A digital travel diary. · WP v1.19 · Updated
On Sunday, November 8, I rode from Palo Alto to Filoli Gardens and back with a friend on my new X-Lab RS7 road bike. We took a slightly different route this time, with more traffic and stoplights, some enjoyable hills, and a welcome break at Filoli. . Filoli’s formal gardens, photographed on March 17, 2019. I did not take photos on today’s ride. A different…
Read More: Cycling from Palo Alto to Filoli Gardens on My X-Lab RS7
I returned to Almaden Quicksilver County Park on Saturday, November 7, for a ride on my Specialized S-Works FSR mountain bike. I started around 11:00 a.m., curious to try the new chain that Sports Basement in Almaden had installed and hot-waxed. The bike felt very smooth. . My Specialized S-Works FSR at an overlook. The parking lot is normally completely full by that time, but…
Read More: Mountain Biking at Almaden Quicksilver
While developing my SF Bay Area Events search program, I discovered Raphaël Feuillâtre was playing at Stanford's Bing Concert Hall. I listened to him on YouTube and looked up his program, and it matched my interest in classical guitar. . Born in Djibouti in 1996 and raised in Cholet, France, Feuillâtre trained at the Paris Conservatoire. He attracted international attention in 2018 by winning the…
Read More: Raphaël Feuillâtre: Latin Passions
I replaced my old Reverse Osmosis system with a WaterDrop X8 about 6 months ago, and the WaterDrop X8 signaled (with a blinking light and audio) that the F2 Filter needed to be replaced (normally every 6 months). . I chose the WaterDrop X8 system specifically for the ease of filter replacement, which was a major pain with my older RO system. When I received…
Read More: Fixing WaterDrop X8 Filter
My friends and I decided to bike the long stretch along Canada Road, from Woodside to Sawyer Camp. Bicycle Sunday normally closes a 3.8-mile section of Cañada Road between the Filoli entrance and Highway 92 to motor vehicles from 09:00 to 15:00. . . . . We parked at the nearby Woodside Elementary, and I changed into road cycling clothes. This would be my first…
Read More: Cycling from Woodside to Sawyer Camp
Inna and I met up with friends for a Halloween walk around Willow Glen. The neighborhood was extremely crowded, with imaginative decorations everywhere we looked. . Orange and purple lights set the Halloween mood. Most people were dressed up. I wore a sloth costume, and Inna wore a sloth hat, so we were ready to join the Halloween crowd. . A sloth costume and a…
Read More: Halloween at Willow Glen
Gunhild Carling’s performance at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco was a terrific night out for fans of traditional jazz—from Dixieland and swing to big-band classics—and for anyone who appreciates musicians as entertaining to watch as they are to hear. . . . The Swedish-born multi-instrumentalist, singer, and entertainer, often dubbed the Queen of Swing, brings together dazzling musicianship, vintage jazz, playful humor, and theatrical…
Read More: Gunhild Carling at Biscuits & Blues
Today, after test-riding the X-Lab RS7 road bike and the X-Lab GT8 gravel bike at the local Sports Basement in Almaden (the shop finally had both bikes in stock), I decided to buy the RS7 base model in white, size large. At $2099, it offers the best value and felt excellent on the road. . I considered the X-Lab RS7 Di2 version with electronic gear…
Read More: X-Lab RS7 Road Bike
For our 25th Anniversary dinner, I initially booked Evvia, but had to cancel because Inna felt unwell. When I tried to book another day, I could only reserve outdoor tables, which worried me due to the cold weather. I decided to try dining at Le Papillon—a restaurant I visited decades ago. I made a dinner reservation for Saturday, October 24, at 19:00. . . On…
Read More: Anniversary Dinner at Le Papillon
With the promise of continued beautiful weather (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in Santa Cruz, I planned a Saturday morning cycling trip around Happy Valley (using Komoot as my guide). . When Alex arrived at 09:00, we loaded his bike into my Toyota Sienna and headed to Gateway Plaza in downtown Santa Cruz, where we'd start our ride. . On arrival there, we unloaded the bikes and…
Read More: Cycling to Happy Valley from Santa Cruz
