California Dreamin': Another SoCal Sojourn (Mission Carmel)

My post-interview goal for today was to visit Carmel--I think I went there once, a long time ago, but I had no memories of it and was longing to see it. There is also a mission there, and I've made it a goal out of visiting as many of the California missions as possible.

I drove from Salinas and found a place to change from my interview gear into my California Girl gear (jeans, tank top, hoodie, ballet flats). Then I set off for San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. My friend Meghan once told me that it's her favorite of the missions, and that I would love it. I wasn't disappointed. Mission Carmel (as it's known these days) is extremely photogenic, and one doesn't have to be Catholic to appreciate it.

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

When this is the first thing you see walking into the gift shop, you know
it's gonna be good. More of the gift shop insanity later in the post.

Cali Swimmy's cousin Daffy came along today! (I had a fit of The Ridiculous.)

The graves were all lined with huge seashells.

"Oooh, I should get married here...except that I'm not Catholic...and I don't
have a fiancee..." Oh, well.

I took a lot of pictures of stairs today--but they were all so cool!

The stories this old tree could tell...

Portrait of a Woman Who Needs A New Hobby. *snort*

I took this panoramic video of the courtyard:

Frey Junipero Serra was an important figure and is interred at the mission.

More stairs...

...and the rest of them.

The Cenotaph of Fray Serra (not a tomb--his remains were buried).

Worn smooth from many feet.

In summary: Pope John Paul II prayed here.

A wall

Remnants of the coffin of Fray Serra.

I donated a buck, lit a candle, and hoped (I don't really pray, per se, being
agnostic, but I have a lot of hope) for the job situation to work itself out soon.
Can't hurt, right? And I wasn't struck by lightning.

The ceiling in one of the side rooms off of the chapel. Reminds me of Keane's
Perfect Symmetry album artwork!

Huge nativity scene.

If these walls could talk...

Okay, now to the gift shop. Some of the missions rely heavily on tourist money to stay afloat, and I am always happy to buy postcards, a pen, a magnet, whatever. Something to help them, because these missions are a huge part of California's western heritage and history, and I believe they should be preserved (and that fourth graders, for generations to come, should be forced to build popsicle-stick models of them, as I was). But the gift shop in this place was ridiculous. Let me show you some examples.

They were, essentially, the knock-off Beanie bears that say "World's Cutest
Grandkid."

This cross actually wasn't too bad.

Meghan bought a bottle cap cross during our Epic Week
trip through Mission San Luis Obispo.

Seriously?!

I could (ironically, of course) rock this bracelet, but I wasn't about to pay
$7 for it.

Dear Sarah and Lindsay...don't think for one minute that I wasn't tempted.
However, sanity prevailed. Sam and Dean don't need special bottles for
Holy Water, and neither do I.

Tomorrow, I'll post my beach pictures, and pictures from downtown Carmel. I think 80 mission pictures is enough for one night, don't you?