Blooms in the City - Magnificent Magnolias at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

The weather was great on the weekend so Mijo, Berna, Judy, Joaquin and I went to the San Francisco Botanical Garden to see the Magnificent Magnolia Garden collection of 54 species and 49 cultivars which is a significant collection for conservation outside of China.

Race in the City - Presidio Trail Run

I joined again in this year's Presidio Trail Run as part of my employer's volunteer event. 

I like this race not only because of their community and social awareness but also the picturesque views along the race. I've posted the views in this blog. Enjoy!

Nature in the City - Presidio Trail Run

I joined a fun run at work as part of the company's volunteer effort. The run or race is called the Presidio Trail Run  which is hosted by the Presidio Y.

Not only I got a good fun workout, I also got to enjoy the great scenery and great weather outside. I can't believe I live in the city and still be this close to nature.

Sunrise Easter Service in the City - Service at Mt. Davidson Cross

I can't believe that I've lived in the city for almost 20 years now and I haven't been to the Sunrise Easter Service on Mt. Davidson? 

Thanks to my friends and neighbors Noel and Dennis, I finally made it to the annual Sunrise Easter Service on Easter Sunday. It was not just to celebrate one of Christianity's important days but also to celebrate the sense of community in the city.

Park in the City - Grandview Park

From the Mosaic stairs at Moraga and 16th Avenue, Mijo and I continued our playing local tourists. We hiked some more and walked all the way up to Grandview Park.

The hike was challenging for us but it was all worth it. The view from up there is nothing short of amazing. I love San Francisco!

Nature in the City - 75th Anniversary and Community Day at the SF Botanical Garden

The San Francisco Botanical Garden recently had a Community Day to celebrate the garden's 75th anniversary.

There were informational booths, cultural music and performances, walking tours and other activities that day. Mijo and I had an enjoyable and relaxing day.

Neigborhood in the City - A stroll through North Beach

As part of our staycation, Mijo and I decided to have a light lunch in North Beach. We've been wanting to try the food at The Italian Homemade Company.

Since we were staycationing, we also played tourists by strolling through the neighborhood before we had lunch. That day was both a feast on the eyes and the taste buds!

Park in the City - Picturesque Views from Twin Peaks

On Saturday afternoon, Mijo and I had time to take my mom on a joy ride around the city. One of our stops was the closest to our neighborhood - Twin Peaks.

Even though it was a sunny day, it was windy that day so it was extra cold in Twin Peaks. The breathtaking panoramic views from there are unequalled.  A must see in San Francisco.

Tea in the City - Japanese Tea Garden

It has been years since the last time I was at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

I added a stop at the Japanese Tea Garden as part of my mom's site seeing itinerary because of selfish reasons.  I wanted to go back to the Japanese Tea Garden.  It was all good because my mom enjoyed our stop there.

Free Concert in the City - Smokey Robinson and Patti Smith at Stern Grove Festival

Can you believe that I saw Smokey Robinson and Patti Austin perform live and I didn't pay a single penny? This was possible thanks to the wonderful people and sponsors behind the Stern Grove Festival. 

I always look forward to this summer festival because it is good entertainment. Isn't summer in the city amazing? 

Park in the City - Glen Park Recreational Center

The past weekend, we had glorious sunshine in the city and the temperature hovered around mid-70s.  This is what I call a perfect tennis weather. So my friend Edward and I met up and played tennis for 2 hours.

An added bonus was that the tennis courts are newly renovated. A playground was also added for the neighborhood kids. I totally love the park's new look!

Close to nature in the city

I told my friends from church to go ahead and that I will catch up with them later. I stopped under the bamboo trees pretending to admire the carvings on their trunks. But in reality, I just wanted to rest where it is cooler. It was a weekend that was warmer than usual, one of the few days in the year of fog-free sunshine. I also wanted to linger in the area to enjoy the serene environment. I couldn’t help but think it is amazing how you can be very close to nature and yet still be in the city.

The view from the botanical’s entrance brought back a lot of good memories. I used to come here with a special someone. This used to be his favorite spot to walk his dog, it is a good stroll from his apartment on the other side of the Golden Gate park. This spot is also close to the shops and cafes on Irving St and we would stop here for a quick bite after biking around the park. I remember it was the scene of a boisterous public display of affection. Our lips would lock whenever tourist buses would pass by. I was so young back then. I wonder how many out of towners have taken our pictures? I wonder where he is now?

I can’t believe it has been over ten years since the last time I was here, on this same spot. A lot of things have changed, including me and the things that surround me. ~rl

(The photo above was taken under the bamboo trees at the San Francisco Botanical Garden at the Strybing Arboretum).

