San Francisco Part I

On the move in San Francisco

On June 10 we headed to San Francisco for about two weeks of fun with family and friends. Laura and I arrived in SF a day before her friends and my dad arrived from Seattle. I met my dad at the airport and we headed up to Yosemite for a photography workshop while Laura waited for her friends to arrive.

Must be my lucky day!

The next three nights were very different for both of us. Laura spent her days shopping, drinking coffee and walking the streets of SF while my dad and I hiked around 8000 foot mountains taking hundreds (693 to be exact) of photos around Yosemite.

Dad enjoying the best in fine dining at Sam Wo's

On the fourth day, all 6 of us met in Ghirardelli Square for some ice cream, more photos and an early Father’s Day dinner.

The whole gang in our room

Laura and I saw everyone off to the airport and then had 8 more days to relax, shop and get our fill of Mexican food, the one food group we miss most since moving overseas.

Picnic at the beach

Soooo glad it’s Friday.

Taiwan hasn’t yet unleashed it’s suffocating humidity and we’re thankful for that.  The cool weather has actually stretched into May and every cool day now is a gift.  To take advantage of this perfect weather we headed out to the north coast with friends for an early evening picnic and sunset.  It’s was the perfect end to a long week and a great start to the weekend.

Just in time for the sunset

Keeping an eye on the surf

Laura's enjoying the late afternoon sun with friends

From the inside out

The front yard

The end of a perfect spring day

The Louvre

Heading into the Louvre

It’s a little embarrassing, but after four trips to Paris we finally made it to the Louvre.  We got up a little early to beat the Sunday morning crowd and it was well worth it, we walked right in.  One thing that had kept us away was the idea of standing in a line for an hour to get it in.  We spent all of our time in the Denon wing, where the Mona Lisa is housed behind layers of bulletproof glass.

In the main hall of the Denon Wing

The Louvre itself is just as beautiful as the artwork on the walls.

Paris in the Spring

My favorite spot in Paris, Jardin du Luxembourg.

It is well known, we love Paris and still manage to fall more in love with the city with each visit.  It’s hard to get lost here because every street is worth seeing.  I think we walk more here than any other city because it is really more of a stroll than a walk.  It never feels like you are in a hurry here.  Stroll for a while, stop and window shop, stroll some more, stop and have a coffee, stroll some more and have a crepe on the street and on and on…

If my trips to Paris only included visits to Jardin du Luxembourg, I would be satisfied.

This trip is a little more special than others though since Laura gets to shop Paris with Catherine.  The city is theirs to conquer.  Great friends with the perfect backdrop.

Paris is all about being with good friends and food, of course.

The weather feels a little like being back home in Seattle.  Some rain followed by some sun breaks, slightly cool (especially coming from Taipei) and damp.

One of the small cobblestone side streets that make up the city.

Happy to see that the internet has not spoiled all forms of news.

We are so glad to be back.

Hong Kong Weekend

I spent last weekend in Hong Kong with my Singapore girls—Shalini, Kirsty, and Melissa (who’s now a Hong Kong girl).  Unfortunately Krispy Kreme closed a week or two before we got there, but we made it to one of my favorites—Taco Loco!  We also had a great dinner at Aqua.  We spent two days laughing, shopping, gossiping, eating, and very little time sleeping.

Shalini, Kirsty, me, and Melissa at The Peak

Daytime view from Melissa’s

Nighttime view from Melissa’s

Breakfast out

Dessert platter at Aqua

View from Aqua