Day 1 of the California Jaunt--June 21, 2011
Dear Ones,
Hello from sunny California! What an odyssey it has been, beginning at 4:00 a.m. this morning! I awoke to a rolling thunderstorm, but by 5:00 a.m. it had abated long enough to allow me to load my luggage. However, as I approached Lakewood and Prospect Street, where my friend Hart lives (who had graciously volunteered to take me to the airport), there began a deluge of major proportions and I sat in her driveway for about 20 minutes, surrounded by lightning and thunder and unable to move as the minutes kept ticking by. Finally, although it was still raining steadily and hard, at least the lightning and thunder abated long enough for my drenched self to load my luggage into Hart's van. Thank goodness we were in that high-seated van, as street flooding was rather prevalent along the way, and some cars looked as if they were going to stall out any minute. However, we finally got on the freeway and, in spite of the increasing traffic, made it to the airport by about 6:45 a.m. and checked my bag at the curb. Thanks ever so much, Hart, for risking van, life and limb to get to the airport on time. I owe you one!
I hadn't had any breakfast, so had a yoghurt smoothie, gulping it down just in time to board the aircraft and get settled in with a good book. The flight was uneventful except for one completely wonderful view of the Rockies from out my side of the plane. We landed a few minutes late, but not significantly so, to a temperature of about 75 degrees, with full sun. The vegetation, of course, adores this kind of weather, and the azaleas, peonies, and roses, among other vegetation, were blissfully soaking up the perfection of the weather. We immediately started out to visit the Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. It is an 18-acre estate garden containing four gardens--Hill and Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Zen Garden, and Kizuna En, a bamboo garden. We were fascinated by the koi and the turtles basking in the sun, and marveled at the diameter of the bamboo. Of course efficient Maureen had packed a fabulous picnic lunch which we enjoyed on the grounds--vegetable wraps, zucchini soup, melons, cherries. Afterwards we took in downtown Saratoga, a fabulously wealthy community which reminded me very much of Aspen. We stopped at an artisanal chocolate shop, and I had a Bailey's chocolate (to die for), and later on, as the temperature had crept up to about 94 today, we enjoyed Italian sodas at a local cafe.
Our next stop was the Montalvo Center for the Arts and Park, right outside of Saratoga. It was, formerly, the summer home of U.S. Senator and San Francisco major James Phelan. The estate now serves as a center for fine arts. The 1912, Mediterranean-style structure has a formal garden and trails to lookout points on the surrounding hills. A 10-studio artist residence complex, two performing arts venues, and a gallery are on the grounds. We walked all over the place, and watched children at an outdoor amphitheatre try out for a musical production. The cypresses, the statuary, and the incredible vantage point of the estate and grounds, nestled in the hills, made this an absolutely unforgettable experience.
After Montalvo, and as Maureen is such a fine cook and knows her way around the markets in this area, we went to several farmers' markets and explores the state of the produce, which is cheap, abundant, and huge in size. One lemon was so huge that I took a picture of it. In fact, pictures of food as well as the incredibly lush vegetation have constituted a large part of my photographic output today. Amazing place!
We have just now arrived at Maureen's apartment, and soon will walk to have dim sum for dinner. Maureen knows of all the great culinary experiences in the area, so I am going to try all kinds of dishes I don't normally know. Can't wait!
Tomorrow we are off to the Thomas Fogerty Winery, lunch in Woodside at a restaurant where deals for the Silicon Valley are made (however, Maureen says you'd never know, since it is a hole in the wall), and then to Filoli, an estate and gardens, 654-acres in size. The gardens are 16-acre formal English Renaissance gardens. I can't wait to see all this and photograph it.
So here is my first blog of the trip. Hope you enjoy it. As ever, Sylvia
Hello from sunny California! What an odyssey it has been, beginning at 4:00 a.m. this morning! I awoke to a rolling thunderstorm, but by 5:00 a.m. it had abated long enough to allow me to load my luggage. However, as I approached Lakewood and Prospect Street, where my friend Hart lives (who had graciously volunteered to take me to the airport), there began a deluge of major proportions and I sat in her driveway for about 20 minutes, surrounded by lightning and thunder and unable to move as the minutes kept ticking by. Finally, although it was still raining steadily and hard, at least the lightning and thunder abated long enough for my drenched self to load my luggage into Hart's van. Thank goodness we were in that high-seated van, as street flooding was rather prevalent along the way, and some cars looked as if they were going to stall out any minute. However, we finally got on the freeway and, in spite of the increasing traffic, made it to the airport by about 6:45 a.m. and checked my bag at the curb. Thanks ever so much, Hart, for risking van, life and limb to get to the airport on time. I owe you one!
I hadn't had any breakfast, so had a yoghurt smoothie, gulping it down just in time to board the aircraft and get settled in with a good book. The flight was uneventful except for one completely wonderful view of the Rockies from out my side of the plane. We landed a few minutes late, but not significantly so, to a temperature of about 75 degrees, with full sun. The vegetation, of course, adores this kind of weather, and the azaleas, peonies, and roses, among other vegetation, were blissfully soaking up the perfection of the weather. We immediately started out to visit the Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. It is an 18-acre estate garden containing four gardens--Hill and Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Zen Garden, and Kizuna En, a bamboo garden. We were fascinated by the koi and the turtles basking in the sun, and marveled at the diameter of the bamboo. Of course efficient Maureen had packed a fabulous picnic lunch which we enjoyed on the grounds--vegetable wraps, zucchini soup, melons, cherries. Afterwards we took in downtown Saratoga, a fabulously wealthy community which reminded me very much of Aspen. We stopped at an artisanal chocolate shop, and I had a Bailey's chocolate (to die for), and later on, as the temperature had crept up to about 94 today, we enjoyed Italian sodas at a local cafe.
Our next stop was the Montalvo Center for the Arts and Park, right outside of Saratoga. It was, formerly, the summer home of U.S. Senator and San Francisco major James Phelan. The estate now serves as a center for fine arts. The 1912, Mediterranean-style structure has a formal garden and trails to lookout points on the surrounding hills. A 10-studio artist residence complex, two performing arts venues, and a gallery are on the grounds. We walked all over the place, and watched children at an outdoor amphitheatre try out for a musical production. The cypresses, the statuary, and the incredible vantage point of the estate and grounds, nestled in the hills, made this an absolutely unforgettable experience.
After Montalvo, and as Maureen is such a fine cook and knows her way around the markets in this area, we went to several farmers' markets and explores the state of the produce, which is cheap, abundant, and huge in size. One lemon was so huge that I took a picture of it. In fact, pictures of food as well as the incredibly lush vegetation have constituted a large part of my photographic output today. Amazing place!
We have just now arrived at Maureen's apartment, and soon will walk to have dim sum for dinner. Maureen knows of all the great culinary experiences in the area, so I am going to try all kinds of dishes I don't normally know. Can't wait!
Tomorrow we are off to the Thomas Fogerty Winery, lunch in Woodside at a restaurant where deals for the Silicon Valley are made (however, Maureen says you'd never know, since it is a hole in the wall), and then to Filoli, an estate and gardens, 654-acres in size. The gardens are 16-acre formal English Renaissance gardens. I can't wait to see all this and photograph it.
So here is my first blog of the trip. Hope you enjoy it. As ever, Sylvia
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