Cyclops Online Home Gallery Professional GM7FIE What's New Contact Me
Ian's Latest Blip
Ian Stevenson's Facebook profile Ian Stevenson's Twitter View Ian Stevenson's profile on LinkedIn

Ruth's Visit to Palo Alto

Just before the half-way point of my placement in Palo Alto, Ruth came out to visit me for an extended weekend...

2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0001.jpg The Stanford University Museum. I must be a philistine. I liked this pile of rocks on the floor more than any of the artwork in this room of the Stanford University Museum. It wasn't labelled or attributed, so I assume it was part of the ambience created by the curators, and as such isn't "proper" art.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0004.jpg The Thinker (Rodin)
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0005.jpg Ruth checking out some modern pieces.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0006.jpg Later on we abandon culture and head for the pub with Neil and Lesley (who is visiting from Boston for the weekend). Ruth is shy at first...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0007.jpg ...but is eventually persuaded that the camera is not scary!
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0010.jpg Lesley "Loser" Sutherland and Ruth "Whatever" Stevenson.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0016.jpg The second pub of the night - I have a nice chair in a quiet corner in which to enjoy my pint...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0017.jpg ...Neil seems pretty chilled out too...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0018.jpg ..and even Ruth has a nice smile for me.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0020.jpg California Sealions beside Pier 39 in San Francisco.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0021.jpg Ruth smiling in the sun.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0022.jpg More sealions.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0025.jpg Later on we went for a walk on one of the beaches. This guy is trying to kite-surf, but at the moment he is mostly just being dragged through the water...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0026.jpg Another kite on the beach. The sky was wonderfully blue with delicate little fluffy clouds - but the wind was fierce! Ideal kiting weather.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0027.jpg A windsurfer kindly demonstrating the ferocity of the wind.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0030.jpg The Palace of Fine Arts. A rememnanant of an exhibition in the '60s.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0037.jpg More Palace of Fine Arts nonsense.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0032.jpg Those houses look expensive. I bet Ruth likes them.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0039.jpg Oh yes, they look VERY expensive!
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0042.jpg Exhausted after strolling about for an hour, we take a little rest.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0043.jpg I love moving water - I could sit and watch moving water or flickering flames for ever, but I'm too impatient.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0044.jpg Lesley contemplates the infinite. She is more patient than me.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0049.jpg Ruth "I want that house" Stevenson seems to like the area.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0052.jpg A little back from the coast, the San Francisco hills climb steeply but that is no deterrent to the builders.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0057.jpg Tree. Cloud. Sky.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0058.jpg Swan.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0059.jpg Expensive. I bet Ruth likes this one too then...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0060.jpg STOP!
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0066.jpg AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco giants. We visited for a game as after visiting Fenway Park last trip, Ruth really wanted to see some baseball.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0067.jpg Row upon row of reporters for print, TV and radio. Probably the web too these days.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0068.jpg A ridiculous mascot driving a ridiculous buggy. Whoever heard of a seal with legs....
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0072.jpg Ruth,
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0073.jpg Neil and Lesley.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0075.jpg As it gets dark, it also gets cold...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0076.jpg MAKE NOISE. I swear you could have heard a pin drop. The crowd were bored and cold!
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0078.jpg Pitching.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0079.jpg Batting.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0080.jpg WINNING!!! In a freak burst of excitement at the end of 11 innings, the Giants win the game!
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0081.jpg Oooooh, palm trees only spookier.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0082.jpg Sunday lunch at the University Cafe in Palo Alto. Immense chocolatey dessert. Mmmmmmm.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0083.jpg A seal at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center in Marin County.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0085.jpg Ruth and a co-operative Elephant Seal.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0087.jpg Ruth and a VERY co-operative harbour seal.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0088.jpg Self portrait.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0090.jpg Ruth on the Marin Headlands.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0092.jpg Ooooh, path.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0093.jpg An interesting little bay.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0095.jpg Ruth at the Monterey Bay Aquarium with a school of sardines and a small shark.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0096.jpg Some worms at the aquarium.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0097.jpg They even have an indoor aviary.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0100.jpg Mind you, I could probably have got away with claiming this one was shot in the wild.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0102.jpg Jellyfish. Not to be tangled with.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0103.jpg See how the aquarium is so environmentally friendly you can hardly even tell it's a man-made structure? Err.....
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0104.jpg Ruth.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0105.jpg Sea Otter. I love otters. I find them to be very cute. Which is almost certainly ridiculous in a 33 (nearly 34) year old man.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0106.jpg Ruth outside the Surfing Museum in Santa Cruz.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0107.jpg Another photo of Ruth. Since I haven't seen her for 6 weeks I seem to be taking lots of pictures of her...
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0109.jpg ...but this is definitely not Ruth. It is some sealions on a rock.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0112.jpg A natural arch on one of the beaches in Santa Cruz.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0114.jpg Wave! No stop it you idiot, I didn't mean you should wave. This is a website, I can't even see you. I mean this is a picture of a wave.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0117.jpg Ruth at a random vista point off the main road to San Francisco.
2009-06-18_Ruths_Visit_0116.jpg A final photo together before yet another airport goodbye. Still, at least there shouldn't be another of those any time soon - once I'm home in August that's it for me travelling for a while!
©2000-2022 Ian Stevenson, all rights reserved