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It has been several months since I last drove the quiet streets of Bayshore with my camera, but this morning’s blue skies and sunshine inspired me. The sun-saturated colors particularly caught my eye today.

My favorite discovery, however, was this makeshift sign on a desolate Bayshore alley announcing a “Barbie Workshop”. Well hey…the razor wire and scattered broken glass will certainly keep the kids from wandering off.

More baby steps working with my Italy photos 🙂 Day 7 consists of photos from our wandering route through lovely Florence.

Cool temps and a soft pillow made for a restful night. The slight overnight rain was finishing up as we awoke. Had a light breakfast of cereal and pastries at the B&B communal table. Met fellow travelers from Southern California and North Carolina. Shared tales of “where from’s” and “where to’s”.

First stop of the day was the Museo della Casa Fiorentina Antica. The historic home is being restored and transformed into a museum. For now, only two floors are open…but its free…no complaints 🙂 The heavy stone architecture and wall mosaics are notable.

Walked past a who’s who of Italian designers on our way to our next stop…the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. The building’s facade was done in iconic white and green marble, like the nearby Duomo. The interior was impressive but restrained…with some very beautiful frescoes. Around the corner, visited the Farmacia di S.Maria Novella…”the oldest pharmacy in Florence” (maybe in all of Italy? I can’t remember). The pharmacy had its roots from 1381 when Dominican friars made rose-scented water (supposedly to ward off the plague). The pharmacy itself opened in 1612 in its current location. The rooms smelled of roses.

Time for lunch. Tattoria Anita (another Suzanne recommendation) hit the spot with hearty Tuscan cuisine at reasonable prices. Our pasta dishes were simple and delicious. Jeff enjoyed his breaded chicken cutlet. My “mixed meat” platter was a bit more…adventurous? Tuscan style roasted potatoes on the side of both dishes. Due cappuccini, per favore.

Visited an underwhelming museum highlighting Leonardo Da Vinci”s scientific inventions. A couple of the video presentations were very well done, but the overall “museum” was poor…definitely overpriced at 5€.

In striking comparison, our next two stops cost nothing and were rich and captivating…two lesser known churches full of history.

First, the (relatively) small Basilica di San Lorezo, situated on a busy public square towards the Mercate Centrale. The church is in mid-renovation…more like early-renovation…so interior scaffolding obscured much of the ceiling. But the front altar and visible ceiling were colorful and grand. A gentle, elderly priest dressed in white greeted us, asked us where we were from, and told us about his travels to the U.S. before he was so gray (as he tugged on his short gray hair to accentuate the point). He said goodbye with a heartfelt “Viva America!”. We gave a few euros towards the renovations.

Wandered next to the tucked-away Basilica della Santos Annunziata behind the Accademia. Entered through a glass-covered inner courtyard and then into an unexpectedly enormous church. In addition to the usual elaborate main altar, this church had more than a dozen side chapels…each one crammed full of shiny and/or colorful and/or chiseled object d’art. A secondary altar at the rear, was decked out in towering silver pillars and candles. Breathtaking.

Finished the daylight hours with a stroll along the Arno with the sun setting. Scullers practiced on the calm river. Sidewalks were full of fellow sun-worshipers.

Dinner was at yet another Suzanne recommendation…and a third winner in a row. The Coquinarius wine bar served up mouth-watering, creative fare. Our pastas were our best yet: a rich tagliatelli with a meaty rabbit sauce; large ravioli pillows of cheese and spinach topped with a ham sauce and stringed zucchini. Two fresh salads followed for the entrees. A bottle of Chianti Classico. Deserts of warm chocolate souffle and creamy cheesecake. Best meal so far.

Finished the evening with late drinks and music in the Santa Croce area which seems to be the young, hip place to be. Overall, Florence has a lot of late night energy to soak in.

So, finally, here are the photos to match my previous entry from this weekend. The sets are grouped below by location:

First up…Yosemite National Park, with its glorious vistas from Olmsted Point to Tuolumne Meadow to rivers and lakes that tie everything together.

Then the tiny town of June Lake, where Pat’s cousin Bonnie welcomed us into her home.

Lundy Canyon…our main hike during the trip.

And lastly, the wonderful, odd-ball Mono Lake with its towering tufa.

We set out early Friday morning to visit Pat’s cousin Bonnie on the other side of the state. Zipped past rush hour backups in the opposite direction, and quickly found ourselves amongst the orchards of the Central Valley. An eye-blink later, we started our climb into the rolling foothills of the Sierra Mountains.

A quick stop for a burger-and-fries lunch, a quart of oil to squelch an ill-timed warning light, and we arrived at the entrance to one of the crown jewels of national parks…Yosemite.

