A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Since Inna booked a group tour in Pompeii (a Small Group Guide Tour with an archaeologist), we woke at 6:30 a.m. and dressed for the upcoming trip. Inna took a shower, but I decided to skip it (since I had taken one the night before). . . We walked 10 minutes to the Sorrento Train Station, and I purchased two one-way tickets to Pompei. The…
Read More: Exploring Pompei
On Friday, September 23, 2023, Inna and I planned to board a direct flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Rome on ITA Airways (formerly Alitalia), en route to Sorrento, Italy.. . Departure: Flight AZ641 from San Francisco Intl Terminal 1 at 15:15. Arrival: Flight AZ641 Rome Fiumicino Terminal 1 at 12:05. Once we landed in Rome, we planned to board a train to Naples, then…
Read More: Magical Sorrento
On Sunday morning, Inn and I decided to visit Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. After packing our Tesla Model Y, Inna started the 80-minute drive to Monterey along Highway 101. . . . . Traffic was reasonably light, and we arrived in Monterey right on time, stopping for coffee at Captain + Stoker Cafe. There were excellent tennis courts nearby, and people were playing on them. I…
Read More: A Day out in Monterey & Carmel
After many weeks of planning, we finally found the time to watch Oppenheimer at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall's newly opened Showplace Ikon movie theater at 16:10. . . . . Once we purchased the tickets (with assigned seats), we walked over to the theater and reclined in the excellent chairs. . . . . . . . According to Wikipedia: . . Oppenheimer is…
Read More: Oppenheimer
As a Legion of Honor Museum member, Inna and I decided to visit the Tudors exhibit, which is running until September 23, 2023. . . Our drive from San Jose to San Francisco was uneventful, and we parked at Crissy Field at 13:00. We walked along Marina Blvd toward Scott Street (where we used to rent an Airbnb). On Scott Street, we turned left on…
Read More: The Tudors at the Legion of Honor
For the past 30 years, I have been a big fan of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ( a swing band), and I thought that Inna and I would enjoy seeing them play their set at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA.. . . . The show was scheduled to start at 19:30, with Puddles Pity Party starting it first. . . . . Puddles Set List…
Read More: Review: Puddles & Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mountain Winery
Since Inna purchased tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil Corteo show at Chase Center in San Francisco, we decided to spend the whole day there. . . . . . With a favorable wind forecast at Crissy Field, I brought my wing foiling gear to Crissy Field so I could wing foil if the opportunity presented itself. . After loading up my 2008 Toyota…
Read More: Review: Cirque du Soleil Corteo
On Friday, August 11, 2023, we started our long drive to Arnold, California, where we planned to spend two nights. We were hoping to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Calaveras Big Trees State Park and paddleboard on White Pines Lake. . Inna made Airbnb reservations at 2560 Chamonix Dr., Arnold, CA, and we shared the large home with 2 other families. . . We…
Read More: A Weekend in Arnold
I can't believe Alex is turning 21! . To celebrate the momentous occasion, Inna and I purchased a few presents, followed by a delicious dinner at the Michelin-rated Selby's Restaurant in Redwood City. . For presents, I purchased the following items. Initially, Alex wanted to build a Gaming PC, but after numerous discussions, it seemed that a PlayStation 5 would be more suitable for his…
Read More: Celebrating Alex’s 21st Birthday
In the morning, the iwindsurf Pro Forecast called for 20-25 knot winds at Crissy Field at around 2:00 pm, and I decided to risk driving up to San Francisco in the hope of wing foiling. . After loading my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan with my Naish Hover LE Carbon 95 board and 2 Duotone SLS Wings (4.0m, 5.0m), I stopped by Shell to refuel. I…
