so my itinerary was rather loose, I had checked out some buses, planned to wander around a bit in the Haight, at the Palace, in China Town etc..
I ended up first in St Patrick's entirely by accident taking pictures of the Downtown skyline.. it was breathtaking..
then I caught the bus to the Haight to do some Deadhead tourism. I know the Haight is rather corporate like Sunset or Hollywood Blvd but I fine interesting things to do over there too and I am way too into the dead to not go..
so I ended up at the Haight, wandered around, went by the Deadhouse at 710, did the cliche thing there. It was a trip, to be a deadhead (and an educated one at that) in that neighborhood is like being a Christian in Jerusalem.. it has all the sights, places, spots, blocks, parks etc etc. It was literally a trip.
I swayed into a nunnery also by accident across the street from 710 Ashbury, it was also spectacular, but reserved in comparison to all the red marble and 4 story pipe organ of St. Patrick's.. I was in there quietly praying when the nuns came in to do their afternoon matins (in latin) which was also very very moving for me. I had never even properly been into a Catholic church before, let alone heard prayer services in latin. Very spiritual after my conversion to Orthodoxy, where prayer is more in song than the morning birds..
I got some coffee and made my way down to Golden Gate park, slided by the piles of low-lives and drug addicts festering around the entrance and made my way to the historic Panhandle. I loved being where paramount Dead shows took place (like on Haight street or in the Panhandle) especially those which I listen to on tape
I toked it a bit in the park, and followed some vibez an then three white butterflies to the Botanical gardens.. now I when I was in the nunnery chapel praying I realized that I was to find one more Church on my unexpected pilgrimage across San Fransisco.. so I followed the vibe and ended up outside the Park on the street.. I went to catch a touristy snap shot in front of the gates to the park when I looked to my right and saw the largest, most elaborate churches yet, St Ignatius and the Carmalite Monastery of Cristo Rey.. I ended up in Cristo Rey, the smaller (not much) one of the two on the intersection..
I was to me the most beautiful yet.. smaller but by no means inferior, it was all dark, musty gray granite with Corinthian pillars and elaborate mesh-work on the lintels and friezes.. a few life size statues, including a mystical on of St Theresa near the altar..
The altar to this Church was immaculate, a true vision.. It was all gold, it had an almost four story carved post canopy (like at the Vatican) crowned with a Diadem on the top (for Cristo Rey 'Christ the King') and a glorious Christ in his Second Advent statue literally bursting forth from the Altar.. The place was empty, and without a single light or candle to speak of, strictly the sunlight billowing in from the few, small stained glass windows at the top (similar in style to a Greek church with small, round stained glass, in fact I went in initially because I thought it was an Orthodox Church and not another Catholic)..
I love this Church..
I prayed there for quite some time, left enlightened, ecstatic, and energized for the rest of the year..
I staggered back into Golden Gate Park (tipsy in the Spirit) to toke another joint and hed off to catch my bus to the Golden Gate Bridge..
I missed it by a few seconds so I went into Amoeba there on Haight, which was actually rather cool cuz I go to Amoeba in Hollywood all the time, I picked up two reggae cds and caught my bus out to the bridge..
I went to smoke in this cool little grove I found last year, with a spectacular view of the both the bridge and the bay and was only 5 minutes from the bus stop, but so nestled in the thick bush that I was invisible enough to smoke an enormous spliff.. well they mowed it down, it looked desolate like St Helens
I smoked my spliff in another location, which all the tourists at the bridge considering, was a monumental achievement..
toked out and relieved, I caught the bus out to the Palace of Fine Arts..
this place is exquisite... but it was gated up last year. When my sister went a few months ago it was open, but they closed it again!
It was still as impressive as it was before, and I was by no means disappointed. I initially went to see the architecture of this building up close, but I was much happier to end up in all the churches..
I grabbed a bus at the world's most beautiful bus stop, went to china town, jumped on a cable car to the best chinese food I have ever had.. I straight flew up to the bay primarily to get some more of this food (U-Lee's).. it was just as perfect as I remembered..
It was getting late, jumped back in the cable car to the BART, crammed my way 'home' with the business commuters and called it a night in the East Bay..