A Sunny Day in the City

Is this a park that turned into a beach or the other way around? I couldn't tell by the sea of locals. Some wearing swimsuits, the others tee shirts and shorts, a few wearing almost nothing. People are out appreciating the sun as if San Francisco had just gotten over a severe winter. I wonder if they are all from around here? I heard there is a long line at the cafe on the corner of 18th St and Dolores. Inertia trumps my craving for a hot pastrami sandwich. ~rl

(This photo was taken around Dolores Park in San Francisco's Mission District.)

Outdoor Movie in the City

"I'll tell you one thing... Fred Darling." The last syllable echoed as the sound bounced from one highrise to the next around Union Square. It is one of the many lines made famous by Holly Golightly played by Audrey Hepburn in the movie Breakfast At Tiffany's.

I think I've seen this movie at least three times but the Salvadorean and I , with a couple of friends from church, went to see it again at the outdoor movie presented by the SF Neighborhood Theatre Foundation. My friends brought extra blankets for cover on top of our layers of clothing in case the temperature drops but the weather was unseasonably warmer and less windy that evening. Some brought their own folding chairs while others sat on their thick mats. Except for those people wearing a sweater with the San Francisco logo and name stitched on it, I couldn't tell which ones are locals and which ones are tourists from the crowd. The turnout was bigger too compared to last year's. It must have something to do with the fact that 'Tiffany's' is a more popular movie compared to last year's 'Bullitt'.

The one in Dolores Park is a whole new scene where the crowd is composed of locals who live in the Mission, Castro, Noe Valley and as far as Glen Park. The film shown was 'Best in Show' and as expected, pet owners brought theirs so dogs of different breeds were mixed in the crowd. The popcorn stand was also selling dog treats. We got separated from our church friends because we came in late and where they were seating at was already too crowded. We sat next to a tree with baloons. Groups of different age groups brought food, drinks, and blankets as if going to a picnic. The Salvadorean and I brought hot chocolate and cookies. I had to change from one position to another because my back was sore from tennis that morning. From where we were waiting for the MUNI train, we could see a few groups decided to camp out on the park after the movie.

These local events make San Francisco seems so provincial to me. Where I grew up in the Philippines, we used to have a similar outdoor movie that starts one week before Easter and featured 'The Seven Last Words'. I remember one time a film was cut short because of the impending rain. In Northern California, the summers are always guaranteed free of rain so outdooor events such as these are perfect.

Watching the San Francisco Opera perform for free at the Stern Grove Festival was a real treat. Aside from going to church that day, we didn't have anything planned. Spontaneity ruled the day!

I woke up on Sunday morning to the pleasant sound of birds chirping. From the bedroom window, I could see sunshine, blue skies and squirrels already busy running their morning errands which is a scene one doesn't always see in the city. More like living in the country. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the entire house. The first thing that came to mind was having breakfast outside by the deck. The Salvadorean is already reading the Sunday paper because I can hear him turning a page. He already prepared the coffee, the bagel, the andouille sausages and was just waiting for me to finally get up so he can start making some eggs over easy.

The breakfast that took forever to prepare took only half an hour to finish. The Salvadorean reads the Travel section of the Chronicle first while I peruse the Pink section (Sunday San Francisco Chronicle's Datebook). This is one of our unspoken rules that has developed over the years. From the Pink section, we learned that the SF Opera is performing at the Stern Grove. The sun was out with a little breeze so we thought the area of the city where Stern Grove is located is free of fog. And we were right!

It was so clear that day that I could see the Pacific Ocean from the corner of Sloat @ 19th Ave. It was 1pm when we got to the Grove and there were many people walking to the park's entrance. I had the feeling that we will again be scouting for seats under the redwood trees. This time it was a great idea because the trees provided the needed shade. The fog didn't roll in until two days after.

The incline of the ground where we were at was sort of steep so we had to sit at an angle and clench every muscle so we won't slide down. There was not a lot of friction between the mat and our cargo shorts and between the mat and the ground therefore we had to reposition ourselves periodically. We did that also to prevent our legs from getting numb by staying in one position for too long.

The pieces presented were mostly Mozart's which I think was sliced from the SF Opera's current season programme. From the conversations going on around us, it seemed like we were surrounded with folks that are musically inclined - a baritone behind me, two sopranos and a tenor on my left. For someone who is not familiar with the opera, I was expecting to hear the more popular pieces from Bach, Hayden and Verdi's. More like an 'Opera 101' kind of thing, just like the one I saw in Rome, Italy not too long ago.

