california

My Grandson Benjamin at Herbst Theater

Friday, December 6, 2024california, sf bay, theater

Today, we saw Lia Ahedjakova, a famous Russian actress, playing Esther in the play "My Grandson Benjamin" at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. . English:. "My Grandson Benjamin" is a surprisingly piercing story of family relationships. The main character Esther lives with memories of the past, in her memory traditions and orders from childhood. Domineering and accustomed to deciding everything for others, she unsuccessfully…

Joe Bonamassa at San Jose Civic Center

Thursday, November 7, 2024california, concert, sf bay

I discovered Joe Bonamassa a few years ago on Spotify (with songs like Drive) being one of my favorites. I especially enjoyed listening to his collaboration with Beth Hart on Don't Explain. . When I learned that Joe would play at the San Jose Civic Center, I was excited to see him live and purchased excellent seats for the 8:00 pm show. . . We…

Mariza at SF Jazz

Saturday, October 12, 2024california, concert, sf bay

Mariza is a world-famous Fado singer, and I was surprised and delighted that she was visiting San Francisco. Having just returned from Portugal, where Mariza usually performs in large stadiums, I was happily surprised to find I could purchase tickets to hear her live. . Here is a sample YouTube video of her singing:. . . . According to Wikipedia: . Mariza was born in…

Hiking Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Sunday, September 8, 2024california, hiking, sf bay, state park, strava

. After many years, we returned to Felton to hike in the beautiful Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Inna decided to follow the river to the Cathedral Redwoods. . . . We followed the Pipeline Road (which parallels River Trail) from the parking lot to the Cathedral Redwoods, a small grove of giant sequoias. It was a pleasant day to hike among the giant redwoods.…

Hiking Sawyer Camp Trail South in Burlingame

Monday, September 2, 2024california, hiking, sf bay

Inna and I decided to try walking a new trail in Burlingame. She heard that the Sawyer Trail South is an easy, paved trail along the Crystal Spring Reservoir. . We arrived and parked our Tesla near the trailhead. The two-hour round-trip hike was straightforward, and we managed a breakneck pace (3/5 miles/hour). . . . It was a straightforward, enjoyable hike, and we hope…

Hiking Alma Trail in Bear Creek Redwoods

Sunday, September 1, 2024california, hiking, sf bay

Inna and I tried hiking the Alma Trail in Bear Creek Redwoods, nearby, to burn some calories and explore nearby trails. . This was a moderate hike with significant elevation gain (1469 ft). We enjoyed the hike, but Inna was a bit tired. . . . . . . . . .

Hiking Castle Rock

Sunday, August 25, 2024california, hiking, sf bay, state park

After a long time, we decided to hike in Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos. . . When we arrived, we were surprised by the large parking lot, which had been converted from gravel to a fully paved one with many paid parking spaces. . . . . . . The hike started from the parking lot, heading south toward the waterfall and westward.…

Ride from Palo Alto to Filoli Gardens

Sunday, August 4, 2024california, mountain biking, sf bay

I was offered a chance to ride from Palo Alto to Filoli Gardens, and I decided to give it a shot. Initially, I was looking for a gravel bike for the long ride, but I did not want to pay $150/day to rent a bike at Summit Bicycles. . My Specialized FSRS-Works is not the ideal bicycle, but I made it work. When I arrived…

Mrs. Doubtfire at Orpheum

Saturday, July 13, 2024california, musical, sf bay, theater

The musical closely follows Mrs. Doubtfire's plot, but no one can replace Robin Williams. It was a well-acted performance at the Orpheum Theater. . . . . . . 2023 North American Tour and London Production . Act I "That's Daniel" – Lydia, Miranda, Daniel, Ensemble . "I Want to Be There" – Daniel . "I Want to Be There" (Reprise) – Daniel . "Try…

Relaxing at Incline Village, North Lake Tahoe

Thursday, July 4, 2024california, lake tahoe, nevada, surfing

For the July 4th weekend, Inna made reservations at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Incline Village, Nevada (North Lake Tahoe). . . . . Thursday, July 4, 2024. At 10:00, we loaded our Tesla Model Y with our bags and set out on the long drive to North Lake Tahoe. Traffic was not too heavy, but I felt extremely sleepy. On the way there, we…

