Ripped from the Headlines

On the very day the headline in the London Times is the upcoming demise of Greenwich Mean Time, we were - you guessed it - in Greenwich!  Afer a day here, we are travelling the Underground like natives.  It really has to be the best marked and most effecient underground in the world.  We both love it, and it has the additional benefit of being great exercise, with all the up and down stairs and rushing about!

We took one of the London Walking Tours to Greenwich.  These are an old favorite of mine - they have been doing walking tours in London for 50 years, and are always informative and fun. The guides seem  to all take pride in finding obscure historical facts about their subjects and delight in telling new people about them.  There are tours for all parts of the city and all interests; in the past, I have been known to do two a day.  (No booking in advance, always meeting at an Underground station, usually led by out of work actors, great fun.)

Yesterday was no exception.  We had the wonderful boat trip up the Thames to Greenwich, with running commentary - passing pubs frequented by Samuel Pepys, the place where Dickens lived and wrote Great Expectations, the kind of thing one can only get in London -  and then a tour of the town of Greenwich and the sites.  (One of the aforementioned factoids:  the expression "keep your eye on the ball" is said to come from maritime captains telling their mates to keep their eye on the ball at the top of the Royal Observatory in order to set their timepieces!)  After the tour, we wandered around Greenich on our own for a while,seeing the Marine Museum and the Royal Observatory (seeing the infamous clocks referred to in the book Longitude, which Hank particularly enjoyed) then taking the boat back.    Pictures may or may not follow; my camera ran out of  battery, so I could not take any pictures.  There was a lady from Vancouver (Kerrisdale, no less!) on the tour with us, who said she would email me her photos, so stay tuned. 

Although one of the reasons for stopping in London (aside from  getting rid of jet lag) was the theater, we are finding the theater pickings rather slim  this year.  Instead, last night, we went to the movies, to see the new John LeCarre remake, of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, with Colin Firth and John Hurd.  It is not due to be shown in the US (and Canada, I assume) until December, so we feel that it was somewhat of a coup.  A well made movie, although I must confess that both of us felt that 90% of it went over our heads.  By the way, if it is any consolation to any of you, they have more ads (albeit racier and more artistic) in the movies than we do at home.

English breakfast having been consumed (Hank, eating in the morining, imagine!), we are the way to Hampton court today.  It seems that the weather might have broken - perhaps 20 degrees cooler than it was yesterday,  More anon.

Jet Lag

Okay, that last blog?  I fell asleep over the computer, absolutely a first for me!  I guess jet lag will do that to you.  I was trying to do the prescribed thing - stay up till the appropriate bedtime in your new location.  Couldn't make it past 8 P.M.  What I was trying to say yesterday, before I was so rudely interrupted, was that I got a $150 opera ticket for $30 dollars in the Senior Rush!  What a deal!  I saw Donizetti's Lucrecia Borgia.  It was wonderful, but I should more accurately say I heard it, as about 10 minutes prior to the curtain, I realized that my glasses were missing.  Turned out they had fallen off my head where they had been perched, and been stepped on.  And us leaving the next day.  But, as Hank said, there is nothing (almost) that money won't solve.  And in America, glasses can be done in two hours.  So, not only did we lunch with friends on the last day in SF, I also got new glasses! 

Rapid transit to the airport (another benefit of traveling light), and an uneventful flight - just like you want it!  The hotel, The Tavistock - is an old favorite.  It is an old, travelers hotel, very plain.  However, it is clean, passes for cheap in London, is mere blocks away from the British Museum in Russell Square, and directly on the Picadilly line from the airport.

It is record-breakingly hot in London - 80 plus degrees in October - so we required a refresh, but once we did, it was beer in a pub for us, and then I went off to Picadilly Circus to try for some theater (Hank didn't think he could make it).  Neither did I, as it turned out, but I had a great walk - Picadilly on Saturday night!, found my favorite Italian restaurant for a bite, and then the aforementioned falling asleep over the computer!

Well, we are both up and at em this morning, about to go in for the infamous English breakfast.

