Sunday, August 29, 2010

San Francisco Mosaic

Did you miss me?

My husband and I were away on vacation for the past two weeks in Northern and Central California, seeing many wonderful sights in San Francisco, the wine country in Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and Yosemite National Park.
(This photo mosaic will enlarge if clicked once and then again when it reopens on a new page)

I know it's a bit of a cliché to say it,  but I really did leave my heart in San Francisco.  This was my second visit to this beautiful city by the bay and it was a pleasure to re-visit some favorite places I saw before and to enjoy many new experiences.

I thought a mosaic of some of our favorite sights in San Francisco would be a nice introduction to some of the many photos I am still in the process of downloading and editing since I returned home last evening.

  • From left to right on the top of the mosaic you can see the quaint Victorian houses on Alamo Square, a decorative house in Chinatown, a delicious Dungeness crab, a pagoda in the Japanese Garden of Golden Gate Park.
  • In the middle of the mosaic we see the sign for the popular Fishermans Wharf, a cable car, the Golden Gate Bridge, a distant shot of Lombard Street, which is the crookedest street in the world.
  • The last line in the mosaic shows Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, the sleeping seals on Pier 39, the pyramid shaped Transamerica skyscraper, and a loaf of famous San Francisco sourdough bread.
The sights, sounds, tastes and the delightful cool weather touch of San Francisco has truly stolen my heart and I will treasure all the memories of our visit.  I hope you will return to my blog to see more photos of this beautiful city, and also the other areas we visited, over the next few weeks.  Also make sure to visit Mary of The Little Red House blog where I am joining in her Mosaic Monday event today.

It will be a pleasure to now catch up with your blogs....it's good to be home again!



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43 comments:

A Bit of the Blarney said...

One of my favorite cities!!! Had the privilege of living there for a year!!! Loved it! Lovely mosaic! Cathy

Snap said...

Looks like you had a wonderful trip! Thanks for taking us along. Well done!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Yes--I have missed you Pat... Glad you are fine --and just away.... The vacation sounds incredible. I want to visit that area sometime...

Beautiful mosaic... Love seeing your pictures.
Hugs,
Betsy

Cass @ That Old House said...

Beautiful! I have never been to San Francisco, but the images of it are spectacular. Looks as if you had a wonderful vacation -- are you back in NY and back to reality yet?
Cass

pam said...

It is a wonderful town.

Carol said...

Looks like a great time, Pat!

Claudia said...

I lived there for six months when I was seven and then stayed a month there - decades ago and you just made me yearn for San Fran all the more. Ironically, we were going to go second week in August and just couldn't deal with planes, trains and automobiles and nixed it at the last minute. I love the seals! And I can see how much you appreciated one of the most beautiful of American cities. And welcome home. Don't go nuts catching up. Savor where you've been.

Mary Lou said...

The little row of houses is the one at the beginnig of the Full House tv show. We took my niece there and had her photo made in the park with that in the background when she was a tween.
Love seeing the photos.

Tales From My Empty Nest said...

Wow, San Francisco is such a gorgeous city! I have never been there, but it is on my bucket list for sure. Glad you had a wonderful time. Love & blessings from NC!

Debbiedoos said...

Yep we did miss you for sure! Oh what a wonderful time though I see you had. Great mosaic, and welcome back.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I loved Napa and Sonoma when I was there 6 years ago. I wanted to move there!

Your pictures are wonderful.

Bobbi Ann said...

Hi, what a wonderful town and a great trip! Hope you have a lovely new week!
Hugs...
Bobbi

Sheila said...

Welcome home Pat. I just returned from the West Coast as well. Glad to hear you had a wonderful and memorable holiday. Sunshine Always!

Judy said...

This post brings back memories of our time there last fall. I can almost see it...smell it...taste it! I'm sure you had a fabulous time...again.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Pat - Welcome home. San Francisco is such a fabulous city and 'm glad you had a great time there and in the beautiful Northern California wine country. It's hard to come back from such lovely places isn't it?

Old Kitty said...

Oh the wonderful seals of pier 39!!! Awwwww That's brilliant!!! I'm sure I saw a news report of them not turning up one season - but here they are!! They're back and there's so many of them! Yay!!

Oh the crookedest street is too bizarre!! Who designed that and why?!?! LOL!!! That's just weird!

Awww San Francisco!! Look at the iconic trams and those beautiful decorative houses in China Town!

What a wonderful holiday for you and your husband!! Brilliant!! I now have THAT song in my head. LOL!

Take care
x

Gracie said...

Welcome back home Pat! Thanks for your pics and I can't wait to see and read more about your vacation.

Tracy said...

