Skip to main content

A walk around the lake

In Oakland.  Not exactly the type of town we would venture into.  Largely because of the cliches and the news about what goes on there.  There are some parts one could wander into and not return or so we thought.  It is true in part.

But today with our offspring off at a competition the Saturday lay before us like a large chasm waiting to be filled.  With something.  So the better half and I decided to loiter in Oakland.  No particular plan but hit a few things we had heard in passing mentions as a must see.

Why not?  So we went to Lake Merritt.  Named for a former surgeon and one time mayor of the City of Oakland circa early 19th century.  He cleaned up what was once a sewer for the city and created a space that now houses a man made lake with drainage to the bay.
Gazebo at the north end of the lake

The circumference we googled was 3.5 miles which was an important metric before deciding to leave the safety of the automobile on one end and venture out for the hike.  But that is what we did.  Partly because we actually found parking.  Right by the lake.  It was a pleasant experience with the weather holding at a balmy 70 degrees.  Here is what I observed -


  • Some scenery around the water's edge is turn of the century (as in the 20th) with old buildings in spanish style motif and decorations, an old courthouse etc. 
    Alameda county courthouse (1934) along the south shore of the lake

  • Some parts of the landscape are dotted with churches - we visited one.  It was called the 'Cathedral of Christ the Light'. 

Inside looking up - Cathedral ceiling and assembly hall

Reflecting with Jesus - view of cathedral and lake
 It is modernistic architecture that resembles a bunch of sails inside and out and also brings in lot of natural light with all the glass paneling on its roof.  Designed by a large architectural firm that also designed the famous high rises in Chicago it was opened in 2008.

Not too busy this Saturday

  • Other parts along the shore contain green spaces and parks for kids to play or birds to poop; gnarled trunks of oak and large eucalyptus to lend fragrance to the air.
  • A couple of boat clubs complete the scenery - one is for sail boat enthusiasts while another offers a dock to get your narrow racing sculls out to water.

After having burned a good amount of calories our journey took us to a food truck by the rail road tracks where we sampled some Chicken Shawarma made by an Egyptian cook with a twist on the original idea.  His had copious quantity of goat cheese and barbequed chicken vs the traditional spicy kind cooked on a spit.
spot the Shawarma - it is in the foil

That dinky generator on the hood cooked our food

That done we drove through some not so scenic parts just to check them out and then headed home - in one (but large) piece (due to the oversize food portion) .

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Of chocolates

I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.

Columbia SC

 The Palmetto state.  One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back.  We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination.  Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old.  The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago.  The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...