Small Places : Nick L Belardes [44 of 128]

• Fourteen.
• The blue-green ocean off the California coast plays like a magical song, beckoning Vishnu. It reflects deep azure in his eyes.
• There is a boyish glow that builds until he suddenly screams joyously from the back of the car: "Ocean! Ocean! Ocean! Ocean!"
• If there is a time that Webmaster meets spirituality in nature, this is the mystical moment. Sadly, there is no mouse for Vishnu to click.
• Near the pier there's a shop that makes the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted. The aroma fills the street as we park.
• The aroma inside is perfectly overwhelming. "Four please," I say. Four rolls are placed on plates. Icing is then smeared across the tops.
• "Let the angels dip their heavenly wings in sugar and fat," Mike says. Vishnu: "What are cinnamon rolls?" I set one in front of him.
• "Ah, a pastry treat," Vishnu says. He smiles big as he takes his first bite. Suddenly he looks like he's about to tell a wondrous story.
• Vishnu: "We have such delicacies in India. Picture a soft midnight sky. You're under the most majestic festival lights wrapped in goodness.