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Reflections on San Francisco - November 21, 2008 



Another trip to San Francisco.  This time, it was for the Adobe MAX conference from November 16-19.  As usual, I stayed at the Parker Guest House, my favorite bed and breakfast.  The hosts Bill and Bob were their usual friendly selves.  Free continental breakfast every morning, even for us early birds.

While in town, my friend Wade and I made the most of the opera and the symphony.  Michael Tilson Thomas conducted Beethoven’s “Pastorale” Saturday night and Mahler’s 6th on Wednesday night.  There was the usual cast of a thousand: full orchestra, San Francisco chorus, plus a boys’ chorus and girls’ chorus.  It was quite a performance. 

The first night (Friday) was The Elixir of Love and on Sunday night, we saw La Bohemme.  It was excellent.

Dinner each night was pretty good.  For the first night, we dined at Mecca on Market, then Absinthe for the symphony (on Hayes) and then back to the opera house Sunday afternoon for lunch at the opera house.  The last great meal was at Hayes Street Grill, the hangout for the opera stars and conductors of the symphony.  That was the best of the meals.  I had fried oysters and cole slaw - the best since I was a  kid eating at the Friendship House between Gulfport and Biloxi. 

The conference was interesting.  Over 5,000 people attended and the new innovations with Adobe are pretty spectacular.  There is a definite shift of emphasis to everything mobile.  Not all the sessions were great but some were very good and pertinent to my classwork.

My last day I went to Golden Gate Park and visited the new California Academy of Sciences museum.  Interestingly, a lot of the material shown in the aquarium were Florida examples.  It’s a beautiful new building, apparently 5 years in construction.  The entrance fee is a little steep: $24.00.

© Fred Searcy 2017