although much of it is fabricated to look like the original. As Thomas mentioned prior to my visit, "it looks exactly like Denmark and then you realise the bricks are all a little too straight and the roofs too aligned to truly be in Europe."I would definitely recommend a trip there all the same.

After a day of exploring we reached Sunday, the day of rest. To celebrate the Easter holiday Cara, Dennis, Alice, Dad and myself indulged in a brunch at San Ysidro Ranch in the Montecito foothills. The ranch itself is gorgeous with ancient stonework and thatched rooves which are meticulously maintained. The ranch has hosted a range of celebrities, politicians and influential figures such as the Kennedy's in the 1950s. The interior of the ranch is decked out in a gorgeous wood-panelled dining room, fit with fireplace and bay windows. However instead of staying indoors we brunched in the garden in the Spring sunlight.

Glorious dessert banquet 

Hand coloured marble eggs

Cara and Dennis

In a theme of indulgence we each enjoyed a Lobster Eggs Benedict for our main and finished with a selection of amazing easter desserts. We also explored the San Ysidro wine cellar which houses over 13,000 bottles of wine from all over the world. Needless to say we were slightly overwhelmed by the scale of the place. 

Lake Cachuma Lookout

After brunch Dad and Alice departed to head back to the bay area and I joined some fellow exchange students for an Easter afternoon tea. Alex, one of the Bulgarian/Czech exchange students stayed up the night before dying eggs for a traditional easter game of egg cracking. I was so delighted to be able to play the games and help explain the tradition to some of the other internationals as I thought I wouldn't be able to keep up my yearly easter tradition. 

To round out an awesome weekend Manny, Thomas and I took Bart's Buss down to SBCC (Santa Barbara Community College) to watch Flume serve up a great dj set. The night was fantastic and I am really glad I've been able to keep up seeing some live music whilst abroad. Not having a car had inhibited the process but it is all part of the exchange life. 

It will probably take me the whole week to recover but until next time. 

Nina