We've been wanting to see San Francisco too... Your post takes us there in the meantime... WONDERFUL mosaic, Pat. You love for the city is very evident in the photo--there's lots to love! Isn't it amazing how easy it is to lose your heat to a place? Happy Days, Pat--glad you're back! :o) (((HUGS))

http://jackieinsurrey.blogspot.co.uk/ said...

Hi Pat, looks and sounds like you had a great vacation. As you know my daughter was in SF in July and the weather wasn't too good. I still haven't seen her photographs yet, she is very busy with wedding plans for November!!

Welcome home and back to blogging, Jackie in Surrey, UK.

Ingmarie We said...

Looks like you have had a wonderful vacation! Visited San Francisco nearly twenty years ago and had a lovely time there. My former post was deleted because of bad spelling.....

Mister Meatball said...

Did you ever make it to Liguria Bakery?

Jojo said...

It is such a beautiful city. One of my girlfriends lives there and once she told me that she and her husband used to plan these amazing vacations - Cambodia, Hawaii, Thailand, etc. When coming home from Cambodia, she said she was filled with emotion seeing SF and turned to her husband to say,"why do we keep taking these vacations when we live in the most beautiful city in the world?"

So glad you had such a wonderful trip.

Mary said...

Oh so beautiful, Pat! I've never been there, but now I really want to go!!! Thanks for sharing at MM. :)

EG CameraGirl said...

Looks like you had a wonderful time!

Gardening in a Sandbox said...

I have seen those tram lines and steep hills so many times on tv. It would be wonderful to take it all in in person. Thanks for sharing.

Donna said...

Welcome home, Pat! I love San Francisco. Our daughter lived there for about five years and we visited once. Your photos are fabulous!!

Hugs,
Donna

GailO said...

Oh yes, I did miss you! ...but I knew you must be somewhere wonderful and fun:)

black eyed susans kitchen said...

These pictures make such an interesting mosaic. So glad you had a wonderful time...I am excited to hear more about this trip.
♥, Susan

Lisa@GrandmasBriefs said...

Welcome home! I'm glad to hear it was a marvelous time. I can't wait to see more. (And I'm sure your son understands that you didn't make it to Colorado. He's probably thrilled you enjoyed the SF trip so much!) Good luck getting your surely hundreds and hundreds of photos fixed up for sharing!

Cherry Chick said...

Ahhh...don't ya just Love SF? If I had $$$ that's where I would live. I once had a wonderful friend who lived there and I was able to visit often. I have some great memories as I'm sure you do.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your pictures from your trip. Thanks for sharing with us in a mosaic.

myletterstoemily said...

what a lovely place to visit, right up
there with my favorite, your city!

your mosaic is so beautiful.

thank you for sharing.

Vee said...

Welcome home! I know that your heart will catch up with you soon. :D Beautiful mosaic...as always!

Frances said...

Pat, your mosaic is beautiful. What a fun way to summarize your trip. I have never been to San Francisco. But my son has, and he would agree with your sentiments. It's hard to go and not leave your heart there. Then again, my husband would say that about your own beautiful City. I look forward to seeing more of your pictures from your trip. I know they are going to be delightful.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

It all looks wonderfully dear and familiar...some of my heart is in San Francisco too. It's been too long since we've visited so I will look forward to seeing it through your eyes and photos.

Regina said...

Love the place too.
Beautiful captures and mosaic Pat.
Have a great week.

Blooming Rose Musings said...

Welcome home and I'm so happy to hear you had a great time. I live in Southern California now but I used to live in San Francisco and then up in Marin County. One of my dear friends lives in Sonoma so I go up there often.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip and I look forward to seeing more pictures and hearing about your adventures.

Willow said...

San Francisco is a magical place! I visited there every summer when I was young and even now I love that city!

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

I've been in San Francisco several times and loved every minute of it. But, as much as I love it, I really wouldn't want to live in California.

Anonymous said...

Hubby worked in SF and loved it. He said the skiing on Lake Tahoe was wonderful. Glad you had a wonderful time.

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos! Looks like a wonderful place to be.

Jeanne said...

Hi Pat, Welcome home. I am so happy your vacation was wonderful. I love the photos and am looking forward to seeing more.

I have a favor to ask you. Beverly has a very special PS that if you visit her up until midnight tonight, a dollar is donated to a special charity. You may have already visited.
Smile.

I have missed you.
Hugs, Jeanne

steviewren said...

Your photos are fantastic. It looks like every day was beautiful. The mosaic doesn't leave out a single detail of what I think of when I think of San Francisco.

Proud Italian Cook said...

Pat, when I look at these photos I instantly want to go back! Such a great city! It looks and sounds like you enjoyed it to the fullest.
I loved hearing about all the places you went to eat on FB, the scenery, the wine, what a nice way to end the summer. Welcome home friend.