BLUES ON FOLSOM STREET

Benjamin Brown

http://www.reverbnation.com/benjaminbrown

Anthony Bello

http://anthonybello.com/

Kevy Nova

http://www.kevynova.com/

Lisa Chu & Randy Bales

(Randy Bales' Chinese Melodrama)

http://chinesemelodrama.wordpress.com/

Lisa Chu's website: http://www.themusicwithinus.com/

Shawn Evans

http://shawnevans.com/

Tracy Shaun

http://tracyshaun.com/

An evening to remember

at Brainwash Cafe,

Folsom Street,

San Francisco.

All singers did a superb job. I had gone there not only to hear these guys, but also with an intention of having at least 10 beers. Later I gave up on that idea and settled for much less, afraid that I would miss out on the lyrics.

Pictures of singer/songwriters : The last are first in order of appearance!

It was nice to meet you all. We enjoyed our vacation in San Francisco.

MISTY MORNING IN SAN FRANCISCO

Thanks Shawn for showing us all these beautiful places and to see the Aquarium along the quay.

Bon Appetit

Steveston Quayside, Richmond, B.C.

SPACE NEEDLE, Seattle, USA

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA

WHOSE FAULT IS IT?

LOST MY WAY
Driving home to San Mateo!

Whose fault was it?

SAN ANDREAS

EASTER SUNDAY, ST. DOMINIC'S CATHEDRAL, San Francisco

It was kind courtesy of Shawn Evans who obliged us by driving my wife, my daughter and myself far away from home to St. Dominic's Catholic Church. It was Shawn's way of making us 'feel' Easter in this magnificent Church rather than in a chapel near by. The solemn Mass service that was conducted, the choir, the trumpet and the organist in the rich and serene ambience of the church really made our day.

THANK YOU, SHAWN.

St. Dominic's Church is a beautiful example of neo-gothic architecture with many fine works of art inside. The church, established in 1873, also has a rich history in San Francisco.

Founder of the Order of Preachers

Dominic de Guzman was born in Old Castile around 1170 into a noble family. Dominic's two older brothers were studying for the priesthood when Dominic was born. Taking his studies at the University of Palencia, he was ordained and soon joined the chapter of Augustinian Canons at Osma. He was made prior of the canons at an early age.

SAN FRANCISCO

IN & AROUND THE CITY

STANFORD UNIVERSTIY, Main Campus

For enlarged views please click on pictures. Thank you.

The Cantor Arts Center's diverse collections span continents, cultures, and 4,000 years of art history and include the largest gathering of Rodin bronzes outside Paris.

THE STUNNING SCULPTURES BY RODIN

RODIN SCULPTURES

This visit came as a complete surprise to me. Full of surprises, as my daughter usually is, she made sure that she did not leave this out. I confess I simply had no idea we were going there.

Rodin! The Complete Stanford Collection

at the CANTOR ARTS CENTRE,

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

This exhibition presents the Center's entire Rodin collection, 200 works in all. The Cantor Arts Center's collection of Rodin bronzes is among the largest in the world outside Paris. The majority of the collection remains on the ground floor, occupying three galleries. Approximately 170 works by Rodin are on view inside the Center, mostly cast bronze, but also works in wax, plaster, and terra cotta.

Twenty bronzes, including The Gates of Hell on which Rodin worked for two decades, are outside in the Sculpture Garden. The Burghers of Calais are nearby on campus.

Unfortunately we could not view Rodin's monumental bronze sculpture 'The Thinker' . We were informed that is on loan to the North Carolina Museum of Art until 2012. However, not to be completely disappointed visitors to Cantor Arts Center can still see 'The Thinker' incorporated at the top of The Gates of Hell in the Rodin sculpture garden.

A truly wonderful experience. One that wasn't on my bucket list.

SAUSALITO, San Francisco

SAUSALITO

Many years ago, in the late 1970's, I had a song in my collection of cassettes, called 'Sausalito' a Euro Hit Single, sung by Rosy & Andres - a Dutch musical duo made up of Rosy Pereira and Andres Dries Holten.

Some few years later, during the early 1980's I had included this song in a compilation that I made for my kids to listen while they were studying at St. Joseph's - a boarding school far away in the misty hills of a place called Panchgani in India.

So, I guess it was fitting to visit this place as my daughter and I saw it on the map of San Francisco, as we were in the process of planning a sightseeing tour of places around the Bay Area.

'Sausalito will always be on my mind', as we had sung the lyrics then, but now some 34 years after the song became a hit, Sausalito will even more so be on my mind after having visited the place.

Finally, a song, that we all loved, has its title connected with the reality of a beautiful and romantic place.

Please click on the link below and listen to the song

'Sausalito'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNesHBtBiAE

DREAM COME TRUE - MY FIRST DRIVE OVER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

As a child, teenager and a grown man, I have always marvelled this beautiful engineering wonder of the modern world from afar. Today it became a thrilling reality when my son-in-law Shawn, along with my daughter Denise, drove my wife Edna and me over this wonderful suspension bridge. Going over this bridge seemed an eternity. I kept on clicking away with my camera, and at the same time had goose bumps. I couldn't believe I was being over one of the most admired bridges ever built by man.

And then as a young man I read a lot about the concept of the bridge and the way it was constructed. Marvellous indeed. Firstly, in seeing it from afar approaching the bend from the south, and then my dream finally became a reality as we drove over it, culminating in one more landmark being taken off from the bucket list.

Thank you, Denise and Shawn.

Tomorrow : Monterey

Carmel.