View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks
Today we were a bit confused when we woke up. I have a radio wave clock and it showed the right time but Tom’s alarm was an hour ahead. It took some time to work that that in fact the clocks had gone back an hour during the night.
(Click on the photos for larger versions)
We hope it is not going to be foggy in the city today as we are off to Twin Peaks and the fantastic views of the bay and the city of San Francisco. It is a place I have never been to and have been keen to go to for a while. We are going to incorporate a stairway walk as well.
Our first stop was for breakfast and then it was off to find Twin Peaks. Fortunately we spotted a sign so followed it. The drive to the top was curvy and there were great glimpses of the fantastic views off to the right all the way up. Twin Peaks is exactly that – two identical peaks very close to each other. Round each peak is a one way road which is like a figure of 8. We headed for the small car park at the top. The Sutro Tower is one peak over.
My, the view is wonderful and almost 360 degrees. There was no fog but it was a bit hazy. We could see the San Francisco end of the Bay Bridge but not Oakland and the east bay. The top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz and the whole of the city were laid out in front of us. The sun was bright so hoped the fog will burn off before we started our walk.
At first there were not many people around but within ten minutes a tour bus turned up and disgorged its passengers. Suddenly Tom was
Tourists, tourists, tourists.
surrounded by a horde of French people, chattering loudly, all vying to get the best view in their allotted 10 minute stop. One visitor actually climbed to the top of the raining and swayed precariously while her partner took a picture. Almost as foolhardy as the guy who climbed over the railings at the Grand Canyon to sit on the edge of the cliff to have his photo taken. Then another tour bus arrived, this time the passengers were Japanese. They were far more thoughtful and courteous and didn’t crowd Tom or stand in front of his camera. I’m not decrying the French per se but was interested to see how differently the two cultures behaved.
While Tom clicked away I tried to pick out the landmarks. Of course the Transamerica Pyramid and the Bank of American buildings were easily spotted. Coit Tower was more difficult but I found it eventually. I worked out where Golden Gate Park was but only the extreme eastern end and the Pan Handle could be seen. There were a couple of hilltops nearby but didn’t know what they were. I checked Google Maps when I got home. The larger one was the Buena Vista Park and the smaller one Corona Heights Playground where the Randall Museum is situated. On a clear day we would be able to see Mounts Tamalpais and Diablo. We will have to come one morning before the sun rise – that would be a great shot.
The first two tour buses departed but their places were soon taken by two more buses. It was time to make a move before more buses arrived and we were completely crowded out.
We drove down Twin Peaks Blvd towards the city to find the start of our staircase walk – No. 13 in the third edition of Adah Bakalinsky’s ‘Stairway Walks in San Francisco’ – at the Iron Alley Stairway on Clayton Street. We found it without difficulty but painted on the stairway was a sign saying the staircase was closed. Finding somewhere to park was a bit of a problem but in the end we struck lucky and found a very convenient place right at the top of the Iron Alley Stairway on Corbett Avenue.
Twin Peaks homes perched on the hillside. That's the Sutro Tower in the back.
We started the walk by crossing Corbett and up Iron Alley to Graystone Terrace. Looking up the hill it was fascinating to see not only the many different types of house built on the side of the hill but also to wonder at the views they must have of the city beneath them. Taking a left on Graystone we walked to Cooper Alley where we descended a concrete stairway between houses back to Corbett. Here we took another left and passed Rooftop Elementary School with its sparkling tile mural on the wall arriving back at our car, which we walked right past carrying on towards Clayton. Along this section we looked up the hill again and could see the scenic viewpoint on Twin Peaks were we had been just half an hour before.
At the junction or Corbett and Clayton is a small garden strip along the side of the house which is beautifully laid out and well stocked with small trees and shrubs, including a lantana growing vertically in a pot. We have lantana in our garden and it is a ground cover plant. I have never seen it growing vertically before. On Clayton we turned left, climbing uphill to Twin Peaks Blvd. We were surprised at how quiet everything was with very few people around. We passed one guy outside his garage repairing his motorcycle and that was the first person we had seen, apart from a jogger who passed us earlier.
Between the houses to our right we caught glimpses of the city and the, when we turned left on Twin Peaks Blvd we got some glorious views of Golden Gate Park, including the De Young Museum, the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and out beyond the Bonita lighthouse to the ocean. There is an open patch of ground at the foot of a rocky outcrop which is called Tank Hill. While Tom took photos, I perched myself on a small rock and looked over the rooftops to the north.
Onwards and upwards to a short wooden stairway which led to the top of Tank Hill. There is a covered reservoir on the top which you could walk over. There are a lot of reservoirs up here on Twin Peaks where water for San Francisco is stored.
A little further uphill there was a small outcrop of rocks and another outstanding view of the city but this time from a different angle. The haze had cleared and we can now see Oakland clearly but Mount Diablo was vaguely discernible in the background. There was a slight breeze up there but it felt good and it carried the wonderful smell of eucalyptus to me.
Back down on Twin Peaks Blvd where it bears left at the junction with Clarendon Avenue there is a small public garden where we sat in the shade for a few minutes on a stone bench. We continued walking on Twin Peaks Blvd and passed a big blue house with enormous windows and we spotted a white grand piano inside. At the junction with Raccoon Drive we turned left and walked past some very nice houses. About halfway along we passed what looked like a stone sculpture but on closer inspection it turned out to be made of styrofoam. Raccoon Drive descended and at the
Pemberton Place. A lovely stairway.
bottom we turned left. I knew it was a dead end road with a pathway through to Crown Terrace but Tom didn’t know and became worried that I was walking through somebody’s garden. There was a sign that said ‘Residents Only’ and ‘No Trespassing’ but according to Adah’s book it was a legitimate way through.