The adventure continues!

goodbye San Francisco, Hello Europe

Couldn't leave San Francisco without saying goodbye to the Gooden Gate.  As some of uou know this was part of the commute that David and I shared, taking the ferry from Sausalito every morning, with its view of the bridge.Last night in town, I went to the oera, discovering yet another benefit

Tourist in San Francisco

Well, Hank is busy at work.  We all know the routine - working double time to prepare for vacation!  I, on the other hand, am already on vacation.  Oh, there are a few agenda items in preparation for Europe - downloading guides and language dictionaries to the Kindle (for which, thank you again WCAT folks), getting adapters and travel umbrellas, etc. - but other than that, I'm free.

Day before yesterday, I had a great dinner with friend Peter.  Peter and I go back 30 years.  We met working at the Bank of America, and bonded while ushering at the opera.  Who would have thought we would last this long.  Anyway, the result is another restaurant recommendation for San Francisco - Amber India, a high end Indian restaurant in down town SF, another great dining experience.

Yesterday, a day at the Palace of Fine Arts, which was featuring an exhibit, from a private collection, of the Dutch Masters.  I have always loved the Dutch genre paintings, as well as the portraits and landscapes.  A very good collection, well displayed.  An additional bonus was a display called the Mourners, from the tomb from 1470 Burgundy's John, son of Philip the Bold, 50 18-inch high statues of alabaster, very fine.

What shall I do today?

Tourist in San Francisco

Culture, at last!

We're in Ashland, finally!  The drive from San Francisco is about 7 hours, with a pleasant diversion in Redding, California, of all places, where some tax money has created a really momentous piece of functional art, i.e., a bridge (called the Skyline Bridge) over the Sacramento River.

We are staying at the Plaza Hotel, Ashland style, of course, but not bad, and within walking distance of the theaters. 

For those of you who don't know, Ashland, Oregon is very close to the California border.  Originally, it was redneck country (perhaps it still is, outside of the city), but in the 1940's, Shakespeare came to Ashland, and the three theaters - a large Elizibethan theater, a medium sized venue, and a small spot for more intimate plays - as well as the shops, the restaurants, and, of course, the weather, have made it a wonderful place to visit.  Hank, formerly David, and I, together with a varying cast of characters, have been coming for 25 years.  This year, we are joined by Pat Ferry, a friend of ours from banking days in San Francisco, and Carol Dodd, a friend from Salt Spring Island

So far, the theater itself has been disappointing.  The first, Willful, was an experimental play, and, to be kind, didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.  And the Henry IV Part II was a mess!  The old standby actors we are used to seeing were missing in action this year (with the exception of the Falstaff character, who was terrific).  The new crop can't project or enunciate, and the fool director had then talking to the back of the wall.

Well, that's the thing about live theater - it is always a risk.  When it is good, it is very good, and, often, when it is bad, it is awful! 

One thing that can always be counted on - there are wonderful restaurants.  Our current favourite is Sami's Bistro, the finist dining experience I have had for a long time.

Today is the backstage tour (I've done it before, of course, but Carol has not), followed by Ghose Light, a world premiere, and to top everything off, The Pirates of Penzance!  We're off to San Francisco tomorrow.  Were it me, we would leave at the crack of dawn, but Hank does not do crack of dawn well, so 10:00 A.M. depart time it is. 

And then, the final preparations for Europe!

A Tourist in San Francisco

Hank, eating, a rare sighting!

Hank, Carolyn and George, also former colleagues



Karen Hagewood



Who is that tan person?

And the infamous Suzanne!

The point of this part of the trip was Suzanne's party.  Suzanne, Hank and I worked together in Corporate Trust in the Bank of America in the 80's.  And here we are, 30 years later.  Suzanne in blue, immediately above) came from England 50 years ago, and was celebrating that.  Karen (in turquise), also pictured here, worked with us at the Bank as well. Today, just a bit of wandering around my favorite city, and Wednesday, off to Ashland!

84 degrees passes for hot in San Francisco!

And the ubiquitous cable car!