the view over here! the view over there!

But first, last, and in-between, there was always Mount Diablo.

No, that's not really so, but it did seem that its massive double peaks were visible along almost every route we took.

Perhaps that was just because Paul kept pointing it out to me - sure that probably had something to do with my seeing it again and again.

Perhaps memories of an earlier trip to see them, and the picnic we had on the peak's flanks, brought it to my attention now.

Or, perhaps, it's that little possum hanging on my living room light reminding me of that day so long ago... yes, perhaps!

Our first stop today had been in Benicia, to check out the oils and vinegars at the Sepay Groves store.

What a diverse array of flavors!

My favorite was the blood orange oil!

The oils and vinegars are garnered from five local California groves.

The panoramic view was taken on a side street, just outside a little inn.

How lovely to have that accompany a morning cup of coffee!

After a bit more driving, continuing in a northeasterly direction to Fairfield, we had first thought to visit a candy factory...

but that sounded more like a girls' trip for tomorrow!

Instead, we went down the street to Sonoma Harvest, hoping to check out some tasty oils and vinegars.

And we did!

I liked this roomy place much better than the cramped little store!

And that lemon oil... oh, my, it would be a divine drizzle for ice cream!

Then, back down south to Berkeley, to catch the view before the marine layer returned from wherever it goes to after late morning!

The Lawrence Hall of Science has a webcam so you can watch the fog roll in... then watch it roll away again.

I know, because I watched the 24-hour loop, making note of the few hours in early afternoon when we could see clearly.

Sure enough, at 2 PM, we were there and the city was spread below, crystal clear!

That's the LHOS in the leftmost photo, with the University of California, Berkeley, peeking its white dome into sight.

I wonder if I could make out Mount Diablo from this height and this direction?

Sure, maybe that's what I'm pointing at as Paul and Cathy hang out by the car, admiring the breeze!

And what's that thing in the middle?

That is the actual electromagnet from the very first cyclotron!

It was built by physicist Ernest Lawrence... so, naturally, I had to send that photo to the bfe!

We all realized we were hungry at about the same time.

Down into Berkeley proper we went!

Barcote offered us our introduction to Ethiopian cuisine, as well as to their way of dining without utensils.
I had the house specialty - fish goulash - choosing to eat with the provided spongy bread rolls ... 

very tasty!

Afterward, we drove around past People's Park; it's a shanty town, filled with the many tents and shelters of the area's homeless.

To me, this sight is fairly usual.

The odder sights were the tent towns erected out in the desert, away from shopping centers and suburbs.

Certainly makes me feel blessed to have four walls and a roof.