Crown Terrace is a gem and surely a highly desirable place to live. Here you are within a short distance of the city but away from a lot of traffic. A short way along is Pemberton Place which in reality is a long stairway crossing Graystone and Villa Terrace and descends all the way back to Clayton. It is a marvelous stairway with occasional landings where you can sit and admire the view over the city. Back on Clayton we turned right and then right again onto Corbett and made our way back to the car.
As I was about to get into the car, a young man came out of a nearby house and approached the Iron Alley stairway and started to descend. I stopped him and asked why there was a sign at the bottom which said it was closed. He said it had been closed for some time for repair and a gate was put at the top to prevent children using it to get to the school as it was dangerous. The gate is still there but is not locked any more and the stairway has been repaired. The sign at the bottom has not been removed though. We’ll remember that next time.
We have had another interesting day, discovering Twin Peaks and then enjoying the staircase walk and all it cost was the price of the gas and breakfast at the Squat and Gobble. How’s that for good value?
December 10 2009 | Neighborhoods and Special Places | No Comments »
The West Portal Squat and Gobble in San Francisco
We are on our way to Twin Peaks today and passed this breakfast place en route. Who could resist such a name?
The Squat and Gobble is right next to the Muni west portal tunnel, right on the corner of Portola West and Vicente. There are little tables and wrought iron chairs outside. Inside it is large and bright with soft guitar music playing in the background.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
The first thing you see as you walk in the door is a huge blackboard with their whole, extensive, menu written up, inter-spaced with colorful drawings of the food. Here you choose and pay for your food before you find a table and sit down, clutching your order number on its little stand in your hand.
Tom ordered the Triple Gobbler, which consisted of two pancakes, two eggs and two apple sausages for $9.25. There was granola on the board but no oatmeal. I did ask if they did oatmeal and was told they did. Great. I was also asked if I wanted it made with water or milk. This made me question whether it is made straight out of a packet and heated in a microwave. They assured me it wasn’t so I went for it. I was tempted by the choice of pancakes but resisted.
A long padded bench is fixed along the outside wall and the tables are small but can be pushed together. Covering the whole of one wall is a mural showing food in the foreground, including a bottle of Squat and Gobble wine, and a a scenic view in the background. There is a back section as well where they have framed pictures on the wall of food.
Tom’s coffee was brought first and he was impressed. It was good and strong. He thought it was as good as Peet’s. Then the food arrived and there was plenty of it. Tom’s came on a big white plate and my oatmeal in a very large glass bowl on a round white plate. It was topped with a liberal serving of bananas and strawberries. I had asked for mine to be made with milk so no milk came separately. I asked for and received a small jug of milk. The oatmeal had cinnamon on it and was good. There was too much for me to eat it all and I left some. That’s a first for me!
The restroom was one of the better ones. It was large and clean with plenty of hot water. There was one picture on the wall of a couple dancing. In the corner was a potted plant on a nice stand. The mirror was large and I liked the matt silver frame.
Our conclusion – lots of food, quick efficient service, pleasant surroundings and the food was good. Would we come here again? Yes and next time I’ll have the pancakes.
Squat and Gobble
1 W Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA
December 05 2009 | Breakfast Log | 2 Comments »
Our choice for breakfast was the Irving Street Cafe. Leaving The Spire in the Pesidio, we drove along Aguello Blvd, through the Gold Gate Park and
Irving Street Cafe, San Francisco
somehow found ourselves on Irving Street.
Irving Street Cafe has a rather grand green awning over the sidewalk but the interior is far from grand. In fact it is dimly lit, tiny and basic. Not only that but it was packed. We did manage to find one empty table. There are just two tables in the window, six sets of tables and chairs along the wall and 9 stools at the counter. It was bustling and lively though and obviously a favorite of the locals.
There was no oatmeal on the menu. When did I last have oatmeal when we were out for breakfast I wonder? Moan, moan. The menu is also basic and the specials are under the glass top of the table. This is a typical greasy spoon so I went the whole hog and ordered Chicken-Apple Sausage Omelet ($5). Tom ordered the Ground Sirloin Egg Platter ($6). Tom had water to drink and, for a change, I ordered hot chocolate (without the whipped cream).
While we waited (and waited and waited) for the food to arrive, I studied the surroundings. There were pictures on the walls but it was an odd assortment – two of vases of flowers; three Ansel Adams black and white prints; five signed photos, one of Chewbacca from Star Wars (presumably signed by Peter Mayhew), one of two boxers fighting in the ring, one of two unidentified twin girls, one of Robin William and the last but not least of Chris Isaak; and a large poster of a pop star who we did not recognize.
After half an hour our food finally arrived. By then I had long finished my hot chocolate which, by the way, was not that tasty and I guess it came straight from a sachet. I must say though that it was worth the wait as the food was good. The hash browns were really crispy and Tom said his eggs were done just right. The proof of the pudding, as they say, was that there was nothing left on our plates but a coating of grease and, in Tom’s case, a smear of egg yolk.
The restroom though was a different matter. I was not expecting much and that it what I got. To get to it, one has to walk through the prep area. Inside it is extremely grubby so I just washed my hands. There was one interesting article in there and that was an old 8oz container of sour cream which, on investigation, contained a dried up dish sponge. The only other bit of decoration was the plunger on the floor in the corner.
