Just before the half-way point of my placement in Palo Alto, Ruth came out to visit me for an extended weekend...
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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.
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The Thinker (Rodin)
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Ruth checking out some modern pieces.
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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...
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...but is eventually persuaded that the camera is not scary!
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Lesley "Loser" Sutherland and Ruth "Whatever" Stevenson.
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The second pub of the night - I have a nice chair in a quiet corner in which to enjoy my pint...
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...Neil seems pretty chilled out too...
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..and even Ruth has a nice smile for me.
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California Sealions beside Pier 39 in San Francisco.
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Ruth smiling in the sun.
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More sealions.
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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...
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Another kite on the beach. The sky was wonderfully blue with delicate little fluffy clouds - but the wind was fierce! Ideal kiting weather.
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A windsurfer kindly demonstrating the ferocity of the wind.
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The Palace of Fine Arts. A rememnanant of an exhibition in the '60s.
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More Palace of Fine Arts nonsense.
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Those houses look expensive. I bet Ruth likes them.
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Oh yes, they look VERY expensive!
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Exhausted after strolling about for an hour, we take a little rest.
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I love moving water - I could sit and watch moving water or flickering flames for ever, but I'm too impatient.
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Lesley contemplates the infinite. She is more patient than me.
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Ruth "I want that house" Stevenson seems to like the area.
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A little back from the coast, the San Francisco hills climb steeply but that is no deterrent to the builders.
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Tree. Cloud. Sky.
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Swan.
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Expensive. I bet Ruth likes this one too then...
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STOP!
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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.
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Row upon row of reporters for print, TV and radio. Probably the web too these days.
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A ridiculous mascot driving a ridiculous buggy. Whoever heard of a seal with legs....
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Ruth,
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Neil and Lesley.
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As it gets dark, it also gets cold...
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MAKE NOISE. I swear you could have heard a pin drop. The crowd were bored and cold!
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Pitching.
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Batting.
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WINNING!!! In a freak burst of excitement at the end of 11 innings, the Giants win the game!
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Oooooh, palm trees only spookier.
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Sunday lunch at the University Cafe in Palo Alto. Immense chocolatey dessert. Mmmmmmm.
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A seal at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center in Marin County.
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Ruth and a co-operative Elephant Seal.
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Ruth and a VERY co-operative harbour seal.
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Self portrait.
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Ruth on the Marin Headlands.
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Ooooh, path.
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An interesting little bay.
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Ruth at the Monterey Bay Aquarium with a school of sardines and a small shark.
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Some worms at the aquarium.
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They even have an indoor aviary.
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Mind you, I could probably have got away with claiming this one was shot in the wild.
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Jellyfish. Not to be tangled with.
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See how the aquarium is so environmentally friendly you can hardly even tell it's a man-made structure? Err.....
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Ruth.
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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.
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Ruth outside the Surfing Museum in Santa Cruz.
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Another photo of Ruth. Since I haven't seen her for 6 weeks I seem to be taking lots of pictures of her...
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...but this is definitely not Ruth. It is some sealions on a rock.
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A natural arch on one of the beaches in Santa Cruz.
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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.
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Ruth at a random vista point off the main road to San Francisco.
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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!
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