I've never seen the movie even though it is supposedly a classic from the 80s. I don't really know what it is about except that it supposedly has to do with the title and a person who can't take it any longer and needs a break and has all these adventures. Who knows, it might be something completely different, but that is what I think it is about, so that is why it is in my title.
Yesterday I couldn't take it any longer. I am more tired than I can admit, and desperately needed a break. So, I took the personal day and made a long, long drive to Santa Barbara, CA. Did I mention it was long? I spent over six hours driving yesterday, all to spend three hours in the actual surroundings. Six hours driving, three hours exploring. Not a good ration, but as I told myself over and over as I drove those endless miles on the 101 freeway going north, if everything were easy, it wouldn't be worth doing.
I've always loved the city of Santa Barbara, but this isn't about that city. First, I dropped off at Mission San Buenaventura, in the city of Ventura, just north of Oxnard. It is on the coast, in a magical setting, the riviera of the central coast. I had never been here. I came about twenty years before looking for this mission but I went instead to the administrative building which is off to the side, and which is much, much more imposing. I guess it is natural to have confused that building with the Mission, but I knew it was not when I googled photos of Mission San Buenaventura. So, I had to make this my first stop because, if I tried to reach it on my way back, I knew I would be way too exhausted and too stressed from driving, and would not make the side trip. Besides, it was the middle of the day, perfect IR conditions (that is, infrared light), and I had infrared film, so I wanted to take a few of those exposures. It turns out it would not have worked because the optimum deal, I think, is to combine vegetation with dark structures, and there was a scarcity of vegetation (that would turn white) and a scarcity of black structures (the mission is gleaming white). So, my IR photos were not to be.
I got out and parked in the lot. There are many homeless people in that lot in the grassy areas. They camp out there, and the homeless problem of California is really in evidence. The other main stress was cordoned off for walking traffic, no cars, just people walking, but on a Thursday noon there were precious few of them. The weather was fine, we were in the low 80s on the coast, not like the upper 90s in the inland area where I live. But, few people except for homeless people camped out or lounging about or doing other things. I went to the mission.
You can't walk in unless you go through the gift shop, and when you do, you have to pay $5. That is fine. I paid and walked in, then went into the patio area where they had chairs lined up all around. I guess they put them there to hold mass, but they were not holding mass at that point. The area is very pretty but in deep shade, so not a good place for photos. I did take a few cellphone photos were I could, and I loved the flower arrangements, but if you are using a wide angle lens, you will get scenes that are in high contrast (the big shady areas and the areas where the sun strikes), so this will not make for good photos. I took what I could, and ventured into the church and took a few cellphone photos as well. I also took a slide photo with my Fuji GW690ii, with aperture set at f11 and a shutter speed of 1 second. I propped it on the arm rest in front, but I doubt the frame will be the best.
It was a short visit to this mission. On to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
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