Would we come here again. Yes definitely. The food was wonderful and the prices unbelievable. I just won’t venture into the restroom again.
Irving Street Cafe
716 Irving Steet, San Francisco, CA 94122
October 23 2009 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
It’s not far from Crissy Field to the Presidio – just follow the signs for Main Post.
(Click on the photos for larger versions)
The Presidio in San Francisco, California
Within no time at all we were in the main square of the Presidio. In the middle is a large car park, which used to be the parade ground when the Presidio was at its zenith. On one side of the parade ground is a row of handsome brick buildings which used to be the Montgomery Street Barracks. The plan is to convert the parking lot into a green park and to refurbish the barracks into restaurants, galleries and cultural spaces. One of the buildings has been completed and is the Walt Disney Family Museum which opened its doors on October 1 this year. One day we will come and view it, but that will have to wait until the crowds have died down; although at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning all was quiet and peaceful.
Tom parked the car and wandered off to take a few photos of the buildings while I stayed in the car and wrote my journal. Not much seemed to be going on around us. Even the Visitors Center was not open.
We then drove up the hill to The Spire. We last visited in January this year and were keen to check it out again. At the Inspiration Point car park we indicated to turn into it but it was closed off. There was a sign saying it was temporarily closed today. I wonder why? We drove a little further and turned into the Presidio Golf Club car park. Fortunately there were no signs saying we could not park there.
From there is was a short climb up to The Spire. The area is known as Aguello Gate and the path leads to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Alongside the path were a stack of enormous felled Monterey Cypress trees. A sign nearby said the they had been felled as they were decaying. They will be replaced by young Monterey Cypress trees next year. It is all part of a well planned restoration project. The smell of resin from the felled trees was intoxicating.
Andy Goldsworthy's, "The Spire" in The Presidio
Further on there was another stack of felled trees and they formed a convenient bench. I sat in the sun and looked around me. In front of me, towering high into the sky, was The Spire which was the inspiration of Andy Goldsworthy. Around the base of the spire were 100 young Monterey Cypress trees. On our visit in January they had just been planted and the area round the spire was clear apart from the tiny seedlings and the sticks supporting them. Today the view was different. The small trees and sticks were still there, although some of the seedlings had not survived, but weeds have sprouted all around each sapling completily hiding the tiny trees. I guess that was bound to happen. Hopefully on our next visit the trees will be higher than the weeds.
Tom had wandered off to take photos so I sat on my comfortable perch writing up my journal. I must say it was a great place to be. I leaned back and rested against another felled tree. The view was magnificent, not just of The Spire but I could see Alcatraz sparkling like a jewel out in the bay. What with the warmth of the sun and the resiny smell, surely this was the place to be on this fine Saturday morning. I could have stayed there for hours just drinking in the sights sounds and smells all around me and watching runners jog past but Tom beckoned so I went to join him.
He had explored further up the path to where it joined the Bay Ridge Trail and he thought there would be a good view ahead of the bay as we were quite high there. The trail skirted the golf course. The reason I knew this was because I spotted a golf cart. The view never materialized and the path we chose came to a dead end at the base of a disused tower – probably a fire look out – next to a covered reservoir. The tower was defended by an impenetrable barrier of barbed and razor wire. The main intention was that nobody should be able to climb the tower.
We turned back and returned to the car and set off to find somewhere for breakfast.
October 13 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
Tents, tents and more tents at the 3-Day Event at Crissy Field
Another expedition to San Francisco but this time by car. As usual we left early, with a full moon shining brightly in front of us for most of the way up Highway 280. Once again, we are not quite sure what the weather will be like. We know it will be cooler than the last few days but will it be foggy?
Our first stop today was at Crissy Field. At this time of the morning we were expecting to have the place more or less to ourselves. Boy, were we wrong! The first thing which told us there was something going on was the sea of pink tents pitched on the grass near the fitness center. Then we spotted a large marquee beyond the tents with a smaller awning nearby. In the early morning gloom we could people, mostly ladies in pink tops and shorts walking about. We passed a huge trailer which was a mobile shower and another trailer which proclaimed it to be the Command Center for the Breast Cancer 3 Day Event. The place was a hive of activity with a long lines in front of the porta potties and outside the smaller tent where breakfast was being served onto paper plates. Loud music came from the big marque where hundreds of people were seating eating their breakfast.
I wandered past the breakfast tent and the food smelt good. There was scrambled egg, bacon, cereal and, would you believe it, oatmeal. I glanced into the marquee and they were just starting the warm up routine. Over the loudspeaker they were being encouraged to bend and stretch in time with the music. Now all of this was at 7 a.m. When I got home I checked The 3-Day site and learned that they were walking 20 miles a day over the three days. I silently wished them good luck.
Tom and I walked towards the Warming Hut, leaving the bustle behind us. But we were not alone. Also on the path were the usual motley
Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field
assortment of dogs with their owners, walkers and joggers. The Golden Gate Bridge towered in front of us, dwarfing Fort Point which is beneath the southern end of the bridge.
Just opposite the Warming Hut, which is a beacon of rest and refreshment but unfortunately doesn’t open until 9 a.m., is a small jetty. Already positioned on it were several anglers and a few photographers. We wandered along it and while Tom took photos I observed what was going on. One fisherman was emptying a couple of large, plump starfish onto the ground. I didn’t stay around to see what he did with them. Did he throw them back into the water I wonder or did he take them home? The view from the jetty was quite outstanding. In one direction the bridge, in front was Angel Island and to the right Alcatraz and the city. A line of brown pelicans flew overhead and then swooped to pass under the bridge.
