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California Live: Santa Barbara

It’s always exciting arriving somewhere when it’s dark. You get the opportunity to start to conjure up an image of your surroundings before the big reveal at sunrise. Luckily for us, a mixture of jet lag, anticipation and schedule got the team up and out of bed for the first light in Santa Barbara. Too early for breakfast, we went for a wander along the beach, palm-trees silhouetted against soft pink-blue sky and lights twinkling in the town. It was empty and silent, except for the lap of waves on the shore. We could see all along the coastline from the Four Seasons and couldn’t wait to get under the skin of this elegant harbour town to our west.

 

Once the day was in full swing and the team had been fuelled with food, we headed down to the marina where a hubbub of boats come and go from dawn until dusk. The long stretch of sea front is one of the biggest allures here, with resident pelicans gliding past as locals go about their activities along the promenade, jogging, walking, talking, skating.

The pace of life here is luxurious and we willingly adopted it as we explored the streets jutting inland towards the hills that form the backdrop to the town. Surrounded by beautiful Spanish architecture and beautiful people, our aim was to capture the refined elegance of Santa Barbara and the gourmet delights that complement its lifestyle. We just hope we did this incredible destination the justice it deserves.

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