Years after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the original de Young structure beyond repair, the new de Young Museum, on the original site, was the largest copper clad building in the world.
Set in Golden Gate Park, designed by Swiss based design firm Herzog & de Meuron, the new structure is 293,000 square feet with a 144 foot observation tower, a sculpture garden, Children’s garden, a huge Museum Store and an indoor/outdoor cafe.
The Summer of Love took place primarily in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. It was ground zero for political, social and musical commentary with a focus on sex, drugs and rock & roll.
The Summer of Love exhibit runs until August 20, 2017.
The world as then defined by a San Francisco mapmaker.An interesting poster of the political climate in 1967.
One of several galleries of poster art accompanied by music and light shows.
Pins of all topics were popular at the time, now vintage collectors items.
Several galleries of fashion of the time.
Jerry Garcia Hat
Album cover, note the hat!
Social commentary on a lamp post in front of the museum.
Note: The museum courtyard, cafe, lobby, sculpture garden and tower are all accessible free of admission. The special exhibits and the permanent collection require admission.
Also of note, the California Academy of Sciences including the Steinhart Aquarium are directly across the concourse.
Tower at the de Young Museum. Photo: SF ChronicleAmazing 360 view from the tower. Photo: SF Chronicle
This movie is in limited distribution for some odd reason. It is a good film and tells a somewhat unique tale. It is about a young street magician who struggles to care for his only sister after the death of their Mom. His name is Bo and he turns to drug dealing to make ends meet.
This is the third movie by the talented young Director, Justin Dillard. The film is intelligent, with strong characters, a tense atmosphere and a powerful ending.
It is rated R for violence, strong language and adult subject matter. It is not suitable for young children. The genre is listed as Fantasy/Science Fiction. The run time is 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Rating
Your Name
This is an unusual, animated film from Japan about a teenage boy and girl on a quest to meet each other and magically swap bodies in their dreams. I know what you are thinking and we are not entirely sure what the point was either.
That said, this romantic story is charming with exceptional animation and a lovely soundtrack. It also reveals a rare peek at Japanese society from several aspects from a Japanese perspective.
It is rated PG and is listed as a Fantasy/Drama. It runs 1 hour, 52 minutes.
Note: We discovered after the fact it has been released in English. We saw it in Japanese with English subtitles which made it challenging as fast dialog makes subtitles often difficult to keep up. We suggest seeing it in English if possible. This film might have award potential.
Rating
The Dinner
This movie seems to have very limited release. It is an intriguing and complex drama about two related couples and a traumatic incident involving their children. It is also a commentary on privilege and mental illness. That said, the characters are mostly annoying.
It is set in a pretentious upscale restaurant where the courses are explained to excessive detail and served by an army of staff which really comes off as a huge disconnect.
The saving grace is the cast is quite good and their interaction connects well. Richard Gere and Steve Coogan deliver great characters. Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall are strong, relentless wives.
It is rated R for violence and adult subject matter. It is listed as a Mystery/Drama and runs a painful 2 hours.
Rating
Risk
This documentary was also given very limited release. It is another in a series of films about WikiLeaks. This one grants filmmaker Laura Poitras access to Julian Assange and his team for six years.
The result is intriguing and insightful. It is also convoluted, confusing and contradicting. There can be no doubt this subject matter is a work in progress and the whole story is yet to be revealed. It will quite likely plague several nations and their leaders for many years to come.
There is only a snippet on whistle-blower Edward Snowden at the end of the film. There is also a bizarre appearance by Lady Gaga that seemed way out of place. Nonetheless, it is such an important topic, this documentary should be required viewing. Run time is 1 hour and 37 minutes.
Hi all! Before we get to this weeks movies, this seems a good time to pause and give everyone an update on our world wind life in retirement. We have never been busier. Keeping up with events, our friends and family, enjoying Spring, and planning our road trip to Wisconsin. We are planning to post updates to the blog as we make our way East on I-80. Mobile phones, text messages, e-mail and the occasional Skype/FaceTime will be the best way to reach us after next week.
