A photoshoot was in progress at Place Vosges.
The easiest way to get around is on a scooter or motorbike. Captured this young woman in a stylish mini and boots.
I came upon these fair-haired waitresses in their lacy headdresses taking a break between shifts.
We stayed at a bed & breakfast in the 16th arrondissement. The view from the kitchen window was typically Parisian with rooftops and chimney pots. The clouds were puffy and full of moisture.
After an all-day conference on human rights at UNESCO, we went to a mayor's reception at Hotel de Ville. All the conference participants were given the red carpet treatment, including fine wines and delicious hors d'oeuvres.
Walked that first day around Rue de Bac and Blvd St Germain, soaking in the aroma of Paris and dodging rain showers. Lots of fashion in this area, including my favorite redhead designer, Rykiel. I was also taken with the chocolatier, Chapon, which had an all-chocolate icecream on display in their front window. I went inside and bought a bar of very dark chocolate by the name of Equateur, which had a hint of jasmine in it. This bar was to sustain H and I during our next three days.
This Labor Day crafts fair is nestled amongst redwoods. The fragrance of redwoods is heavenly and the crafts are interesting to see. I purchased a curly redwood barrette at one of the booths.
A's pull off an unexpected win over the Twins with Sweeney's bunt walk off RBI.
Fireworks after the game, courtesy of Chevron (they got some boos from the crowd)
Fiery chile peppers on sale at the Ferry Plaza farmer's market.
One of the lovely organic produce booths
Victory Garden right in front of City Hall!
Underground Comic Spain Rodriguez. Behind him are drawings by Paz de la Calzada
Newly published graphic novel by Spain Rodriguez.
Gallery 94124 Opening of Public Glass Artists
Back in June I went to Creativity Explored's show, Insects/Insectos and purchase this pen & ink drawing of a mosquito by Ka-wai Shiu. I picked up the drawing today and fell in love with it all over again.
A parade on Napa's Main Street started with these men on horseback. It was a lovely hot summer's day in wine country. We visited the Chappellet Winery and went on a 1.5 hour tour and tasting. Afterwards we had lunch at Go Fish in St Helena, then dinner at Ubuntu. A very indulgent and laid back Sunday.
We visited the Reds' Hall of Fame next to the ballpark and saw a lot of Pete Rose memorabilia. Though he is beloved in Cincinnati, he continues to be persona non grata on the baseball field. His presence was noticeably absent during the 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies where Cesar Geronimo, Barry Larkin, Joey Jay and August Herrman were honored. We did see cheerleaders, teeshirt shooters and the Reds' mascot, Mr Redlegs. The Mets lost to the Reds in both games that we attended.
They have a thing for chili in Cincinnati. At the Great America Ballpark you can sample a chili dog made with hotdog, chili and a huge pile of cheese on a bun. I was totally mesmerized but ended up eating a pizza instead.
Kebab tailgate at the Mac yesterday. We had about 50 friends having a great time. Chef as usual was El Diablo.
At Mission Pie, yesterday afternoon. The list behind the boy says, "Harvest strawberries, ollalie berries; chicken coop, eggs; plant; goat fencing; wheat; pie bake." This seems to be a list of summer activities planned for kids living in San Francisco's Mission District. The pies baked here were made with ingredients grown, raised and harvested by urban youth who go to a farm near Half Moon Bay and learn how to be farmers. I tried the mixed berry pie made with strawberries and ollalie berries and it was delicious!
Enjoyed a beautiful fireworks night at the Mac after watching the A's defeat the Angels 9-2.
A tiny parade on our street today! I don't know most of the people who turned out but enjoyed the festivities that included balloons, dogs and children dressed in costume, free hotdogs, lemonade, chips & dessert and the reading of the proclamation of independence.
Went to an interesting knitting show at the San Jose Quilts & Textiles Museum. I enjoyed the all-body knits by Mark Newport. The one on the right is called argyl man. Also on display are some incredible knitted wire pieces by Blanka Sperkova.
The Napa winery's garden had a lovely view of Mt. Tamalpais. We toured the grounds and tasted their selection of cabernets. Afterwards we had lunch at Don Giovanni and then took a cave tour at Del Dotto Caves. It was hot in Napa yesterday but no quite so stifling as Friday.
I've been making a book for the "Banned and Recovered" show. My banned author is Pramoedya Ananta Toer, an Indonesian writer who was imprisioned on Indonesia's Buru Island for 14 years without any charges made against him. The book form is a vertical accordion, with strings made of sinew running down both sides of the book. The inside pages are made of oiled paper, upon which wayang images are adhered using iron-on interfacing. The images and words are lifted from inkjet prints using gloss medium. The covers are made of mat board covered with brown paper, the clasps are abalone buttons I got in Argentina.
Artspan's 30x30 reception was a resounding success. Works were selected from California College of the Arts graduates. It was a first Thursdays night so lots of people were roaming around, partying at gallery openings downtown and south of Market.
People were asked to dress in green for this wedding. For the most part, they complied.
Nomadic wearable architecture by Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao at the Intervene/Interrupt Conference in Santa Cruz
Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens' green wedding ceremony at Santa Cruz. Ring bearer Tina Takemoto urges Annie and Beth to smear and eat dirt as part green celebration.
A beautiful view of the old drawbridge across Islais Creek. Went to Islais Creek Studios last night to view the metal artists & welders' works. They have moved to this large warehouse site from their original location at Hunter's Point.
Gallery Space at WorkSpace
Barrel-tasting at Del Dotto Winery
Hundertwasser Architecture at the Quixote Winery
Making cake at the Buttercream Bakery
Hessy's sister Dian passed away on April 4 in Jakarta after a courageous battle with cancer. I traveled in Turkey with Hessy and Dian in 2002. Dian exemplified the modern Indonesian woman - a competent careerwoman working for the United Nations and a strong-willed person comfortable in her Muslim faith. This is a photo of her looking pensive in Mevlana, home of Rumi and the whirling devishes. Dian and Hessy made a pilgrimage to Mecca a few years ago. I hope this scarf, which Dian bought during our journey in Turkey, kept her cool during the day and warm at night. I will miss her bright laughter and flirtatious smile.
Visited this contemporary Latin American gallery at 49 Geary yesterday. Featured was Cuban artist Ramses Larzabal. He creates his pieces with industrial materials tied together with shoe laces and thread.
I went to hear Desmond Tutu speak at the Fairmont today. Jane Wales, President of the World Affairs Council, asked him a series of questions about Zimbabwe, Tibet, Myanmar, Kenya, all hot spots that he had visited and tried to moderate dialogue. He spoke first about Mugabe, who had been highly regarded by African and other World Leaders as the liberator of Zimbabweans. He was the shining star until Nelson Mandela came along. Tutu said how difficult it must have been for Mugabe to have become, almost overnight, a nonentity. Most people would have difficulty dealing with such a fall from popularity and respect, he reminded us. The second half of Mugabe's tenure has been roiled by conflict and the tearing apart of the social order (Tutu reminded us of how advanced Zimbabwe had been as a country not so long ago). He felt there was still time for Mugabe to redeem himself, if he could find the moral courage to leave the political scene as peacefully as possible. Jane Wales reminded Tutu that Mugabe had unkind words to say about him. Tutu laughed and said, "Many people have unkind words to say about me." This view set the tone for the rest of his conversation. I was deeply impressed with Tutu's ability to not demonize even despots. He used his sense of humor to tell stories, teach lessons. About boycotting the Beijing Olympics, he said, "Don't force the athletes to boycott the games, but the world leaders should not be in attendance."