But hey. What can go wrong with a free performance at the Stern Grove? In fact, it was very good. Good quality music coupled with a good pastrami sandwich, a good wine, a great weather, and a great partner. I had a relaxing weekend.

Man! It's been hot in the city. It gets hot in the city about 4 to 7 days a year and this usually happens in the Fall. On a sunny and warm day, locals would flock to the city parks, beaches and outdoor cafes to enjoy the weather. However, this week has been 'warmer' - as in muggy, sticky and hot. It's not even Fall yet! We're probably seeing the effects of global warming?

Everyone went out as if there is a big celebration going on. My tennis partner and I even played earlier than normal because we knew the courts will be popular this weekend. The weather man reports that Sunday is going to be even more warmer than today. I am sporting a farmer's tan now.

I think it is important to take note that most locals don't have airconditioning in their homes because they never have any need for them. The SF Bay and the ocean provide cool breeze throughout the Bay Area. So during these unusually hot days, going to the movies and staying indoors inside the theatres is probably a great idea. There are only two malls in the city and both of them are small so they're most likely a full house. Funny how we are so spoiled here so we complain when the conditions go extremes. When it is too cold (it snowed the last time!) or too hot, that is the only thing we talk about and we don't stop until the next season.

I need to water the plants some more.

The picture above was taken along California St. Where a 'less scenic' cable car line runs. A street filled with office workers running frantically to meet deadlines and the sound of traffic bounces from one skyscrapper to the next making the echoed noise much louder. A street that, like most city streets, rises and falls. A street where a lot of tourists miss to see.

There are still a lot of things that I haven't done in the city that I would like to do someday like watch the Beach Blanket Babylon, see the the San Francisco Symphony perform, run the San Francisco Marathon and more. Ok, perhaps the third one is a bit over the edge because I already did the Bay to Breakers and promised myself not to do the 8 mile run ever again, let alone a gruelling 27 miles.

Luck was on my side on Sunday because I didn't only see the SF Symphony perform but I saw them perform for free during the 4th weekend of the Stern Grove Festival.

The Salvadorean and I were here last year to see Khaled perform so we knew better to come here way earlier than we did before. The free concert starts at 2 p.m. We got here around 12:45 p.m. and still we were too late to scout an area with a much better view. People camped out in groups and brought lunch as early as 11 a.m. We could have come here at noon but we wanted to see the first half of the World Cup final. So up we went to the area under the redwood trees with our picnic mat, extra layers of clothing, a bottle of chardonnay, water, chips and a sandwich.

They played Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Opus 97 Rhenish, and Petite Suite from Bizet’s Jeux D’Enfants. They had a special guest, Time for Three, who joined in on the second part of the program.

The sun tried to peek but the fog was just too thick and did not burn off in that part of the city. I am impressed with the acoustics of the amphitheatre that the intruments, especially the wind and the stringed, sounded clear even when played outdoors.

During intermission, we heard from a group seating next to us that Italy won over France at the World Cup finals. We saw the game later that day from the reruns of the match on Channel 14.

The Spanish Harlem Orchestra will be performing on August 6 and we plan to be there at noon!

We got to Dolores Park about a little past 8:30p.m. to scout a good place to view the fireworks taking place in the Wharf. The sun has not completely set and the neighborhood crowd were still gathering. The sky was unusually clear and not the usual summer pattern of cold and misty fog which is another great reason why we are glad to have stayed in town this weekend to celebrate the '4th of July'.

Since this is the first time in five years that we are celebrating the '4th' in San Francisco, we decided to head out armed with our extra layers of clothing, a mat and a camera. At around 9:30p.m., the horizon is flooded with darkness and the skyline suddenly burst with an explosion of lights.

From where we are seating at, we can see smaller pyrotechnics going off simultaneously in the city and across the bay. The crowd reacted with their 'oohhs' and 'aahhs' everytime they spot a spectacular display that lights up a tiny part of the city. A few in the crowd even brought their own stuff and some of them are fancy. I wonder how some people got a hold of these firecrackers? I thought it is illegal to use them here?

The fireworks display in Oakland started early. San Francisco's turn soon commenced and lasted for a good 20 minutes. Since Pier 39 is on the northeastern end of the city, we only got a partial view of the fireworks from Dolores Park. My pictures above do not give the fireworks display enough justice.

Here is a picture to show you the stunning view from the Marin Headlands during the 4th of July celebration in Pier 39. This picture is linked from the online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle.