A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
Since Inna's old 2021 MacBook Pro 13' M1 8GB was becoming slow and unresponsive, we decided to upgrade to a newer 2025 MacBook Air 15" M4. After looking at various models, we settled on the MacBook Air 15" due to the larger screen size, lower price, and the absence of a fan (we dislike noisy fans). . I decided to order it from Costco.com, since…
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Inna made one-day hotel reservations at the Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay for the April 5 - 6 weekend. She wanted us to explore Monterey, Carmel, and Point Lobos Natural Reserve. . Saturday, April 5, 2025 . At around 09:30, we started our long drive to Monterey via US-101. Traffic was relatively light, and we arrived at the Alta Bakery & Cafe at…
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As an avid windsurfer and wing foiler, I have always wanted to visit the world's best windsurfing spots. Bonaire, a small island in the southern Caribbean, has consistently been rated one of the best windsurfing destinations. There was never enough time to go there, and flights to Bonaire tend to be quite expensive and inconvenient from the West Coast.. . . . . However, my…
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As I was getting tired of playing with my Wilson Clash V2 Roland Garros tennis racket, I decided to try various new tennis rackets at my local shop, Tennis Anywhere (in Los Gatos).. Tennis Anywhere has a demo program where one can try out various rackets for two months for $30 (which can later be used to purchase any new racket).. . . . .…
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Inna purchased tickets to Berkeley Rep's new production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. We were pleasantly surprised and have not been to Berkeley Rep for a long time. Berkeley itself was also cleaner than when I last visited. . We really enjoyed this dramatic performance, and Hugh Bonneville's acting was excellent (as expected). . . . Here are more details about Uncle Vanya (courtesy of Perplexity…
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Before seeing Uncle Vanya at Berkeley Rep, Inna and I decided to stop by the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden in Berkeley, CA. She has heard a lot of wonderful things about this garden, and we had never even been there! . The UC Botanical Garden is a living museum open to the public featuring one of the most diverse plant collections in the United States.…
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For Saturday night, Inna purchased tickets to Nobody Loves You - a musical hosted by ACT in San Francisco. . Before the 20:00 performance, we stopped by the Acropolis Greek Restaurant for dinner. After sitting down, we ordered the following items: . . Appetizers: Tzatziki with Pita, Greek Salad, Parthenon Ceviche. Drinks: Sparkling Water, Golden State Apple Cider. Boris: Lamb Souvlaki. Inna: Moussaka. . We…
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We haven't been to Carmel-by-the-Sea in a while, so we decided to revisit it on Saturday. . . After getting ready, we drove to Monterey at 09:30. We stopped for coffee and breakfast at the Alta Bakery & Cafe. We arrived at 10:30, parked nearby, and walked over. A long line stretched to the door, so we queued up. About twenty minutes later, we ordered…
Read More: A Day Trip to Carmel
For Inna's birthday, I had planned a two-day getaway to Calistoga, featuring rest & relaxation at the Indian Springs Resort & Spa and entertainment at Blue Note Napa, where one of her favorite flamenco guitarists, Ottmar Liebert, was performing. . Friday, February 21, 2025. After Inna and I finished work, we started our drive to Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga. There was some…
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On President's Day, Inna and I decided to visit a few shops in Palo Alto, then walk around Stanford University's campus. . . We first stopped by De Novo Fine Contemporary Jewelry, but it was closed on Presidents' Day. The nearby Marvel Cake bakery was also closed. . We decided to stop by Cafe Venetia for coffee and pastries. We found a table outside and…
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After my usual Sunday morning tennis (from 9:00 to 10:30 at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, we decided to drive to San Francisco and explore the city. Inna also purchased tickets to the "Dear San Francisco" show at Club Fugazi at 18:00. . . When we arrived in San Francisco at 13:00, we parked at Crissy Field (where I usually wing foil and windsurf). We talked…
Read More: Dear San Francisco at Club FugaziInna purchased two tickets to The World Ballet Company's The Great Gatsby Ballet at the Heritage Theater in Campbell, CA. . The dancers were excellent, but I am not a big fan of ballet in general. Some dialogue would have helped move the story forward and clarify the relationships among the main characters. The set design was excellent and really helped to showcase the roaring…
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In my first 2025 USTA 40+ 3.0 match of the season, Jeff Essner and I defeated William Phelps and Eric Grisesshaberby with a score of: . Set 1: 6-1. Set 2: 6-3. . . . When we arrived at Bay Club Courtside, it was difficult to find parking or an open practice court. The club had multiple tennis matches and pickleball matches. . . .…
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Inna purchased tickets to see Stella Heath singing a tribute concert to Ella Fitzgerald called "Stella Swings Ella". . Saturday, February 1st, 1-2pm - Stella Heath Sextet at Healdsburg Jazz Winterfest - "Stella Swings Ella" SOLD OUT . STELLA HEATH SEXTET. "Stella Swings Ella". St. Pauls Episcopal Church. 1-2pm; pre-curtain talk at noon . Setlist . Downtown Strutters Ball. Moon Ray. They All Laughed. How…
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Inna and I planned a two-day weekend at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa from Friday, January 31, to Sunday, February 2, 2025. However, due to the impending rain system (aka Pineapple Express), we decided to shorten the trip to one day. . Friday, January 31, 2025 . We started the long drive to Sonoma in the late afternoon. There were periods of heavy…
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Monday, January 6, 2025 . Rail travel from Otztal to Zurich . . At the Otztal Train Station, we waited for the train bound for Zurich to pull into platform 3 at 16:14. Once the train arrived, we boarded the 2nd-class wagon #307, seats 41, 42, and 43. . Our 3-hour journey to Zurich was uneventful. On the train, I watched an episode of Shogun…
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Monday, December 30, 2024 . I decided to try Cross-country (Nordic) skiing at Aqua Dome. I walked downstairs and rented some Salomon Classic Cross-country skis (25 euros/day) from Sunup Sports.. . Salomon Classic 173 cm skis (ski length is based on 80 kg weight) . Salomon (44.5) boots. . Salomon poles. One of the Aqua Dome concierges explained where the cross-country trails were located, and…
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Friday, January 3, 2025 . With Patrizia, as our local guide in Langenfeld, Inna and Alex embarked on a snowshoeing hike to the Wiesle Hut. . . Alex and Inna had a lot of fun snowshoeing in deep snow and enjoying the small desserts at the Wiesle Hut. Unfortunately, I could not join them because I was busy alpine skiing at Solden. . . Here…
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Friday, January 3, 2025 . At around 07:45, I stopped by the Aqua Dome reception to purchase a daily pass for Solden. It was 79 euros plus a 3-euro deposit, for a total of 82 euros. The daily pass was much less expensive than a daily pass at U.S. Ski resorts! (The 3-euro deposit was refunded to me after I returned the ski card.) .…
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For our 10:00 hike from Aquadome, our hiking guide, Patrizia, took us to Eagle's View (Adlerblick) for panoramic views near Langenfeld, Austria. . . We were supplied with a small backpack that carried additional water, apples, and ice cleat crampons (for putting on boots). Patrizia ordered two taxis to take us to the beginning of the hike near Giles (a short distance away from Aquadome…
Read More: Hiking to Eagle’s View, Langenfeld