Read More: Wing Foiling at Crissy
When I noticed a considerable heatwave headed to the Bay Area during the July 4th holiday weekend, I looked for nearby places where daytime temperatures would be more moderate. After looking at Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Lake Tahoe, Inna and I decided to book 2 nights at the Inn at the Pier Hotel (a Hilton Property) on Pismo Beach. . . Initially, only Inna…
Read More: Relaxing at Pismo Beach
On Monday, June 19th, the iWindsurf forecast called for strong NW winds from 20-25 knots at Coyote and Crissy Field. . . . . Eager for more wing foiling, I loaded up my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan with all of my gear: . . . 2022 Duotone Slick SLS 5.0m with Aluminum boom. 2021 Duotone Slick 4.0m. 2022 Naish Wing Foil LE Carbon Ultra 95…
Read More: Wing Foiling at Coyote Point
For Father's Day, Inna and I took a leisurely stroll around Vasona Lake, followed by lunch at Oren's Hummus in downtown Los Gatos. . . . . I was still sore from Saturday's wing-foiling session at Sherman Island. Although Sunday promised excellent wind, I needed to rest my arms and shoulders. . After we finished the excellent walk around Vasona Lake, Inna drove to Los…
Read More: Father’s Day
To enjoy the Mediterranean and visit Costa Brava, we made reservations at Hotel Terramar Llafranc. . . . . Sunday, June 4, 2023 . In the morning, we woke at 10:00 in Girona. I took a quick shower, shaved, and dressed. After everyone was wrapped, we walked to our favorite Federal Cafe for brunch. We ordered the following items: . . Boris: Matcha Latte, Fried…
Read More: Relaxing on Costa Brava
Friday, June 2, 2023 . I woke around 07:30 in our Hotel Claris Suite #216, took a shower, shaved, and dressed. Inna woke up next, got dressed, and we took the elevator downstairs to floor -1 for breakfast. We asked for a table for 3, as Alex would join us later. . . I ordered 3 poached eggs with bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Inna ordered…
Read More: Visit to Girona
We last visited Barcelona, Spain, on April 16, 2003, after disembarking from our Celebrity Cruises European Cruise (from Dover to Barcelona). At the time, Inna felt unwell and did not enjoy her time in Barcelona. . . . . We decided to revisit Barcelona for 5 nights and drive up the coast to visit Girona and Palafrugell. After extensive research on top hotels, Inna booked…
Read More: Return to Barcelona
Inna and I visited the San Francisco Symphony to listen to the Joshua Bell Plays Sibelius program. . . . . Artists. Conductor: Dalia Stasevska . . Violin: Joshua Bell . Musical Program:. . . Nautilus . [San Francisco Symphony Premiere] . Anna Meredith . Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto (with Joshua Bell) . Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 . . . . I really enjoyed…
Read More: Review: Joshua Bell plays SibeliusFor my Tuesday, April 26th, Zoom tennis lesson with Ryan Reidy, I wanted to focus on the following tennis deficiencies in my tennis technique. . . . . . . . The main issue Ryan explained was the incorrect grip on my racket. During serve initiation, the palm must face down to allow the elbow to swing from right to left (behind the head).. .…
Read More: Lesson 12: Tennis Serve Lesson with Ryan Reidy
After using my Naish 5'11" foil, I upgraded to a smaller, lighter foil.. Since Boardsports California (my local shop) had a huge sale, I decided to upgrade. I purchased the board online (after some email discussion with Jesse). . I selected the 5'7, 95-liter version of the board at $949 (about 40% below retail). I sold my original Naish 5'11 110-liter board on Craigslist. .…
Read More: Naish Wing Foil LE Carbon Ultra – 5’7
With iwindsurf.com predicting steady winds, Alex and I drove from San Jose to Sherman Island to open our 2023 windsurfing and wing foiling season. . After parking at the Sherman Island County Park, I unloaded the van and pumped up the Duotone 4.0m SLS Wing with the Naish Hover 110GS board (using the Armstrong 1850cm foil). The wind was gusting to 22 knots, and it…
Read More: First Day Wing Foiling at Sherman Island