Then it was back to the car so we could make our way to our second stop of the day – The Presidio.
October 10 2009 | Neighborhoods | 2 Comments »
Upstairs on Caltrain
For a variety of reason, we have not been doing much traveling lately. On Sunday though we had tickets to go and see the SF Giants play the Chicago Cubs in the last game of a four game series. The Cubs had won the first three games. The game started at 1.05 and Tom and I were pondering how we were going to get to AT&T Park. We normally drive all the way up and park next to the stadium in a parking lot but the charge is $30. There are several alternatives. We could have driven up to Millbrae and caught BART to Market Street and then taken Muni; or we could have driven up to 3rd and 16th, found some on-street parking where there are no parking meters; or we could have driven up to Oakland and caught the ferry across to AT&T Park. In the end, we did none of those. Instead we drove into San Jose and caught Caltrain all the way up to San Francisco.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
We caught the 10.00 am train and sat upstairs. I have been on Caltrain before but never upstairs. I thought there were only single seats upstairs but there is one double on each side in every carriage and we were lucky to snag one of those. I spent most of the time looking out of the window and very little in reading my book.
Obviously I can’t recall everything I saw but I can recount the highlights. My first impressions were not what you would call highlights though. Rusty rails strewn alongside the tracks, rank weeds, fences with razor wire on the top and lots of graffiti. The houses which backed onto the railway were a bit mean as well with piles of rubbish in some places which had been tipped over the fence. But raising my eyes over the mean houses gave me a view of the mountains in the distance and they were a far better sight.
Just before we came to the Sunnyvale Station we passed the apartment block Tom and I lived in for the first year of our marriage. It was a lovely
Out front of AT&T Park waiting for Tom's Brother
apartment, the only problem being the trains that passed close by. In the middle of the night a freight train would lumber by which rocked the place but the most annoying feature were the whistles which some drivers sounded very enthusiastically as they passed our apartment.
From Sunnyvale to San Bruno the scenery changed to be very pleasing, apart from the fact that we passed lots of our old haunts. At Mountain View they hold a farmers market on a Sunday morning and that was in full swing as we passed by. It is one of the best farmers markets in the area. The best has to be Sunnyvale on a Saturday because of the shady street with the cafes on the sidewalk where you can sit and have breakfast or drink a cup of coffee while drinking in the sights and smells. There are no cafes near the farmers market in Mountain View and no shady trees to sit under.
Passing San Antonio reminded me of a trip I took on Caltrain from Sunnyvale to Stanford shopping center with my daughter a few years back. The railway conductor had a very distinctive way of talking and when she announced the name of the station it came out as ‘Saaaaaaaan AAAAAntOOOnio’. Every time I see a sign for San Antonio I mimic her rendition.
At California Street we saw the Farmers Market down the main street. This is one we have not been too but we must go some day. Next stop was Palo Alto. From the train we could see the entrance to Stanford University and some of the palm trees lining Palm Drive but the distinctive buildings of the university could not be seen. From the train station it an easy walk to the fabulous Stanford Shopping Center.
Between the California Street and Palo Alto stations is a bike track, which was being well used. I wonder how far it goes. The original station building at Menlo Park Station is the oldest station in California. It has been refurbished over the years but is still a charming building.
Atherton was our next stop and this is a really nice location. It was once described as a “plain of oaks” and it still is. Looking down into the gardens of the houses we passed, they all had large shady trees and many of them were well established. Redwood City is an interesting place. From the train we could see a large painting on the side of a building. It depicted a lady in medieval dress sitting in a boat. I’m not 100% sure but I’m guessing it was from the ‘Lady of Shalott’ which was a poem by Alfred, Lord Tenyson. Here is a short quote:
‘Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And around about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.’
Just past the station, near the railway crossing, is an old sign which used to be on El Camino. It boldly proclaims ‘Redwood City – Climate Best By Government Test’. To read why the town claims this distinction check out this website.
San Carlos station was next. Here the tracks are raised and below, on the station forecourt, there was another farmers market. Tom pointed out the unusual station house building which was more or less hidden by the raised tracks. This one was almost as old as the one at Menlo Park but completely different architecture. San Carlos station is built from gray stone blocks unlike the conventional wooden structure at Menlo Park.
Margaret, Tom's Step-Mom, Arlene, Tom's Dad and Brother Jeffrey
Yet another farmers market was being held at Belmont station. Tom used to live in Belmont when he was a little boy and remembers driving with him Mum to collect his Dad from the station in the evening. The next few stations are unimpressive. Hillsdale used to be the station for Bay Meadows racetrack but that closed down in 2005. There is, of course, the big shopping mall at Hillsdale.
Burlingame has a very impressive station building. It’s architecture is Mission-Revival style and is painted bright yellow and is now a museum. Tom was born in Burlingame.
The next few stations are OK but not outstanding apart from the clock at Milbrae which showed the wrong time and the date as January 2, 1995! Once passed San Bruno things began to deteriorate again. The only thing which impressed me was the graffiti. OK I know graffiiti is a blot on the landscape and taken as a whole really gives a neglected look but some of the individual paintings are very artistic and far more colorful than the specimens displayed near San Jose.
