Great! Britain!

Near the end of the week, theres some big event going on in London. People are all excited about it and such. I was in London a few years back and visited some of the locales where the event was going to take place in. One of the sites is St Magararet's Church or better known as Westminster Abbey. Below is a placque outside one of the entrances.

There are two entrances to the building. I entered through the one below. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed so no interior shots will be provided. However, I could have covertly tried to snap a few here and there but I just could not be bothered.

With all the media coverage. The other entrance reminds me somewhat of Notre Dame in Paris. I believe its some kind of wedding.

The information follows that the reception will be held at Buckingham Palace. During my visit, the city had become damp. The previous days weather was rather warm and humid. However, the dampened state of affairs cause thd the changing of the gurad to be postponed

Aside from myself, there were a number of other people who stood in the rain to witness the daily event. There was a small procession that still took place so that the throngs of folks did not go away empty handed. Since this was my last day in London, I did not have a second chance to view it. That will have to wait for sometime after the wedding and after an Olympic event. Basically, after things have died down a bit

City Skyline

Here is a view of the city skyline from the Potrero Hill area. The freeway pictured shows the 101/80 split. 80 continues east via the Bay Bridge to Sacramento and beyond to Reno. 101 proceeds north onto surface streets before connecting up with the Golden Gate Bridge. The dark tall building just off to the left is the AP Gianini building. Just to the right of it, you can just make out the Transamerica Pyramid. If you are familiar with the city, you may be able to guess where this shot is being taken from. The downtown area has the largest concentration of skyscrapers in the metro area. Some streets never direct sunlight due the obstructive nature of the vertical workspaces.

I dont recall the weather being this gray when I took the picture. But, you have to expect this when you live in the city especially since its earned reputation for things like fog.

Union Square Shopping

Union Square borders Stockton, Post, Powell, and Geary. Along the perimeter are a number of well known retail establishments and some luxury brans as well Nieman Marcus is anchors the corner of Stockton and Geary Just to the north at Stockton and Post, Levi's and Nike hold the corner.

To the south along Geary, the prominent footprint belongs to Macy's. One of two stores, the second building is on the next block to the east of this location. The annual Chinese New Years parade is televised from this location

Along Post street are a number of luxury brands such as Tiffany's

A next door neighbor of Tiffany's is Saks Fifth Avenue on the corner of Post and Powell. These are just a sample of the stores in this area. Other stores adjacent to the square include the Disney Store, Bulgari, and Louis Vuitton

On The Job - Random Shots

On this warm spring day the white blossoms are in bloom on the trees around Unions Sqaure. Tourists and locals alike are milling about enjyoing the sunshine and doing some shopping and or siteseeing. There has been a stretch of downpours the week before and now the full brunt of spring is in full swing Not knowing my orchids from my ferns, I have no idea what kind of trees these are. I do know that around this time in Tokyo, the cherry blossoms will begin to open up to the season. Though not on the same scale as those cherry tree lined parks in that far away asian island country, these few trees still emote the season and joy of spring.

This past weekend, WonderCon was held at the Moscone Convention Center. WonderCon is a sci fi convention that probably includes comic books and japanese anime. Not having been to one myself, I am only speculating. Moscone is the main convention hall in the city. Named after the late Mayor Moscone, it was initially concieved as a single exhibition hall. Over the years, it has expanded to include 2 more halls to the north and northwest. the annual SF Autoshow is held here every Thanksgiving weekend. the street between the north snd south halls are closed off during Oracle's conferences.

All around most major cities, meter maids patrol the streets on the lookout for revenue to fill city coffers. They hand out tickets for parking violations that come across their paths. Usually the violaters are non-moving cars. So it perplexes me as to why their little meter maid gokarts would be called Interceptors. On the rear bumper of one such vehicle pictured below, you may or may not be able to make it out but take my word for it. The word "interceptor" denotes speed or being able to cut off another's path. These little put puts does not inspire those meanints. You dont have to be very fast to cut off a parked car

One of the big movements in the restaurant business is the use of mobile kitchens such as the one below. Recently, the city opened up the process of getting a license for one of these businesses, making it easier to procure one. People lined up early. Some as early as Friday morning even though procedure was not going to be available until Monday morning. Most times, people think of roach coaches when they see these trucks. but, nowadays, they are a haven for gourmet foods for those on the lookout for them. They offer a variety of foods and some are as enigmatic as the food they serve for they may not always show up in the same place. For these nomadic eateries, some keep in contact via social media like Twitter or Facebook