Anyway, the day started with me going on a VERY long walking tour. Thanks go out to Frommer's for having a good map and itinerary setup for seeing San Francisco's different neighborhoods. Within about four hours, I walked through Haight, Castro, Mission (the latin area), Japantown, Little Italy and Nob Hill. It was pretty amazing how honestly, one block would be the difference between two completely separate groups and the division was noticable right away. The second that I crossed into Mission, everything went to Spanish so I took the opportunity and had some of the best Chimichangas I've ever had. It was a really great morning, I feel like I understand this place a lot better than most tourists who never leave the beaten path.
After lunch, I h
eaded to the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art). It was a little smaller than the New York version, but overall it was a really great collection. I got to see the picture you see here, which happens to be the first painting that people generally consider 'modern art.' It's called "Woman with a Hat" by Henri Matisse. It wasn't all great though, their traveling exhibition was on this guy called Brice Marden. Look him up and you'll find that he makes gray canvases....thats it.....different colors of gray.....with names like 'Nebraska' which apparently is lighter gray than "to Martha." I like modern art, but jeez, 50 painting of gray...thats a little emperor's new clothes for me....
eaded to the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art). It was a little smaller than the New York version, but overall it was a really great collection. I got to see the picture you see here, which happens to be the first painting that people generally consider 'modern art.' It's called "Woman with a Hat" by Henri Matisse. It wasn't all great though, their traveling exhibition was on this guy called Brice Marden. Look him up and you'll find that he makes gray canvases....thats it.....different colors of gray.....with names like 'Nebraska' which apparently is lighter gray than "to Martha." I like modern art, but jeez, 50 painting of gray...thats a little emperor's new clothes for me....Anyway, after that I headed over to Chinatown. I had eaten a late dinner there yesterday but most everything was closed so I had wanted to see it alive. Too bad I don't need a lot of kitschy crap...cuz whoo-wee they had it by the bucketfuls. I had to laugh to, because half of i
t was kimonos and 'ninja swords,' totally different country guys. I'm sure theyre well aware but I guess it sells. The shining part of Chinatown, and the day really, was going to the "China Tea Shop." They had a sign outside saying "free tea tasting" and I mean, its free, why not?!? So I walked in, and this really funny guy named "John" (I'm sure thats his American name.) spent the next hour telling me about the different kinds of tea and how to brew it and what they did etc... I, who was not a huge tea drinker, had about seven different kinds. Some of them were great too, so I ended up getting a little bit of 'Golden Oolong' and 'Ginseng white blend.' Half of the fun was hearing his corny jokes which I'm sure every tourist for the last year has heard. Either way, the walls were covered in pictures of him and his customers from around the world. When he found out that I was from D.C., he made sure to get a polaroid of us, and I snapped a digital pic. He shook his photo and stuck it right on the wall with a big "Chris, DC" sharpied on it.
t was kimonos and 'ninja swords,' totally different country guys. I'm sure theyre well aware but I guess it sells. The shining part of Chinatown, and the day really, was going to the "China Tea Shop." They had a sign outside saying "free tea tasting" and I mean, its free, why not?!? So I walked in, and this really funny guy named "John" (I'm sure thats his American name.) spent the next hour telling me about the different kinds of tea and how to brew it and what they did etc... I, who was not a huge tea drinker, had about seven different kinds. Some of them were great too, so I ended up getting a little bit of 'Golden Oolong' and 'Ginseng white blend.' Half of the fun was hearing his corny jokes which I'm sure every tourist for the last year has heard. Either way, the walls were covered in pictures of him and his customers from around the world. When he found out that I was from D.C., he made sure to get a polaroid of us, and I snapped a digital pic. He shook his photo and stuck it right on the wall with a big "Chris, DC" sharpied on it. By the end of that I was getting pretty hungry for dinner and I just happened to pass a
restaurant that I'd seen on the food network. The Stinking Rose, had about the best lasagna I've ever had. All of their food has tons of garlic, its their thing. Hence the name. So my serving alone apparently had eight cloves. It was really great though, my breath didn't matter but so much. I wasn't quite adventurous enough to try the garlic ice cream though, yes it did exist.
restaurant that I'd seen on the food network. The Stinking Rose, had about the best lasagna I've ever had. All of their food has tons of garlic, its their thing. Hence the name. So my serving alone apparently had eight cloves. It was really great though, my breath didn't matter but so much. I wasn't quite adventurous enough to try the garlic ice cream though, yes it did exist. So anyhow, tomorrow I'll be heading down the Pacific Coast Hwy to LA for a couple days and after that, the great journey back East.
1 comment:
As much as you're enjoying the trip by yourself, you know it'd only be better with 107 representin'! Each day I read your post, it further drives me to take my moto across the US, fly to Japan for the Shikoku pilgrimage for two months, then fly back to CA for the trip back to NC via moto once again. Don't forget to call. Jaa, mata!!
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