Company at Orpheum

Saturday, June 29, 2024california, musical, sf bay, theater

Inna found and purchased inexpensive, last-minute tickets to the hit Broadway show Company, playing at San Francisco's Orpheum Theater. I had vaguely heard of the show but had never listened to any of the songs or watched any YouTube videos. . . . . . I disliked the San Francisco production, the songs, and everything about it. It all seemed dull and unappealing. We left…

Teddy’s return

Sunday, June 16, 2024california, dog, sf bay

We were asked to take care of Teddy, a cute medium-sized Bernerdoodle, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to host him. . . . We enjoyed taking him on morning and evening walks and along Vasona Lake. He is a very affectionate and playful dog. . . .

Cirque du Soleil Kooza in San Jose

Saturday, May 18, 2024california, restaurant, sf bay, theater

Before the show, I made early dinner reservations at Orchard City Kitchen in downtown Campbell. We had been meaning to visit this restaurant, as it was mentioned by the Michelin Guide, but it was difficult to reserve. I managed to snag a table at 5:15 p.m. . . . . . When we arrived at the plaza, we had difficulty finding parking, so we circled…

Tiger Style in Mountain View

Friday, April 26, 2024california, sf bay, theater

Before stopping to see Tiger Style in Mountain View, Inna decided to have an early dinner at the nearby Doppio Zero pizzeria.. . Inna made a dinner reservation at 17:45, and I drove directly there, meeting with Inna on the way to the pizzeria. After being seated outdoors, we looked at the online menu and ordered the following: . Appetizer: Pera Salad, 2 Mushroom Soups,…

Master & Margarita in Palo Alto

Sunday, March 17, 2024california, sf bay, theater

Today, we saw a small production of Master & Margarita in Palo Alto. On the way there, we stopped by for dinner at Ettan (a very fancy, and hard to get into Indian Restaurant). . Master & Margarita is a one my wife's favorite novels and she enjoyed seeing on stage.. . According to Wikipedia:. . . The story concerns a visit by the devil…

Dinner at Chez TJ

Sunday, February 25, 2024california, restaurant, sf bay

For Inna's birthday, I made reservations at the famous Michelin 1-star Chez TJ restaurant in Mountain View for Friday, February 23, at 19:30. . . . . After arriving and taking our seats, we were given several wine menus. After some discussions with the waiter, we selected a half-bottle of Vouvray. After spending some time in the Loire region of France, we had always loved…

Andrey Makarevich at Fort Mason

Saturday, February 17, 2024california, concert, sf bay

Last year, Inna purchased two tickets to see Andrey Makarevich for the Saturday, February 17th, 7:00 p.m. concert at Fort Mason in San Francisco. . . . . We left early to eat dinner in San Francisco before the concert. After parking in Fort Mason, we learned that our favorite local German eatery, Radhaus San Francisco, was packed. After paying $16 for all-day parking, we…

A long weekend with Teddy

Monday, January 15, 2024california, dog, sf bay

Inna and I were fortunate to dog-sit a Bernie-doodle named Teddy for 3 days. . . . . We enjoyed playing with Teddy and going out for daily walks. He never barks and is very affectionate and playful. .

Elixir of Love at SF Opera

Sunday, December 10, 2023california, opera, sf bay

L'Elisir d'Amore . Opera in two acts by Gateano Donizetti. Libretto by Felice Romani. . . . . We were not planning to see The Elixir of Love, but a chance to purchase inexpensive Box Seats ($10/seat) changed our minds. . . . On the day of the Opera, Inna suffered from a migraine, so she did not enjoy the Opera as much as she…

Storm Large Holiday Ordeal

Saturday, December 9, 2023california, concert, sf bay

Today, we attended Storm Large's Holiday Ordeal concert at Bing Concert Hall in Stanford, CA. . . What better way to spend a holiday than with Storm Large? Storm will love you, leave you, delight you and abuse you with wicked charm and stunning vocals ‘till you’re begging for more. Holiday Ordeal is a night of music, gags, and gifts, with songs ranging from “2000…