Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - for real !!

Uncle Bob made another one of my dreams come true-hearing my favourite song: "Cant take my eyes off of you" LIVE ! Frankie (and the acoustics!!) were phenomenal.

Uncle B surprised me with tickets to this concert and made me ecstatic. Thankyou Uncle B. You've managed to put a smile on my face, in some way, every single day-a curve that puts so many things straight, hey. In the words of Frankie Valli, you really are "too good to be true". I was genuinely really, really happy this night. It was, for me, just a perfect evening.

San Francisco

The City By The Bay

It must have been fate that I was in San Fran two days after I had surprisingly seen Tony Bennett who is famous for his song "I left my heart in San Francisco". They do say that when you go to this city, your heart always brings you back. Even though I brought my heart back with me to New Jersey, I was extremely touched by this beautiful city - an abundance of things to do, see and most importantly for me- feel.

Ocean Beach

I had to put my feet in the water so I could say that i've been in the Pacific Ocean and IT WAS BLOODY FREEZING ! This stretch of beach was really pretty though and all the surfers were out. Again, it was windy, cold, cloudy but I love this feeling by the beach-again perpetuated and confirmed my dream: to live by the water one day.

Golden Gate Bridge
I am exceptionally grateful to Dennis, who was able to give me a rather 'individualised' and 'personal' tour of the city. Thankyou SO much for your time, and humour!
The famouse Golden Gate Bridge. We were able to take these photos from Vista Point. Typically, picture postcard views!

As you can see from my hair, the wind was relentless. It's a great spot to see the whole of the city-if the famous S.F fog wasn't out with a vengeance! It was just so nice.

We went for a juicy steak in the Marine area. It was delicious!
Dennis took me to two great restaurants. We went for Sushi at the 'Sushi Zone'-very near the Castro district. I really liked this restaurant becasue it was tiny, and you sat so close to the one chef-it was very relaxed and casual atmosphere, it was a very intimate affair-wierd but there was something quite unique about this chef, thats why I took a photograph of him.

Fisharman's Wharf
This is a view of Fisherman's Wharf from the ferry-San Frans focal point-the 24mile waterfront area. Fisherman's Wharf is so energised, its filled with music bands, fishing boats, seafood stalls, steaming crab couldrons and seafood restaurants-my idea of heaven!

Gorgeous views.

Cable Cars
This was one of the most exciting things for me-getting on a cable car!! It's the S.F thing to do-the views you get are quite amazing. You feel so 'cool' hopping on and off, well I did anyway!

Sausalito

I took a 35minute ferry ride from Fisherman's Wharf and arrived and this beautiful and extremely charming little fishing village.

It's sort of like a one road town across the bay-it had stunning views of San Francisco.

I was enthused by it because it was filled with boutiques, galleries and cafes. I thought Sausilto had a lot of character-very quaint.

Alcatraz

Arriving at the island is extremely eerie: cold, windy, foggy, spooky, you really do get a feel for the place and what it was like-very informative tour.

Everyone HAS to get this picture from the prison cell!!!


Alcatraz is Spanish for 'Pelican' as these birds were the only inhabitants of the island. The island served as a military fortification in the 1850's and it was in 1934 that it became the maximum security prison-until 1963.

Some of the famous residents of Alcatraz.

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

The Birthday Girl !!!! It was Lorene's birthday. I had never met Lorene before but by the end of the night I felt I'd known her all my life! This photograph is just TOO funny, I love it!








I loved being at this bar, look at the views at the back of us girls. It's such an amazing and unique feeling going out, and living by the shore - whether its sunny or rainy (there was terrrential rain this night!)-I think it's my destiny to live by the water someday.

Don't you just love my 'Sand Bar' t-shirt? I do. Dave, whats going on with your eyes?? Probably the same thing thats going on with the rest of us: Alcohol !






This was at the 'Wharfside' bar, it was such a great bar as it was surrounded by huge windows all the way round so you could see all the boats going by. Beautiful.


Lorene and Elliot and me, a little squashed (and drunk maybe).

SOUL2SOUL - NYC

THE JOSHUA TREE
Post Concert drinks - we met up with the girls who were so much fun. Thanks for making it another fun night (weekend in fact!), 'guys' and 'dolls', thankyou so much. x



Lance in his 'element'!!







Lance and Dave were having a 'camp' converstaion I think.

We started off with some pre-concert drinks at the Seaport - Brooklyn Bridge in the background- this is a bit of advertising for A.P.S, Uncle Bob's company -they asphalted the bridge some years ago- great ' lay' Uncle B !!!!









The highlight of the evening was the surprise guest - it was my idol TONY BENNETT!!! He sang a song with Tim Macgraw and that really made my night becasue I LOVE my mate Tony!!

Now that I am a 'country convert' I found it only right that I go to see Faith Hill and Tim Macgraw in Madison Square Gardens. Whilst I think that they are excellent singers-very passionate, the concert didn't do them justice - the acoustics weren't great, commenting the renowned sound technician that I am!!!!

The 'Diner' thing - HOLLYWOODS

This is Photi, the owner of Hollywood diner. He's been very sweet over the year and now I am a regular local, he has been offering me (and whoever I am with) free drinks EVERY time I go-its a 'Greek thing'( or connection) that we have going on, I'm sure!













My "goodbye" meals begin unfortunately - Skylar is so cute (and very clever!).

I just had to include 'Hollywoods' in my blog-its been such a major part of my experience here in Jersey!!

I have fully intergrated into the "diner ritual"! Its great. Hollywoods is my local diner and you find people that have been going RELIGIOUSLY for years and years and sit in exactly the same place everytime and order the same thing everytime. You become one of the 'diner community' after you've been a few times.

Family Affair at the Phillies

Christa was raising money for the Crohn's Society (who she was elected President for this year) so had arranged a family charity event to a Phillies game. Phillies may have lost that night to Tampa, but thanks to Christa, our night was still a winner-you always emanate so much love and care Christa, your beautiful. x













Uncle Sal, out of control once again!









It was so fun. Marriane is always full of smiles and kind words.




I just love sunsets-they're so thought evoking. This one seemed to find me that night.












Ah, how sweet.











Oh, how ridiculous !