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On Tuesday morning, I started off a short Southern California business trip with a meeting at the Federal Courthouse in the “historic business district” of hazy Santa Ana. On my way to pick up a post-meeting iced latte from the local Starbucks, I passed no fewer than six tiny bridal shops, each one with windows proudly showcasing the latest in Princess Bride fashion. (These colorful dresses are in-fact from three different stores.) Take note of the tiaras on each mannequin. I know. I know. I’m absolutely culturally ignorant.

Hmmmm, now that Jeff and I can actually get married in California…I wonder if these shops can make us colorful, puffy tuxedos!! I want gold!

I drove south along I-5 to San Diego without a bit of traffic…shocking!! Checked into my old friend the Doubletree…warm cookie…just one 🙁

After a quick transformation from business to casual, I drove out to the ocean and spent a couple of hours strolling the Pacific Beach walkway as the sun slowly set.

My return flight home was delayed by heavy wildfire smoke in the Bay Area. The highlight of my extra time in the crowded San Diego airport was this humorous announcement: “If you’re missing your ‘The Day Mars Invaded the Earth’ posters, please come back to security screening and claim them.”

Here’s a present to loyal reader Matt…and an early peek at Rome. You may recall our odd “head up the rhino butt” photos from our trips to Paris…a joke that only two old friends can truly appreciate 🙂 Well, we couldn’t find a rhino statue in all of Italy, but we were able to sneak this shot in the Musei Capitolini in the heart of Rome.

Day 3 can really be summarized in one word: RAIN. We got soaked, and the camera didn’t come out as much. But still, there are some fun images here, that really give you that sense of being wet. Enjoy.

There is probably an old Venetian saying that goes something like: “On a rainy day in Venice, at least I’m in Venice.” (They probably accompany that with a bottle of red wine 🙂

Undaunted, clad in raingear and armed with an umbrella, we headed out to our first indoor stop: the Palazzo Grassi museum. A large single exhibit–Roma e i Barbari–exploring the relationship of the Romans and the barbarians at the edges of the Empire. Ultimately, these barbarians would weaken and undermine the Empire.

Grabbed a quick bite at a tiny cafe in the Dorsoduro. Simple-but-filling sandwiches chased by Coke Lite and a cappuccino.

The umbrella and coats became useless at this point as we trudged back across three sestieri to return to our hotel. An evening drink–Nastro Azzurro…birra Italiana–on the hotel loggia as the rain broke, the late sun shone warmly, and a rainbow appeared. Rainbows can’t dry our shoes…but this one did make us smile. The air cooled noticeably. The bells of nearby Santa Maria del Rosario heralded the end of the day.

Dinner at a promising new find–Da Silvio–which had a warm glow, a chatty clientelle, and a creative menu. Finding a dinner spot is tricky for us. Once a trust is formed either through a past experience or a referral, then we are more adventurous in ordering. But tonight, for example, with no prior knowledge, we stuck to a pizza and a calzone to test the flavors. Fantastic! My pizze carbonara was rich and flavorful all the way to the crispy crust. Jeff’s calzone had layers of mushrooms and ham. Yumminess :). We will definitely return to sample their pastas!

Walked off dinner by taking side routes…popping out at random points on the Grand Canal, which glistened in a near-full moon. Along the way, puddles in the uneven Venetian streets played tricks on our eyes. A quiet end to a moist day.

Conventional wisdom…and good sense…would suggest that when its sweltering hot in Northern California, you certainly don’t head east. But that was my Saturday destination, and I persevered.

When we awoke on Saturday morning, it was an uncomfortable 88 in the City. Around noon, I drove to the East Bay to pick up my friend Susan in Rossmore, to begin our drive to Sacramento for a “gathering” of our photo classmates at our instructor’s house.

The temps peaked at 108 as we passed the town of Davis, and were a relatively chilly 104 once we reached Sacramento. I’ve got to give big kudos to Susan’s Prius…which held onto an amazing 51 mpg even with the air conditioning cranked…bravo.

In spite of the heat, the day was wonderful. Our gathering was fun (as always)…we shared work-in-progress and “what I did on summer vacation” stories (oddly…on the first full day of summer). My long drive and chat with Susan was relaxing…revealing…comforting. And by the time I made it back to SF, the heat had broken, and the City was down to a refreshing 56 degrees!!

Its now Sunday morning, and Mother Nature has sent back our lovely fog to cool us down (wow…53 this morning) and give our weary garden a break. In my happy mood, I thought I would share some of the shots I took from the top of Twin Peaks on Friday night. The sun was low, and lit up the entire scene like a painting. The air was clear enough to see Mount Diablo off in the distance (the bottom photo).

A few of the post-midnight photos from Italy Day 2 got auto-filed into the Day 3 causing a rift in the space-time continuum. Missing shots…our favorite Venitian bar/restaurant (Improntu) and the hands-down BEST tiramisu we had in all of Italy.

Oh, and let’s not forget this 450 euro Murano glass-covered, golden ass. This eye-catching sculpture was sitting in a fine-art store window in the fasionable Dosudoro neighborhood.

Who wants one for Christmas?