Just before 11.45 we arrived in San Francisco and joined the merry throng walking down King Street to the AT&T stadium. Most of the fans were dressed in the Giants colors but there were a good few Cubs fans in amongst us. And it was a beautiful day. We stopped at Starbucks for a cup of coffee as we had at least half an hour to wait before we met up with Tom’s Dad and Arlene and his brother Jeff by the Willie Mays statue outside the stadium. It was an invigorating experience being a part of the hustle and bustle outside the station. Of course there were the scalpers selling tickets and parking passes for the game, street performers and the occasional homeless person with their handwritten signs. There were also stands selling programs and memorabilia. More interesting TV cameras were set up to televise the pre-game show. The majority of movement though came from the fans pouring into the stadium not only from the train station but also from the car parks on the other side of the Lefty O’Doule Bridge and the muni station on King Street.
Eventually the five of us all found each other and we made our way into the stadium. We went through the wrong entrance but we didn’t find out
Batter Up!
until we left the stadium. Our tickets were in Field Club and we entered through the Willie Mays Plaza entrance and walked up the ramp to the Promenade level. From there we were directed to an section but we had to walk all the way down to the bottom, back through a tunnel and into the right section. We almost gave up but eventual we found our seats in Section 109, Row O. They were great seats midway between home plate and first base.
There is nothing more American than a baseball game. All the razzmatazz of the game beforehand and then the music, exhortations to shout, stand and make a loud noise during the game; the large scoreboard giving a wealth of information including replays of each ball; the seventh inning stretch and then of course there is the game itself. Being so close to the action we saw more of the expressions from the players and the occasional comments. We were also in line to catch a foul ball although none came close enough to attempt a catch. It was a great game and both sides played very well but the Giants won so that put the cherry on the cake as far as our day was concerned. We sat there enjoying ourselves immensely, eating hot dogs and ice creams (though I made a mess with mine when it melted all over my jeans and sweatshirt) and drinking beer and lemonade. We clapped every good hit and catch, no matter which side executed it, and groaned whenever a home run was never quite achieved. We stayed right to the end and stood, clapped and cheered as the teams left the field.
Then we made our way out of the stadium through the food court entrance without having to climb any stairs. Tom and I made our way back to the station, crossing the roads with hundreds of others and taking up the whole of the sidewalk. At the station we were lucky to get onto the non stop to San Carlos train which cut the journey by half an hour. It was the end of a perfect day.
October 04 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
Yerba Buena Gardens opposite SFMOMA
After our breakfast at Dottie’s in the Tenderloin – see previous post – we drove down Jones and across Market to Howard, where we turned left towards the Moscone Center. Parking is always a problem in San Francisco but we found a car park on 3rd and Folsom where we could park for $10 all day.
(Click the images for larger versions. You’ll need to if you want to find Waldo in the last photo)
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, affectionately known as SFMOMA, was just a short walk away but we had some time to kill as it didn’t open until 10 am. We wandered around the outside of the Moscone Center, which is a huge conference/convention complex. It is named after George Moscone, a former mayor of San Francisco who was assassinated in 1978.
Then we sauntered around the Yerba Buena Gardens opposite SFMOMA. It has been some time since we visited this part of town and the gardens have become well established. Outside the Yerba Buena Center for Arts a dozen couples were having dancing lessons. It was a quickstep. I only knew this because occasionally I heard ’slow, quick, quick slow’. Most of the other directions were given in Chinese. It was mesmerizing to watch them. The dance itself seemed to be quite slow and deliberate, almost like Tai Chi. There were also several groups on the grass in the middle of the gardens doing Tai Chi, including one gentlemen who did a bit and then sat in an electric wheelchair. I couldn’t help but admire the man.
I took a seat on a stone bench in front of the huge water feature and enjoyed people watching and writing while Tom wandered off . Although it
SFMOMA as seen from Yerba Buena Gardens
was overcast to begin with, the sun came out before too long but there was a bit of a breeze. Definitely not shorts and T-shirt weather. I looked towards the SFMOMA building which seems to be dwarfed by the buildings around it but it is a striking building. It’s main architectural feature is the huge skylight in the front. It resembles the vent on the deck of a ship in its shape but has black and white strips.
Just before 10 we walked across the road to the SFMOMA and bought tickets at the kiosk outside. It cost $28 for the two of us – senior citizens price – and this included entrance to the Georgia O’Keefe and Ansel Adams Natural Affinities Exhibition, which is the main reason for our visit today. This exhibition will be at SFMOMA until September 9 this year. We walked into the vast foyer but had to wait there. Both the stairs and the elevators were cordoned off until, at the stroke of 10, they were removed. Tom and I walked up to the third floor. We reasoned it would be quicker than waiting for a lift.
On the third floor, we shuffled in with a host of other people. At first it was difficult to get a clear view of the paintings and photographs with folks walking in front or pressing from behind but it soon thinned out as people wandered off in different directions. Tom is into black and white photography and I’m into color, so George O’Keefe’s vivid paintings attracted me far more than Ansel Adams stark photography. Her early paintings were a bit depressing for my taste but loved the New Mexico collection, especially ‘Black Mesa Landscape’ and ‘In the Patio III’. I must admit to liking Ansel Adams photo of ‘St Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico’. Tom’s favorites were ‘Early Morning, Merced River’, ‘Cedar Tree, Winter, Yosemite’, ‘Old Tree, Snowstorm, Yosemite’, Vine and Rock, Island of Hawaii’ and ‘Detail, Juniper Wood, Sierra Nevada’ – all by Ansel Adams of course.
The walkway at the top. You can see all the way to the bottom. OK Margaret what ever you do DO NOT LOOK DOWN.