J&J
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent
This is a fascinating documentary about Jeremiah Tower, his life, the birth of California cuisine, and a truly unique person. We will bet any foodie out there would enjoy this movie about this first celebrity chef.
Contributors include Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali, Martha Stewart and the former Editor of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl. The film explores most aspects of Tower’s life: his priviledged but lonely childhood, his Harvard education, the stint at Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse and the falling out with Alice Waters.
There is a long focus on the rise and fall of his revered Stars restaurant in San Francisco. (Fun for us as the restaurant was a favorite of ours and walking distance from our house.)
If there is a down side, it is this film gets a little too personal. It is not clear why Director Lydia Tenaglia, or Mr. Tower, elected to explore that point of view. Perhaps it was cathartic.
It is listed as a Documentary/Biography and runs 2 hours. Rated R.
Rating
The Guardians of the Galaxy, volume 2
If you liked the first Guardians of the Galaxy, you will most likely enjoy this one too. The same characters are there, a few new creatures, the Sovereign are the beings that hire the Guardians to protect their batteries only to have them stolen. You can probably guess what happens next…
The cast is roughly the same as the first film: Chris Pratt is Star-Lord, Vin Diesel is Groot, Dave Bautista is Drax, Zoe Saldana is Gamora and Bradley Cooper is still Rocket (Raccoon). There are several new characters, most notably Kurt Russell as Star-Lord’s father Ego.
The film is entertaining but seemed to lack the excitement of the first film. Marvel will need to take note of audience reactions to Volume 2 and seek ways to keep the energy and interest flowing if future products are going to keep audiences on board. Nonetheless, we had fun and think it is worth a look.
Rated as PG-13 and listed as Science Fiction/Action genre. Running a long 2 hours and 18 minutes.
Rating
Truman
This is an unusual Spanish film that won several Goya Awards (the Spanish equivalent of our Oscars). It is about a terminally ill actor who decides to stop treatment and wrap up his affairs in his final days.
One of his oldest friends, living and working in Montreal, decides to pay a visit to help with funeral arrangements, pay and close personal accounts and find a new home for his beloved dog, Truman.
It is well made, sensitively written, compassionately produced and at the same time funny, somber and bittersweet.
There are more than a dozen characters in this film, highlighted by Ricardo Darin as the ill Julian and Javier Camara as his friend Tomas. Truman has a big role, albeit with minimal dialog.
It is listed as a Drama/Comedy and runs 1 hour, 49 minutes. It is not rated. English and Spanish with English subtitles.
This tech-centric film is set somewhere between the present and near future and looks an awful lot like Apple, Google or Facebook headquarters. It challenges the concept of privacy, ethics and ultimately personal freedom.
It is a slick, utopian peek at the ultimate ‘group think’ world that could be the future. It is an intriguing story that gets a bit annoying and more than a bit creepy.
The acting is quite good. Emma Watson and Tom Hanks are the headliners. Both depict believable characters. The production itself might easily have been filmed in Silicon Valley. It is thought provoking at best and mildly disappointing.
It is rated PG-13. Genre is Science Fiction/Drama and it runs 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Rated
Gifted
This heart string drama is a story about an Uncle and his Niece who happens to be a mathematical prodigy like her deceased Mom. The bond between the two is powerful and believable.
The acting is impressive. The cast includes Chris Evans as the Uncle, Jenny Slate as the school teacher, Mckenna Grace as the little genius, Octavia Spencer as the protective neighbor and Lindsay Duncan as the powerful grandmother who wants custody of the little girl.
Reviews have been generally favorable. The on screen chemistry and conflict between some characters is powerful and believable.
It is rated PG-13 and listed as a drama. It runs 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Rated
Colossal
Once again we find ourselves as outsiders versus critical fanfare. Unique, yes. Satire, yes. Quirky? No doubt. Cutting edge, eh maybe.
The cast was good but the characters were not very likable. Anne Hathaway plays a drunk with really bad judgement. Jason Sudeikis plays Oscar, the childhood friend who runs a bar in the old home town. Dan Stevens plays the former boyfriend from New York.
