Carmel

I'm in Carmel. No sooner had I returned from Michigan than I'm sent down here at my editor's command to spend two full days covering the Carmel Bach Festival. And they really are full days: over them, I've attended 4 ticketed concerts and 5 free events (1 mini-concert, 2 lectures, 1 lecture/concert, and a master class). I'm staying down here for the duration. Carmel is too far to drive home from after an evening concert, as I discovered the one time I tried it. Since the desired goal is not just to report on the music but convey the experience, I've gone native to the extent of having my meals in Carmel restaurants, instead of cheaper places over the hill, which also means I can find a parking space before dinner instead of afterwards. This dining is a little rich for my blood, and (on a regular basis) my wallet, but the food is good.

Though it's far from my first time knocking about Carmel, this is my most extensive, and I'm impressed by how difficult it is to find anyplace here. As I well knew, within the city limits (which, appropriately, are not marked by signs in any way), Carmel has no street addresses. (And no mail delivery, either. Everyone has a PO box.) Locations are given by the block they're on, or nearest intersection, which does not always make them easy to find, particularly if they're a tiny shop down a long narrow passageway in the middle of the block. Onwards.