After a pleasant hour browsing the exhibition we explored the rest of the museum. We decided to climb the stairs to the fourth floor but I was sidetracked by something drawn high up on a wall with apparatus hanging down from a walkway above so I asked a nearby attendant. He started to explain but then pointed to a notice on the wall. The graffiti like drawing was drawn by Matthew Barney on June 9, 2006 and is entitled ‘Drawing Restraint 14′. On that day he climbed the wall dressed as General Douglas MacArthur, navigating himself by hand holds up the wall and by carabines attached to the underside of the walkway to get the wall on the far side. From there he swung himself in a hoist to execute the drawing right under a window.
Satisfied that I had unraveled that poser, I ascended the curved staircase to the fifth floor, pausing to look through a window down towards Yerba Buena Gardens, before arriving at the walkway I had looked at from below. Some of you may know that I have no head for heights and this walkway was not only high up and narrow but was constructed of perforated steel – very scary. Tom had already crossed it so the least I could do was to walk across it as well. I took a deep breath and went for it, keeping my eyes on a large mural on the wall in front. The main exhibits here are under the heading ‘Between Art on Life’, which will be on display until January 3, 2010. Many interesting sculptures and other diverse artworks are on display and the most intriguing was a huge painting entitled ‘Princess of the Posse’ by Chris Ofili which was described as acrylic, collage, glitter, resin, map pins, and elephant dung on canvas. I loved the colors and the use of map pins but I’m not so sure about the elephant dung.
After looking at all the exhibits we wandered through the Coffee Bar and into the Roof Garden to view
Accross from SFMOMA we spotted Waldo. Can you? You might have to click so you can see the larger version.
the sculptures on display there. It is a very pleasant spot, with places to sit and relax and on top of that, it is a sun trap. There is a huge bronze statue by Louise Bourgeois entitled ‘The Nest’. Louise Bourgois is an amazing artist. Both this work and another piece by her entitled ‘Crouching Spider’, which was until recently was on display on the waterfront of the Embarcadero (part of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Temporary Projects in Natural Settings Initiative), was in her nineties when she executed both pieces. Walking up the slope to the walkway I glanced out of the window and spotted a cardboard cutout of Waldo hiding between pipework on the roof of the building opposite.
We visited the third floor on our way down to view the Looking In: Robert Frank’s “The Americans” exhibition. This was a fascinating series of 83 photos taken between 1955 and 1956 of Americans and their way of life. The book “The Americans” was published in 1958 with an introduction by Jack Kerouac.
We decided to call it a day. There is so much more to see at SFMOMA but we will have to return another day.
July 14 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
Dottie's True Blue Cafe in San Francisco, California.
As you know, we are always on the look out for new places to go for breakfast in the Bay Area; so when we watched Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network on Monday night, which featured Dottie’s True Blue Cafe, we just had to give it a try. We had planned a trip up to the city so this was the perfect chance to try it out.
We checked the internet beforehand. Dottie’s does not have its own website but there are plenty of reviews to check out, most of them very positive, so we knew we were in for a treat. One thing we learned is that they only have seating for 40 so we decided to get there before it opened at 7.30. We arrived at 7.15 and already there was a line outside, so we joined the end (Check the map below for the location). The Tenderloin is not in the best part of town and we spent a fascinating 15 minutes people watching and chatting to the couple in front of us. We later found out their names were Stacey and Ray – so Hi to you both if you ever check this website out.
Just before 7.30 the line started to move and we were lucky to get seated in the first wave. Our table was against the far wall and I sat under the specials board. The normal menu is relatively small but the specials are what has earned Dottie’s it’s reputation. There is also a baked goods specials board.
I went for the oatmeal ($3.95) with the fresh mixed fruit ($2.50). Tom ordered the smoked whiskey-fennel sausage, mushroom, baby spinach scramble with grilled corn bread and potatoes (10.95) with a slice of blueberry crumb cake ($4.50) on the side.
The tables and chairs are a little beaten up – our table also rocked a bit but that just added to the charm of the place. There were just five seats at the counter. I liked the salt and pepper shakers in the shape of paper bags. Small prints of old food adverts adorned the wall above the counter. On the walls near us were three black and white classic glamor posters. One of them was Josephine Baker, wearing just a garment made out of beads. There were a couple of additional decorative touches – a few postcards and a shelf high on the wall near the door with a few knick knacks on.
There was a 20 minute wait before we gave our order but we didn’t care as we were busy looking around and talking to Stacey and Ray at the next table. Outside the window we could see people waiting in line. Jazz was playing softly in the background. It would have been louder if there was not so much chatting and laughter going on around us. Everybody seemed so carefree but it was a holiday weekend after all. Tom’s coffee cup was filled regularly. The coffee is good but not quite as good as Pete’s.
I was watching the action behind the bar. There were just two cooks and they were in constant action. With very little space behind the counter, they out to be pretty nifty on their feet.
The blueberry crumb cake arrived as a sort of starter. On top was a generous dollop of whipped cream and it looked too good to resist. Mmm, nice and warm and heavenly.
When our scramble and oatmeal arrived I looked at my watch, only to realize that the time on the parking meter was about to expire. We had been lucky enough to find a meter right outside the restaurant. The maximum you could put in though was for one hour of parking and at 25 cents for 12 mins of time it seemed a lot of money. Tom nipped out and put another half an hour on the clock. Meanwhile I was enjoying my breakfast. The fruit on top of the oatmeal – sliced strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, purple grapes and blackberries – had never seen the inside of a freezer and tasted wonderfully fresh. The oatmeal was in a large, round shallow bowl and tasted great. Not steel cut but I had no complaints. Tom was really enjoying his scramble. I had never had grilled corn bread before so I tried a piece. Was not too impressed as it had hot spice in it and I don’t like hot spicy food. I should have expected it because I remember thinking that most of the dishes prepared on Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) had jalapenos in them.
