Hello, Sis --- Days 10/137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143

Walk: 1.GG Pickleball 2. Buying gorceries for sister visit 3. GG Bridge sightseeing/bonding begins 4.  GG Park 5. Legion of Honor 6 .Japantown, Chinatown sister leaves

Distance:1. 1.6 miles, 90 (hot 🌞) minutes pickle 2. 2.8 miles 3. 6 miles 4. 7.5 miles 5.7 miles 6. 3.5 miles 7. staring into space

So, Ciwt has a sister!  22 years younger, a different mother, unseen except about four times in either of our lives.  And, suddenly last week, her sister got inspired to make a last minute (to say the least!) trip to visit Ciwt.  Scary, strangers really; how would it go?!

Well, she and the trip were fabulous!  She's smart, curious, loves to walk and explore, champion athlete, high energy, tons of fun, real, funny.  We spent 3.5 days together mostly walking to as many sightd and  restaurants as we could pack in while laughing, talking, bonding.  It was amazing.  

Turns out it's great to have a sister.

Itineraries? We Got Em --- Days 10/134, 135 & 136

Walk: 1. Hood  2. T Joe's  3. Presidio after day at computer

Distance: 1. 1.5 miles  2. 2.5 miles 3. 4.5 miles

Report from Ciwt's Desktop Central:

Right when Ciwt finally had her extensive art tour itinerary ready, her client emailed to cancel. (Covid paperwork delays in Amsterdam. He is forgiven).  Then, within ten minutes, another person with a  completely different wish list contacted her.  She's coming the day after the canceler was to take his tour, so Ciwt has been creating and tearing up itineraries like mad instead of paying good attention to her valued CIWT readers.  

Bark if You Love It --- Day 10/133

Walk: Crissy Field

Distance: 4 miles, small yoga

Crissy Field

Always the best walk.  If you don't believe Ciwt, just ask the dogs who get to be the rare off leash! 

Eye of the Beholder --- Days 10/130, 131, 132

Walk: 1. Golden Gate Park Pickleball 2. Museums to prepare for art tour 3. Union Square

Distance: 1. 1.2 miles, 90 minutes pickle, yoga 2. 4.5 miles (just walking museums!) 3. 1.6 miles, Yoga

Pierre Bonnard (Fr. 1867-1947), The Breakfast Room, 1930-31, 5.24' x 3.7' oil on canvas

Encountering Pierre Bonnard's (Fr. 1867-1947) cheerfully colored, patterned and intimate paintings is always uplifting for Ciwt.  The lines and exact features of his subjects are a bit soft and indistinct, but for Ciwt this adds to their charm and accessibility.  She feels welcome in the bright, homey scenes.

Other art viewers take issue, including none other than Picasso, 'The Man', who loathed Bonnard's work. He dismissed Bonnard's style as "piddling" and "a potpourri of indecision."    

Meanwhile, on one of Ciwt's art tours, one of her clients nearly came undone expressing his passionate dislike of Picasso's art.

So goes art viewing.....

Now, Up and Down --- Day 10/129

Walk: Up and Down, Up and Down Stairs, Union Square

Distance: 2.4 miles, Yoga

*

So, people often reach the top of the stairs to Ciwt's condominium panting and glaring at her.  She's used to this so she tells them to rest and offers a glass of water.  She's also so used to the stairs that she's a bit perplexed about why the stairs are such a problem.

So, today when she was doing some Monday house errands (emptying trash, etc) and going up and down a few times, she decided to wear to her iphone pedometer.  When she was finished, she was aghast to see that all the stairs had added up to 1.4 miles!   So aghast she needed to take that rest and glass of water.

 * Actually, the "Sacred Way" staircase to Bom Jesus do Monte, a pilgrimage site outside Braga, Portugal.

Down and Up --- Days 10/127 & 128

Walk: 1. AMC Kabuki (The Card Counter) and hood 2. Clement Farmers Market, Sloat Garden

Distance: 1. 6 miles  2. 4 miles, Yoga

Ciwt is no foodie, but she always finds the city's farmers markets 'delicious' 😉 And uplifting after yesterday's well-acted but downbeat movie, The Card Counter.

What Dahls! --- Day 10/126

Walk: Hood

Distance: 3 miles

Dahlias!  Those native Mexican and Guatamalan plants named for Swedish botanist Andrew Dahl are in full bloom in Golden Gate Park's Dahlia Garden. 

And photographers are coming from near and far to capture their full color range - every color except blue and black.

 

Wheeling Around --- Day 10/126

Walk: No

Distance: n/a

Sky Star Wheel, Golden Gate Park

So, when there weren't any Wednesday matinees for poor Ciwt to go to yesterday, she walked over to Golden Gate Park and was reminded of the Ferris wheel that is there for an extended stay to celebrate the park's 150th anniversary.  And she thought "why not?"

Often Ciwt is the first to poo-poo such attractions - too costly, too silly, too old timey, etc. - and the first to enjoy them when her thinking is ignored, the attractions/events arrive and she actually participates. Which is exactly what happened yesterday after she climbed into her private gondola and went up, up, up and around her beautiful city.

Gorgeous, although when the wheel was stopped while Ciwt was at the very top, and her gondola was creaking and bumping as it blew around, she was thankful she wasn't taking her ride on one of the many  blustery days we've had this summer.