We entered Yosemite along route 120, and saw no direct signs of the wildfire that threatened the entry on 140. Fresh breezes sent smoke in another direction, and we found brilliant blue skies. We did pass dozens of weary fire trucks…fresh from battle…returning to a local fire camp to refuel.

Our destination lay beyond the eastern entrance of the park, so our route was the less-travelled Tioga Road, which is closed between November and May. The route winds through high country scenery…other-worldly rolling fields of granite…serene grassy meadows…snow-fed streams and lakes. At nearly 10,000 feet, the Tioga Pass marks the eastern edge of the park, where our route began its steep decline to the valley beyond…the fringes of the Great Basin.

Arrived shortly at the peaceful town of June Lake…and cousin Bonnie’s home in the woods…a peaked-roof living room providing evening views of Carson Peak above. Dinner was a short walk away at the Double Eagle Restaurant…a gourmet mountain meal in a cozy dining room with pine-timber ceilings. Hearty grilled meats… mmmmm meat… topped off with a divine warm chocolate cake.

Cool mountain temps made for peaceful sleeping. I awoke in the middle of the night and peeked out at the brilliant, star-filled sky.

On Saturday, a peaceful early morning photo walk. Met a friendly neighborhood tabby named Orange, who had quite the purr-box Still no glimpse of the local bear…although I think I found bear poop. Not quite the same.

Our first trek of the day was a hike up Lundy Canyon in the Inyo National Forest. Multiple tiers of still, beaver-dammed ponds connected by babbling creeks and the occasional waterfall. Grassy shores dotted with red, violet, yellow, and white wildflowers. Aspen, willows, and Jeffrey pines. Fields of rust-red and orange basalt rocks. Darting tree swallows with brilliant blue backs.

Lunch in Lee Vining at the classic roadside Mono Cone walk-up restaurant…a wonderful BBQ western burger topped with bacon, a rich BBQ sauce, and a crispy onion ring really hit the spot.

Took a late afternoon stroll among the bizarre tufa at salty Mono Lake. The tufa are remnants of fresh-water springs making deposits in the salty lake. The lake’s water levels dropped dramatically decades ago when springs were diverted to the needy Los Angeles aqueduct revealing the twisted, white tufa towers. A sight like nowhere else I’ve ever been. Gulls ran along the shore with mouths open to scoop up zillions of tiny, black alkali flies.

On our drive back to Bonnie’s house, we stopped along June Lake and Gull Lake to watch the low sun sparkle on the cold blue waters with warmly lit peaks in the background.

Factoid of the day. Learned that beavers maintain their waterproofing by frequent preening using an oil that is secreted from two glands located near the anus. Charming!

Showers to wash away the days dust. Then off to dinner at the most unlikely of hot spots…the Mobil gas station near Lee Vining. The station’s popular Whoa Nellie Deli was packed at 8pm. A mouth-watering gourmet menu. Creative fish tacos with mango salsa and ribs with a huckleberry BBQ sauce were popular at our table. Our outside table had just the right breeze, although we failed to notice the lone sleeping bird above who ended the meal by pooping on Matthew. He was not amused 🙂 Paid over $5/gallon to top-off my gas tank…I was not amused 🙁

On the drive back to June Lake, pulled over to star gaze. The Milky Way crossed the sky. Jupiter shone brightly. Two satellites slid faintly across our view. Matt caught a glimpse of a meteor. What a brilliant display.

Sunday morning, a hearty breakfast at the Double Eagle. Omelets for most. Scrumptious chicken fried steak for me. I promise I will walk it off 🙂

Bonnie joined us on the first leg of our journey home. We drove back up through the Tioga Pass, into Yosemite, and stopped at the Tuolume Lodge…scattered tent cabins along the picturesque falls of the upper Tuolume River. Dipped our feet in the icy cold rapids.

Said our fond farewells to our gracious host Bonnie, and continued our drive home with a final stop at panoramic Olmstead Point.

Approached San Francisco with the setting sun in our eyes. Weary heads soon to meet familiar pillows.

Pictures soon.

I did a quick, uneventful trip to San Diego on Monday and Tuesday. There is nothing remotely interesting about my good ol’ Doubletree…which is why the window shot is relegated to the end of the post 🙂

I did have some free time in the evening to talk a much-needed walk along the beach. There were a few too many clouds for my taste…but a nice break nonetheless. The beach was a lot more crowded, but mostly families on summer vacation. Still, the surf was tempting, and there was a healthy sprinking of surfers.

I only wish my trip home was unstressful…but United kept up its fine record of the big DEEEEELAY. I mean, come on. If I was only on time 2/3 of the time in my job, my customers would bail on me. I don’t understand how you can run an industry with such a low standard of service.