The restroom was very ordinary – clean and functional with no decoration at all but getting to it was an adventure. I was pointed towards a door and told to collect the large spoon with key attached which would be hanging on a hook by the door. If it wasn’t there, somebody was already using it and I would have to wait. The spoon was there so I took it off the hook, walked through the door and found myself in the lobby of a small hotel. I found the restroom but it was locked. The receptionist told me somebody was in there and I would have to wait and wait I did for some time. While I waited I looked round the lobby and found a few disturbing notices – one a warning about a dangerous cocaine out on the streets and another telling me that everything was being recorded. Goes with the territory I guess.
So that was our visit to Dottie’s and we can certainly recommend it wholeheartedly. The food is top notch and certainly worth the wait.
Dottie’s is at 522 Jones Street in San Francisco.
July 08 2009 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Lefty O'Doul Bridge being raised
On Father’s Day we had a great treat. Tom’s daughter Annie, her husband, Mitch, and grandson Brady (14 months) traveled from Eugene in Oregon to stay with us for a few days. Brady is a cutie and we kept us entertained all of Sunday.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
Monday Margaret took a day off work and we all set off for a day in San Francisco with no real plans in mind except to meet Tom’s brother, Jeff, for lunch at the Connecticut Yankee at the foot of Potrero Hill. Our first stop was McCovey Cove, right alongside AT&T Park – the home of the SF Giants (that’s a baseball team by the way for all the non Americans amongst us). Across the small cove we could see the park – one of the best in the country (feel free to dispute me if you wish). What distinguishes from all other ball parks is the giant Coca Cola bottle and a huge sculpture of a leather baseball glove.
To get to the ballpark, we had to cross the Lefty O’Doul bridge. Lefty O’Doul was born in San Francisco and was a Major League ball player. The bridge is a steel drawbridge which has no clearance at all so it has to be raised for even the smallest boat to pass underneath. We have walked over this bridge many times and had never seen it open. A copper plaque states that Strauss Engineering Company designed and built the bridge and was opened in 1933. Joseph Strauss, who headed Strauss Engineering Co, engineered both this and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a very noisy bridge, due to the iron plates at the joints and the wooden roadbed. Tom got into a conversation with a bridge operator who told him the bridge was about to be raised. Apparently this is a daily feature just to make sure that everything is in working order.
We just had to watch this event and there we were with our cameras. A klaxon sounded, a barrier was lowered and bells clanged. Slowly the roadbed was raised and the huge concrete blocks, which balanced the whole structure, were lowered until they were almost resting on the road. Tom, who was standing in front of the blocks, was dwarfed. We all got a kick out of it, including Brady who clapped his hands and grinned throughout. The whole process was repeated in reverse and five minutes later the traffic was flowing again.
The ballpark is right next to the Lefty O’Doul bridge and that was our next stop. By the Lefty O’Doul entrance is a statue of former Giants pitcher Juan Marichal. Just outside the main entrance to the park is a statue of Willie Mays, one of the greatest ball players ever. He played for the SF Giants from 1958-72. In 1973, when playing for the New York Mets, he hit his 660th home run and stands at number four in the rankings. His godson, Barry Bonds, currently is at number one with 762 home runs. Willie Mays was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979. His statue outside the ballpark is surrounded by 24 palm trees in honor of his number 24 uniform, which was retired by the SF Giants.
When we walked past the Giants Dugout Store I noticed a board advertising tours of the ballpark . They are conducted every day at 10.30 and
AT&T Park. Home of The San Francisco Giants
12.30 expect on days when there is a home game. As Mitch is such a keen baseball fan and coaches a high school team back in Eugene, we decided this was an opportunity not to be missed and bought tickets for the 12.30 tour. That gave us enough time to move the car from a parking meter to a long term car park and pay a visit to Borders book store on the corner of 3rd and The Embarcadero. At 12.30 we were at the top of the stairs in the Giants Dugout Store with several other people waiting to begin the tour.
Our guide showed up on time and opened the roll up door leading to the ballpark and through it we all trooped. Just inside we gathered round as he introduced himself. The only trouble was we could hardly hear him. The sound of the traffic outside seemed to be magnified and that didn’t help but even when we were inside later on, hearing still was a problem as he was so quietly spoken. In order to hear what he was saying, you had to stand really close. In the end, we must have missed half of what he said, which was a pity because he had so many interesting things to tell us.
Our first stop was the Press Box. I’ve never seen a press box before but I’m guessing they are all very much the same. It is located on the lower level and overlooks home plate. There are several banks of counters and chairs. On a game day I can imagine the room filled with sports commentators and journalists all talking nineteen to the dozen. On the back wall are the shirts bearing the numbers which have been retired by the SF Giants.
Then we took a lift up several floors to the club level where we first walked through the tunnel to one of the general seating areas with a view down to the field and over McCovey Cove. Our guide said that the ballpark was originally planned to be built the other way round, look towards the west instead of the east but following some research on wind movement, when it was discovered the prevailing wind was from the west, it was decided to turn it 180 degrees thus overlooking the bay. He went on to tell us the history of the coke bottle – which is a children’s slide – and the glove sculpture. He went on to explain about splash hits – that’s when a home run is achieved by hitting the ball out of the park and into McCovey Cove. When Barry Bonds was scoring home runs and splash hits regularly a couple of years ago, there used to be a multitude of boats and kayaks, all waiting to retrieve any balls which landed in the water. I wonder, now that Barry Bonds has retired, whether there are so many boats out there on game days.