The kicker is the Anne and Jason characters are somehow connected to sci-fi monsters. When the characters fight, the monsters fight half way around the world in Seoul, Korea. OK…that make sense, right? All said it was unique.
It is rated R for violence and language. The genre is Sci-fi/Thriller. It runs 1 hour, 50 minutes.
John’s Mom, Kay, and I have been known to spend time in the kitchen playing with recipes old and new. Kay is a superb cook and has been very generous sharing her family recipes and mentoring the next generations, including me, how good food, made with love and experience, brings a family together at the table. Thanks Mom for all these years of love and communion, and your recipes!
I found this recipe a few weeks ago after a family visit. John and I were looking for something on the lighter side one evening and it turned our to be a new favorite. It’s quick and easy too. We hope you will enjoy.
Ginger-Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2 Tbs. peanut (or vegetable oil)
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1 lb. ground chicken (breast is lighter, thighs have a bit more flavor)
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, cut into 1/4 inch matchsticks
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha (more to taste)
Sesame oil to taste
8 to 16 whole tender lettuce leaves, Bibb, Butter or Red Leaf
Torn cilantro leaves, as garnish
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 3 Tbs. water.
Heat the oil in a wok or 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, ginger, garlic, and stir-fry until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir-fry breaking it into small pieces until no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add water chestnuts, sugar, soy sauce and Sriracha. Give the cornstarch a stir, and add to pan, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add the scallion greens and season to taste with a little sesame oil.
To serve, place 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of one (or two stacked) lettuce leaves, and top with a few cilantro leaves and a little more Srirachi, if you like. Serves 4 as a starter, or two for lunch/dinner.
Spring has finally sprung in Northern California. After the rainy season of over 30-1/2 inches of rain, we are finally getting sunshine and warmer temps. (Today, it is 83 with a nice breeze!)
SATURDAY: The sunshine and good weather always gets us out of the house. This last weekend we spent Saturday in Lincoln Park and the Legion of Honor fine arts museum housing a special exhibit: Claude Monet, the Early Days (our second visit). Over 50 pieces from around the world on tour. Do see it if it makes it near you. Here are some photos (all but 8 pieces were allowed for non-flash photos!!).
Pristine vintage automobiles in the parking lot.One of our favorite, Monet.Urs Fischer, guest artist, contributes contemporary art to each gallery. These eyes are about 3 feet in diameter and more than a bit creepy!Rodin’s Thinker greets visitors in the Courtyard.Monet’s first public painting and one of our favorites.Our Christmas card from a couple of years ago! It’s awesome in full size.Another of our favorites. The sky and shadows are incredible.
SUNDAY: Warm breeze, clear skies, light traffic, perfect for a drive to Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County.
Hi from J&J. North Beach. We had the beach all to ourselves!Lots of waves and sand for miles. That is the National Seashore in the distance, as far as you can see.Everything, everywhere is green and growing.Stinson Beach from the headlands in the morning.Happy Spring to all! J&J
We hope you enjoyed. Let us know about your spring plans/travels. J&J
It is a bit odd to see such a powerful story about the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians at the end of World War I mixed with the romance of a love triangle.
While watching I kept thinking ‘didn’t we just see this movie’? And we were right, The Ottoman Lieutenant was released and we reviewed March of this year. Same story, just genocide light. That is not uncommon in Hollywood.
This production by Open Road Films has a bigger budget, $90 million and a much bigger cast. Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jean Reno, and James Cromwell are the most notable actors but there are at least as many more who gave strong performances.
Yet this film seems to have stirred up more chatter than usual. Romance versus brutality, genocide versus melodrama. It is a story that is still controversial today.
It is rated PG-13 but we caution it is not suitable for young children. It is listed as a Drama/History and runs a long 2 hours 15 minutes.
Rating
Lost City of Z
This movie was based on true events about the British Major and Explorer, Percy Fawcett who made three attempts to find a lost city in the Amazon. The last trip in 1925.
