Golden Gate Bridge

Another iconic landmark - the Golden Gate Bridge. I have driven across this bridge hundreds of times, and walked toward it on the famous Chrissey Field to the bridge and back path more hundreds as well. It never ever gets old. I love the perspective you get of this bridge when you come upon it from Marin Country. As you exit Rainbow Tunnel, one of the towers appears before you, with the sparkling white city behind it (assuming sun). Then a closer tower appears, boom, which can be a bit jarring and feels almost like an optical illusion.

My son, a native San Franciscan, got another tattoo this summer which is close to the version on the left, but reversed and with a bit of fog around it. It looks pretty good.

As I've been posting my postcards, I've been learning more about postcard collecting. Did you know there are websites for collectors whose subject area is so specific, it's amazing there are enough postcards to share? I came across one the other day whose concentration was interiors, 1950-1982. Something like that anyways. Other people collect only bridges, or only buildings, or only transportation vehicles. Makes me a bit of a dabbler, I suppose.

Fauna or Branding?

Jellyfish are among the most intriguing creatures in the sea. They are oddly beautiful. Once when I was swimming in the ocean at Carpenteria Beach ("world's safest beach"), I picked up out of the water what I thought was a baseball hat. It was not. I still remember the squishy feel. Another time when swimming in the ocean at Byron Bay Australia, my Australian friend thought she saw box jellyfish coming in, and dragged me out of the water very quickly. Scary. There were jellyfish in the ocean off Phuket, Thailand that floated on the surface of the water and had an appendage that served as a sail. They were able to travel a fair distance, quickly. They were small, but they stung a lot. For a milestone birthday, my mom and dad gave me a piece of blown glass with a jellyfish inside. Not an actual one. I have no idea how the artist did it.

At first glance, this jellyfish photo appears to be merely a nature postcard. However, a quick read of the back shows that it is actually an advertising postcard from Farallon, a fancy seafood restaurant in San Francisco. The entire restaurant has an underwater feel, from lighting fixtures to mosaics on the wall.

It's been a while since I've been there, but I remember it looked pretty cool inside. I don't remember thinking the food was worth the hype. Branding or nature postcard? You decide.