We walked back through another tunnel onto the outside promenade where our guide explained how the ballpark was built to withstand earthquakes by showing us an expansion joint. We then looked out over the Embarcadero and the Bay Bridge before turning back and entering a luxury suite. There are about 70 luxury suites at the ballpark, most used by private companies or individuals. There are two though which can be rented for about $10,000 a day. That overall price includes the cost of food. The one we entered could hold about 25 people, though I was not too impressed with the view of the field. Our tour continued down the corridor, past all the other luxury suites. All the doors were open so we can take a peek inside but were not allowed to go into any of them. They all were decorated by the users in a variety of baseball memorabilia. Willie Mays has one of the suites and, inside, the main pieces of furniture were two, very comfortable easy chairs. Along the corridor were a collection of lithographs of ballparks around the country. None of the names meant very much to me and, to be honest, they all looked the same. Of course, to baseball fanatics, every ballpark name conjures up memories of past teams and games.
Annie and Brady in the visitors dugout at AT&T Park
Halfway along the corridor we took a lift down to the Field Club Level and walked through a tunnel to some of the premium seating in the ballpark. Out on the field the groundsmen were mowing the grass. Mitch used to work at a golf club and knows a lot about the different types of grass. He was keen to talk to the groundsmen and here was his opportunity. While the guide led us to the visiting teams’ dugout he stopped and spoke to a couple of the men. Meanwhile we were hearing about how the seating areas and dugouts are cleaned after each game. First of all the rubbish is removed and then everything is washed down thoroughly. It was interesting to sit inside the dugout and have a player’s view of the field. Tom was fascinated by the beat up look of the wooden seat at the bag – ten years of abuse by players shoes and bats. Behind the dugout is another tunnel, this time leading to the indoor batting cages – all three of them.
Our last stop was the visiting team’s clubhouse. We saw the changing room and lockers where there is a baseball shirt up on the wall behind a perspex screen which has been signed by just about all the players who were in attendance the last day the Giants played at Candlestick Park. I was surprised how small the room was considering not only the size of some of the players but all the rest of the support people that must travel with them. We were also shown the laundry room and looked through a window into the Visiting Team Manager and his large collection of bobble heads.
The tour was advertised to last two hours and to cover over two miles of walking. It costs $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors, $7.50 for children under 12 and free for children under 2. As the tour lasted nearly two and half hours, we certainly got our money’s worth and it was great to get a behind the scene tour and to see areas not normally visited by members of the public.
Needless to say we were a bit late getting to the Connecticut Yankee but as Jeff is the barman there it didn’t really matter. Tom had rung to let him know we were going to be late. Maybe it was just as well because the lunch time crowd had gone and the early evening drinkers had not arrived. We had a very nice lunch there without too much interruption. The only trouble being that this was the first time Jeff had seen Brady, his great nephew, but he slept most of the time we were there, due no doubt to all the exercise he had got on the tour.
If you are ever in San Francisco we thoroughly recommend the tour.
July 04 2009 | Neighborhoods and Special Places | 1 Comment »
Spire - Andy Goldsworthy
Still in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, our next stop was Andy Goldsworthy’s new sculpture called ‘The Spire’ in The Presidio. From Crissy Field, we drove up Baker Street and, after a couple of turns, found ourselves on Lyon Street. Opposite Liverpool Lil’s, an English style pub which has been around for over 30 years, is one of the entrances, to the Presidio on Lombard Street. Just inside on the right is the Letterman Digital Arts Center, the new home for LucasFilm. In 2005 George Lucas moved both his Industrial Light and Magic and the LucasArts studios from San Rafael to under one roof in the Presidio. The Letterman Army Medical Center used to be on the site..
The Presidio covers nearly 1500 acres. It was an army post for over 200 years but became part of the National Park Service in 1994. We meandered through the Presidio, passing recently refurbished residential areas. Our destination was Inspiration Point, which is to the south of the park near the golf course. After driving past the Visitors Center, situated in the Officers Club near the main parade square, we turned onto Arguello Drive, past the golf club and eventually came to Inspiration Point. Just before turning left into the car park, we spotted the sculpture to our left.
It was just a short walk from the car park, across Aguello Drive and up a rough track to the new sculpture, which stands on a ridge looking down onto Inspiration Point and out over the bay towards Alcatraz and Angel Island. The site is still raw and the landscaping has not quite been completed. There are still cones and plastic tape preventing entry to several places.
Andy Goldsworthy is a remarkable British sculptor. He uses materials found in the environment – twigs, leaves, ice,
Looking up The Spire in The Presidio, San Francisco
stone, driftwood, etc. Most of his structures are not built to last. In fact some disappear very fast. Two of his more permanent pieces of work can be found in the Bay Area – Drawn Stone outside the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and Stone River at Stanford University in Palo Alto. The Spire was constructed last October. It is made up of the trunks of cypress trees which had been felled on the site because they were unhealthy. The structure looks like a branchless tree and is about 100′ tall. The sculpture is surrounded by newly planted cypress trees which are only inches tall at the moment. Eventually they will be as tall as The Spire. At the moment, it stands out like a sore thumb but, as the small trees grow, it will disappear and will eventually rot away or will have to be dismantled if it becomes unsafe.
It was amazing to stand at the base and look up to the top. I felt so small and insignificant. It will be interesting to see how the site changes over time.
January 28 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
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