The acting is quite good, highlighted by Charlie Hunnam as the Major, Robert Patterson as the fellow explorer, Sienna Miller as the wife.
There is a surprise ending that we will not share in this review. Once again, true stories are often the most powerful. This one is interesting, unique and worth a watch. Rated PG-13 with some cautions. It is another long film running 140 minutes.
Rating
Cezanne and I (Cezanne et Moi)
This film is about the turbulent friendship between the writer Emile Zola and the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne from the time they were young schoolboys together until late in life when both enjoyed a global reputation.
The production toggles from sumptuous and sensuous to indifference and protagonist. Cezanne, played by Guillaume Gallienne, is often moody and hateful. In balance, Zola is played by Guillaume Canet, whose character is patient, supportive and tolerant.
The critics were impressed, audiences not so much. It is really a shame. It is beautifully filmed but the brash, mostly hateful and often cruel Cezanne character was annoying in most scenes. In the end it was difficult to marvel at his life’s work. Now considered a visionary and a genius, I will remember the mean and tortured artist that was Paul Cezanne.
Rated R for language, sexual references and nudity, listed as a Drama, it runs 117 minutes. French with English subtitles.
This film is set in the near future where humans are “cyber-enhanced”. The lead character is named Major, played by Scarlett Johansson. She is the most advanced “model” now on a crusade to stop the bad guys until she discovers most of the guys are bad guys.
The other actors include Takeshi Kitano as a warlord, Juliette Binoche as the Doctor, and Michael Pitt as one of a dozen bad guys.
The story is thought provoking but the production is excessively futuristic. It is cluttered with too many future tech concepts seemingly intended to draw a cyber savvy audience.
It is the product of $110 million budget by Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks. It is rated PG13 and listed as a Fantasy/Mystery running 2 hours long.
Rating
Norman (The full title is Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer)
It seems most people and many critics loved this film. It was entertaining and unique but there was something about the characters that just didn’t work for me. I found the lead character sad and desperate.
Richard Gere plays the lead character to great fan fare, as Norman Oppenheimer, a “fixer” of sorts for all things apparently broken. I wanted to scream at Norman: “Get a real job”, better yet “get a life!”. There was no shortage of talented actors: Michael Sheen, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lior Ashkenazi and many more deliver good to excellent performances.
It is listed as a Drama/Thriller by Sony Pictures Classics. Rated R and runs 1 hour, 57 minutes.
Rating
Born in China
This is our pick of the week! It is visually stunning. It exposes areas of China rarely seen by most humans. It focuses mainly on three different animal “families”; a mother Panda and her cub, a snow leopard and her two growing cubs, and a snub nosed golden monkey family.
There are plenty of other visuals as well but the focus on these three family groups are core to the films appeal. It is narrated by John Krasinski, produced by Disneynature and Directed by Lu Chuan.
It is rated G and listed as a documentary with a run time of 1 hour 16 minutes.
Greetings all! Sorry for the delay on Part 2. I’ll blame an overly active travel agenda and copious domestic demands that burned through the better part of a week.
This post will focus on various updates regarding lodging and eating establishments. I hope you will enjoy.
J&J
JW Marriott, Guanacaste
Now that our week has come to a close, it seemed appropriate to share some observations and comments.
First, accommodations. It seems most rooms, with the exception of a variety of suites, are more or less the same size, most with either a pool view, an ocean view or both. So a king room is the same size as a room with two doubles. The latter room came as a bit of a surprise since the rooms appeared large enough to accommodate the incrementally larger queen beds instead of the cramped double beds (at least for most adults).
You can see from the photos, a wonderfully large bathroom with a large soaking tub and an assortment of towels and goodies within easy reach. There is a comfortable stall shower with dual water options, a telescoping panel that allows for either privacy or a full view of the terrace and view beyond.
All rooms also have an over sized terrace with a table and chairs along with a settee, side table and a lap blanket. The balconies also come equipped with multiple speed ceiling fans and a retractable wall to wall, floor to ceiling perforated mesh screen that keeps bugs and birds at bay.
