In a sense, California is where our family history began, so it was great to return there with Alex. Our first stop was Stanford University where Roque gave a talk at the Latin American Studies Center. Alex and I spent a whole morning hiking up at the Dish where I used to walk from time to time.
We also strolled around campus, browsed in the bookstore, and checked out the Rains Houses apartments where I used to live.
We also got to meet Zelda from South Africa who is spending the year at Stanford.
Alex loved the beach at Half Moon Bay.
He also got a great kick out of the tornado machine and the ducks at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
Our Caribbean-themed hotel in the Marina district, Hotel del Sol, was lots of fun, especially when Alex discovered how to have easy access to unlimited water in the bathroom.
While Roque gave a talk at UC-Berkeley, Alex and I played at Habitot, a “discovery museum” especially for toddlers.
We spent a gloriously sunny Saturday in Golden Gate Park with Matt, Kari and little Leo. It wasn’t the calcadao in Ipanema, but it sure was nice to stroll around, picnic, and play on the playground.
The highlight of San Francisco for me was a walk in Muir Woods. At first I walked alone while Alex and Roque slept in the car. The majestic redwoods inspired some deep reflections that went beyond my usual musings about parenthood. I had walked that path with my mother close to 20 years earlier and there I was now, a mother, walking along the same path. Luckily Alex and Roque woke up in time to join me for a stroll under those splendid redwoods and to breathe a bit of the air that we share with all those who came before us and all who will come after.
