arrival of the train

I believe that Amtrak recently upgraded their locomotives, as this shiny and colorful one has a different look. The cars behind it however are the same old same old. I was happy to see Mrs. and to hear that she had a good journey.

waiting for the train

Shockingly, in a good way, the Coast Starlight was early! In general I think the west coast trains are relatively efficient.

beach notes

It was very hot that day in Santa Barbara and I had some time to kill before Mrs' train arrived. Looking at Stearns Wharf, I wondered how its length compared to that of the Ventura Pier, so I Googled it and learned that the former is 1950 feet whereas the latter is 1600 feet. Then I went on the beach and made a note of the cost of renting a kayak.

Los Arroyos

I had read in one of those glossy magazines about Santa Barbara that the restaurant Los Arroyos is notable for their chili rellenos. As a chili relleno enthusiast, I decided to put that claim to the test. It was interesting, and definitely different, but not my holy grail. In particular the cheese was different: rather than a pool of warm "fondue", which is how I like it, it had a dry, ricotta-like texture. 

Hook & Press, part 2

Hook & Press coffee hour

Penelope's Coffee

Every town has its own local coffee shops and in Berkeley this is one of them.

Zino

 

A fine photo of what goes on in Zino, the restaurant in the Hotel Shattuck. 

Berkeley

Downtown Berkeley, the way it looks in 2026. Photos by Mrs.

Madagascar Palm update #3

There you have it - four flowers, although the first is one the way out. It's quite remarkable the way this thing blooms - repeatedly, after a decade of inactivity.

San Jose station

Some nice photos by Mrs. of the San Jose train station, which goes by the funny name "Diridon". Whatever you call the place, you gotta love those windows. This is the station where I famously liked the architecture but not the coffee.

Emeryville

A nice photo taken by Mrs. at the Emeryville station. If you like, the "E" in the photo can stand for Emeryville. It gets overlooked, but Emeryville is where the headquarters of Peet's Coffee is located (whereas their original coffee house is in Berkeley). 

University of California

The University of California was created in 1868 and its first president was Massachusetts-born, Yale-educated Henry Durant. The school moved to its present location in Berkeley in 1873. After serving as the university's first president, Durant went on to be the Mayor of Oakland until his death in 1875.

The Graduate - Berkeley

More scenes from the Graduate Hotel in Berkeley. This place actually has quite a colorful history. When we stayed here is was called the Hotel Durant and was part of the Joie de Vie chain. When you dig deeper you learn that the 1928-built hotel was named after Henry Durant, the founder of the University of California, and that his namesake pub was the site of hostage incident in 1990.

Henry's revisited

Now part of the Graduate Hotel chain, but still going by its old name. Revisited by Mrs, who famously had a headache in one of those circular window alcoves while we had the most interesting garbanzo beans of our lives - the chick peas in the pods.

chewy ice cream?

The way it looks in Berkeley, CA.

four flowers

 

The Madagascar Palm with four flowers (although the first is mostly hidden and on the way out).

Moe's Books

A bookstore in Berkeley, CA I went to once.

ocean swimming

I don't swim in the ocean much any more (for various reasons) but gazing at the waves and seeing so many people frolicking in the surf to get relief from the heat, I was tempted to get my bathing suit and boogie board. Maybe next time.

Seaward Beach stroll

I was struck at how many people were at the beach swimming on a weekday, then realized that it's a pleasant way to deal with a heat wave, and if anything the livelier-than-usual waves make it more fun. The festive atmosphere lured me on; I got my feet wet and walked all the way down to Marina Park.

Tempura California Roll

I tried this at Lucky Sushi as an experiment. The result: not as multi-dimensional as the Shrimp Tempura Roll, but still good. I will probably switch back to the Shrimp Tempura Roll, especially when I dine with Mrs. - who I imagine would prefer it.

Madagascar Palm update #2

Flower #3 bloomed in the elevated heat, with flower #4 coming up from behind.

wind and waves

I rode my bike down to the beach to confirm that there were wind and waves - more than usual.

marigolds?

Seeing these on a stroll, I suspect they are marigolds and that the ones I'm growing at home are also marigolds, although they're not flowering. The green part looks the same though.

Elvis banana toast

It was very Elvis of him, but Mr. had too many bananas ripening too fast in a heat wave. So here they are on toast with almond butter. It seemed to work, but as I recall a bit later all the water and energy was sucked out of him.

breakfast at home

Where Mr. had breakfast, courtesy his phone.