Food options were somewhat disappointing at the hotel. While there were several options available, i.e. Steakhouse, Italian, Asian, and poolside, much of the offerings were limited or repeated on many menus. The breakfast offerings, however, were extensive and satisfying with a wide choice of baked goods, juices, fruits, an egg station and all the usual morning goodies. Much to our surprise, the room service menu was also quite extensive and the food quality very good.
The bar service, as you might expect, was very good, plenty of staff and stations at hand to satisfy the large number of guests during peek service hours.
And speaking of service, the staff were well trained seasoned professionals. There were a couple of bad eggs. I will share that shortfall with the hotel directly in due time.
Eateries
Green Papaya Taco, #40, 50309, Corona Street, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
John, Jim, William, Matthew, Jennifer, Lucy
This cozy and casual taco bar is slightly off the main drag but has a loyal following of customers. There is an air conditioned inside space and a popular outside space with swings. But it is the quality of the ingredients that makes the food shine. Portions are generous and prices are very reasonable.
Rating
Nari Pizza and Pasta, Calle Central, Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort, Tamarindo 50309, Costa Rica
This pizza and pasta restaurant is on the main street of Tamarindo serving excellent wafer thin pizzas and authentic pastas. We also liked their bruschetta and salads. The pizzas are cooked in a wood burning oven. There is a small air conditioned room downstairs but most tables are open air. The large upstairs area is popular in the evenings. Beer, wine and a full bar are available.
Rating
Walter’s Place, Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica
Walter’s sunset on the beach
This popular beach restaurant serves more customers on the beach than inside. It is very popular around sunset and hosts excellent live music evenings. We stopped for cocktails and nachos that were excellent. The main courses we saw from the kitchen looked great but we already reserved a table elsewhere. Next time!
Rating:
Volcano Brewing Company, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Matthew, Jim , John, Jennifer
This is another popular beach front restaurant with a very popular bar. Cocktails, wine and beer are served inside or out (mostly out). The food was delicious, moist roast chicken with crispy skin, awesome soft or crispy tacos filled with your choice of ingredients. Again, very reasonable prices.
Rating
Beach Box, Playa Avellenas, Costa Rica (sorry, no picture)
Hands down, this was our favorite spot for tacos and burritos. This tiny beach side cafe served killer tacos, burritos, chips and salsa, fresh fruit juices and ice cold beer. It’s a bit off the beaten path but worth the rough road ride.
Rating
Last but not least…what could be better than the sheer joy of being with the ones we love?!
This unique documentary explores foods of Israel from many different perspectives: French, Italian, Russian, Lebanese, Persian, Moroccan and others. It is also an inside tour of the diverse peoples, histories and their culinary cultures and evolution.
Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov leads the audience on a whirl wind tour of Israel to explore the origins and future of the ever changing food scene and its frontier state of mind.
If you are a foodie or a food focused international traveler you will enjoy this film. It is not rated and runs a hefty 2 hours.
Rating
Boss Baby
We had low expectations when we first saw the preview of this film. Our screening in the theater casted a very different opine with us. We were struck by the sophisticated screenplay, the quick witted narration that young and old in the audience instantly reacted to.
The cast is surprisingly small. Alec Balwin is the perfect Boss Baby, Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel are the parents. Steve Buscemi and Tobey Maguire round out the key characters.
Critics place this movie in the middle of the pack. Sometimes funny, sometimes generic, often detached from reality. Newsflash, it is, duh, a twist on cartoons! We found it inventive and refreshing and most importantly, consistently funny.
Genre is Comedy/Animation, rated PG. Run time is 1 hour, 38 minutes.
Rating
Going in Style
This is yet another whimsical farce about retired workers confronted with evaporating pension benefits who then decide to rob a bank to get even. If it were not for the great cast, including Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin it would be just another formula mish mash.
There were also a few scenes that added a little sparkle including bit parts from Christopher Lloyd, Matt Dillion and an outrageously funny cameo by Ann-Margret.
Listed as a Crime/Comedy running 1 hour, 36 minutes.
