Hilary's Trip 2006-2007

It's Sunday morning here in San Francisco, and it's been raining off and on for two days.But look below at the lovely rainbow I could see from my window yesterday morning! I continue to marvel at the view I have from this apartment. In fact, it sometimes keeps me from working on my translation!

Below are some photos I posted yesterday. In addition to the rainbow is a scene from Carmen, the opera I saw on Friday night. Like many serendipity things that have happened since I've been here, this was a last-minute invitation from the cousin of a dear friend of mine whose wife was sick and couldn't go. The Diego Rivera mural appears on the wall of the SF Art Institute just round the corner from "my" apartment. It was commissioned back in 1931. Apparently, there's another one at City College, which I'm going to try and hunt down.You'll also see a photo of my friend Jane (who rented me this apartment and who's back in town but staying at her son's place), her sister Sandra and her niece Arielle at Zarzuela's the other night. Zarguela's is a Spanish restaurant around the corner on Hyde Street. Our meal consisted of tapas and sangria! John and Diane are new friends here. (We have a mutual friend, Betty A. in Paris). Diane is a travel writer and John a photographer. They took me to the Christmas party of a group of women writers in San Francisco. And last night, I went with them to San Rafael to see a documentary on the life and singing of Piaf. The director and actor/singer, Raquel Britton, was up on stage afterwards and answered questions. It was very much like what we have in a Cinema d'Art et d'Essai in France. The singing was very moving, and the event great fun. Afterwards, we went to visit a friend of theirs who lives on a houseboatin the Bay in Sausalito and who's just got back from a month in Argentina, where she and her husband took tango lessons! (She gave me some interesting addresses for when I'm in Buenos Aires in February).
Which brings me to the rest of my trip....
Just for your information, I'll be leaving San Francisco (sigh...) on Dec. 19th and taking a Greyhound bus up to Medford, Oregon, where I'll be staying with a long-lost cousin whom I haven't seen in about 25 years. Then I'm going to Portland to visit from Dec. 22 to 25 with my eldest son Eric and his girlfriend Jennifer. I fly down to L.A. on the evening of Dec. 25 and will be staying there until the early morning of the 29th, when I fly to Mexico City. My friend from Chicago (Betty B.)is meeting me there, and we'll be museum-hopping and sightseeing until Jan. 7. Then it's en route to San Miguel de Allende, where I will be studying Spanish and living with a Mexican family until Feb. 4. After that, it's down to Buenos Aires! And this is when another real adventure (as in Vietnam and China) will begin. I know some of the places I'd like to visit, but am not sure my schedule is feasible or financially possible. Back to Paris from Buenos Aires on Air France on March 23.
Here's what I'd LIKE to do in South America: Buenos Aires, Iguacu Falls, Rio,Manaus (the Amazon), Santiago, Puntas Arenas (Pantagonia), and back to Buenos Aires and perhaps other places in Argentina.
If anyone reading this posting has some suggestions or advice, I'd be welcome to receive your comments. Thanks.
That's all for now, folks...

posted by Hilary @ Sunday, December 10, 2006