Awoke early and headed to Spectrum ... the gym next to the hotel. I was introduced to pilates by Karen Naumu. It was fun ... but I am still in love with my rowing machine. Would not mind a couple of pilates lessons ... with a machine though ...
From there - my new friend Shannon Turner Brooks from the Tourism Board turned up to start her day with us. We met with Ellie & Grace - two standard poodles for what is called the Red Tile Tour. The Canary is fluffy friendly so it seemed apt that I would do the tour with a pooch. Grace was my fluffy-friend. She is no Gemima but she was very well behaved and acted admirably.
My guide was local architect & historian Howard Wittausch. We took in all the major sites ... including the Presidio and Courthouse. It's Spanish renaissance architecture everywhere here!
Next up was actually one of the most amazing museums I have ever been to: Karpeles Manuscript Library. Basically this chap Dr Karpeles spent most of the 70's buying up original documents of history including letters written by Freud, Elizabeth 1st and even Pope Pious XIII declaring that Richard the Lionheart should win back the Holy Land - dated from the 12th century! He has a few museums in the US .. all full of documents and the odd piece of memoribilia. In SB, there are probably 150 pieces including an original score from Madame Butterfly by Puccini and the original torch from the 1936 Olympics from Berlin! A fascinating museum and one of the best I have seen ... ever!
Dinner at Pizza NYC on State Street. There are loads of beggars on the streets ... it's quite surreal ... all the rich ... and poor ... sharing the shame pavements (sidewalks)..
Song of the Day: Daylight - Kelly Rowland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wELoHYtLw5Q
Weather: Like Being Hugged by a Bear (Mr V)
my gorgeous girl ...
pilates machine with Karen
so easy ... (ha!)
the history tour ..
with grace
with Dr. Karpeles
