International Cat Show

International Cat Show

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Wow-saw some great pictures on Flickr, especially loved how you can search collections of pictures. At first I typed in libraries because while I was randomly jumping around the place I saw some great library pictures. But then I realized I just can't copy any picture, so I went to the recommended site PicApp for pictures that could be downloaded without licensing problems-at least those identified as such! So on PicApp I typed in cute cats and saw this very interesting cat face! Hope the picture downloads!

"Hidden" and "Staircase Walks", Past and Future

I first became interested in "Hidden Walks" after I purchased a book in a now-closed bookstore in Berkeley; the book is Hidden Walks in the East Bay & Marin: Pathways, Essays, & Yesterdays by Stephen Altschuler. This book has been a fabulous guide to the many walks my family and I have taken in different parts of Berkeley-we've taken Altschuler's routes in the North Berkeley area where we've walked through hidden, though public, paths and walks through beautiful wooded parks and between charming early twentieth-century houses and gardens, we've hiked through one of Altschuler's favorite paths near Great Stoneface Park that is completely shaded with redwoods and is constructed with old brick and stepping stones near a small cave, and we've climbed up a path through a hidden canyon that opens out onto a quiet residential street-on that walk we had to dash through the suddenly pouring rain for a nearby Tibetan Buddhist retreat center where although we took off our wet shoes in the anteroom, we still looked rather bedraggled in our damp socks. Despite our messy appearance, we were kindly welcomed by the person in charge, maybe something that would only happen in Berkeley!

Now what I'd like to do would be to plan to take 2 walks in the near future: one of these walks would be Altschuler's "hidden" walk in Sausalito which features both paths and stairway walks through quiet, charming neighborhoods of turn-of-the-twentieth-century houses away from the noisy tourist areas-the highlights of this walk would include magnificent views of San Francisco across the bay and a hidden, public beach with views of Angel Island, Belvedere, and Tiburon. The other walk I'm planning to take sometime soon is Bakalinsky's "staircase" walk of Telegraph Hill and North Beach: I loved the film and book The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (the book was written by Mark Bittner who starred in the documentary film by Judy Irving) and have always wanted to see the parrots in-person. Bakalinsky has a very detailed route that includes some of the most famous old neighborhoods in San Francisco as well as such famous landmarks up close as the climbing bouganvillea and "bug" junipers of 604 Lombard Street, the Albert Guibata roof sculptures, Coit Tower, the Greenwich Stairway, and many others.

What I have to decide is when to take these walks-in the past my family and I have usually taken our hidden/staircase walks in the fall-early winter when there tends to be less fog in the Bay Area-I'm really excited about taking these walks soon!-but it might be better to wait until September-October.

A "Staircase Walk" in San Francisco

A while ago my older daughter Erin and I took a staircase walk in San Francisco, using the book Staircase Walks in San Francisco by Adah Bakalinsky with Marian Gregoire, as a guide. We climbed many different staircases, all public access, that led away from busy, noisy street traffic to quiet, peaceful places lined with charming houses and magnificent views of the bay. At times when we stopped to catch our breath-we were climbing steps, after all!- I was amazed to discover how hidden this guided tour appeared to be and yet always open to public access while being a distance away from typical tourist spots. When you can find places like this in the midst of a large, metropolitan city, you know you've discovered the ultimate reward: hidden, natural beauty in the midst of open, busy, populated cities. This is what appeals to me: hidden paths and walks in metropolitan centers that hold suprises and rewards for those who look for them. An added appeal for me is the rich, architectural detail of houses and buildings lining the staircase and hidden paths, beautifully pointed out by authors Adah Bakalinsky and Marian Gregoire.