it was another beautiful day in San Francisco. i was heading for Pier 39 to see Tulipmania. it wasn't quite what i thought it would be...perhaps i was remembering the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland or the big tulip fields in Japan that i have seen. there were thousands of people walking around the pier...i would rather have had thousands of tulips, and less people but everyone seemed to be enjoying the fine weather, street performers, trolley cars, sea lions, carousel, clam chowder, sourdough bread, souvenir shops, and i am not one to complain (am i?).
sunday morning found me at the Grace Cathedral where i walked the labyrinth and listened to some of the Holy Eucharist service...to hear the beautiful pipe organ and choir. from Grace Cathedral it was up and over Nob Hill and down to Chinatown. i caught the tale end of the Year of The Rat 10k race. there was a time when i would have joined in for the cool t-shirt but that was then and this is six years out-of-shape now. here is a colorful shop window in Chinatown. that is the TransAmerica building in the reflections which is one of the landmarks in the San Francisco skyline.
from Chinatown i walked up a hill or two and then down to Union Square, more people, high end shopping, charming cafes and restaurants such as this one which calls itself the "most romantic restaurant" but doesn't say most romantic where... perhaps, the world?
i will be flying to Philly tonite and then back to San Francisco again tomorrow (the 21st) but will be staying near the airport so no time for fun in the city. and then back to Charlotte on Friday. maybe there will be some good jazz music at the bar/restaurant/concert venue next to the hotel. and if all continues to go as scheduled i will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Tampa on saturday morning. if Mike is busy with his kids, i have already looked how to get to the farmer's market and craft fair at Ybor City in Tampa by bus. it seems they will be having a "Flan Festival" which coincidently was the topic of conversation a week or two ago on the Tom Morton Show. what is the differnce between flan and quiche? i will finish up this four-day late sunday afternoon. possibly i will catch the 615p flight back to LA or stay and work another trip on monday. thanks to my new iPod i do not mind so much the commute but then i never really did. however, since i have another four-day trip on thursday, i may just stay back east. today before my flight i will look for a book/author that Tom mentioned James Lee Burke to help with the 5-6 hour commute to and from Philadelphia.
