Week 18: January 27

Technically I haven’t been here a whole week yet, so I feel like I should be excused from making a blog post after only 6 days. But I suppose by that argument I would have to write the post tomorrow, and why put off for tomorrow what I can do today?? (Ha – try telling that to my violin-practicing conscience) 

On the first day I was back, I discovered this under my pillow. 

Maddy and Nick's Christmas present to me

On the second day I was back, I went caching along the Embarcadero and found a pretty little park with a brook running through it. 

On the fourth day I was back, I went to Corona Heights with a group of kids. It was a perfect day and we could see for miles from the top. There’s a children’s museum up there, the Randall, and we found a whole lot of other interesting things along the way. We had to backtrack several times, but it was fun clambering around the rocks. Expeditions are always more fun with more people. 

Found a bra hanging in a tree

That's our school in the distance. Looks like three buildings joined together. The two smaller ones on the left is SFCM, the big white one on the right is the New Conservatory Theatre Centre.

That's the Randall

Our crew: Matt, Lauren, Nick and Maddy

Lauren took this so I could be in it. Geez, what a DORK!!

Found a skeleton branch

HAHA

Matt on top of the rocks

I don't think this is legit.

That guy sitting up top is from Vancouver!

On the sixth day I was back, Maddy and I went to SoMa for a picture multi (you are given a set of photo clues, which you have to follow, and they lead you to the container) and also to buy groceries at Trader Joe’s. I have long been intrigued by this American grocery store, which I had never visited but which seemed to receive rave reviews from everyone I spoke to. They’re much smaller than Safeway and don’t have as wide a selection, but in general the food is local, and healthier, and significantly cheaper, and I think I will start going there more often. 

Balloons on bikes

DROOLING

Whenever I see these tins, I can only think of caches.

On the seventh day I was back, I went on an amazing trip to the Sutro Baths at Land’s End, the literal end of the continent. I walked through Land’s End park, past the Legion of Honour Museum, and south along the coast. Apparently there used to be a railroad there, but the terrain was too treacherous for a train, and there were constant landslides that took out parts of the tracks, so no trains anymore. But I saw (and heard) the signal on Mile Rock, and saw part of a shipwreck just off the shore, and could even see the lighthouse at Point Bonita before the fog rolled in and there was no more ocean.

Sutro Baths used to be a flourishing institution. Built by a former mayor of SF, they boasted seven swimming pools of varying temperatures, a theatre, and several art galleries and historical exhibits. But they burned down in 1966, and now the ruins are all that’s left, solemn and dignified in the streaming mist. I could try to describe them, but the pictures will do a better job than I ever could.

Ocean before the fog

Japanese bullet holes (real)

Ocean with fog

Had to walk through the tunnel to get one of the clues (yes, it's safe). Was terribly excited about this.

Perhaps a foundation wall

Rockfall blocking the end of the tunnel

Very brackish water. Ducks love it here.

The waves are all smashing themselves into foam

Nuns can go exploring too!

The ruins

The coast

All that remains of Sutro's mansion, which he built in Land's End and which fell into disrepair after his death

On the eighth day I was back, I wrote a blog post. You’re welcome.

- Antisocial Violinist

Week 17.7: December 19

My theory final was Monday, and also our last baroque violin class. My gut E string broke near the beginning of class, and someone suggested we use it to cut the chocolate cake Elizabeth had brought.

Perhaps the first SFCM cake ever to have been cut with a gut E.

That was our last class, so M and I went to the library in our free afternoon and picked up several books and films we have wanted to watch all semester. The animated Christmas display was fascinating.

The trains move and the Ferris wheel rotates and the tram goes back and forth, but you can't see that....

Spent the rest of the week running little errands, tying up loose ends and trying to stretch my leftovers. Oh yeah, also a little caching down in SoMa.

Art.

In the evenings M, N and I have been watching Japanese anime, Pixar short films and retro Tintin episodes. Life's good., and it's about to get better, see you tomorrow, YYC!!

- Antisocial Violinist

Week 17: December 15

Last Sunday Nick really wanted to go to the Wave Organ, so we made an expedition out of it. We ended up doing a whole lot more walking than we planned, but had a great time, and the organ was awesome. The Bay was bright and wet, all slap-happy against the rough stones, and Marin Headlands were smudged with haze from the sunset. 

That's Alcatraz in the distance

Wow....

Stairs to nowhere!

(almost) albino pidgey

The Organ itself is on the end of a long man-made peninsula and apparently sounds best on full moon nights, since that’s when the tide is highest. We could hear the ocean glooping out its tidal rhythms through the concrete pipes. 

Ears to the listening ports

My week was mostly taken up with battling pinkeye (which is better now), trying to get my visa sorted out, studying for the Western Civ final exam, working on my Theory take-home final, and practicing for lessons/classes with my former teacher, who was here for a residency. So, not all that interesting, but I did hear a George Crumb piece at one of the chamber music recitals. The group performed Vox Balenae, with black half-masks and deep blue stage lighting. It’s a long piece, but I found it fascinating and super effective.

On Thursday was the dreaded Civ final, which was slightly more difficult than I expected. Oh well, it’s done now, and yesterday the Three Explorers were out once again, with the Presidio as our destination. On our way, we noticed a lot of Santa clones.....apparently it's the Annual Polk Street Santa Claus Pub Crawl......

San Franciscans seem to have a romance with snow, always talking about how beautiful it is and how they wish it would snow for Christmas. Outside City Hall they even had a sorry little patch of man-made snow. I bet you all wish you could send them ours.

This made all three of us laugh a lot.

Our walk through the Presidio was, again, rather longer than expected (this always seems to happen) but we saw so many interesting things that no one regretted it. 

On the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts

The whole Palace is like this

The wild Presidio

Oooh, abandoned warehouses!! So much scope for adventure.....

Rather gloomy

M pulled this stunt BEFORE we saw the plaque below.

"Please Do Not Touch. Embrace the solutions, not the globe" Whoops.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

We got to watch another ocean sunset – the Bay looks stunning in every stage of light, although my photos aren’t really an accurate representation of its beauty. 

At just the right time of day, the windows of Berkeley turn to molten gold.

I promise you this looked SO much better in real life.....

 My next blog post will be on Thursday, not Sunday. Why? Because I'm COMING HOME on Friday morning, that's why!!! Email me if you want to get together - I'll be home until January 20th, and I am determined to see as many people as possible before I have to come back here. And before you ask - no, I will not be blogging about my life in Calgary, since that's even more uninteresting than my SF life.......

- Antisocial Violinist