Ghirardelli at Mt. View Cemetery

Domingo Ghirardelli, the famed chocolatier, came to San Francisco during the Gold Rush years and made his fortune not from panning for gold, but by provisioning miners with cocoa and fruit brought from South America.  Years after his success he built this mausoleum in Mt. View Cemetery.  Angered that a priest did not give his granddaughter last rites, he and his sons stole into St. Mary's Cemetery next door and moved the bodies of family members to the mausoleum.  His final snub of the Church was to put a masonic symbol on the entry.  It is placed between the two wreaths on the lintel.  Read the delightful website Lives of the Dead by Michael Colbruno for a fuller biography of Ghirardelli.

Linking to Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Keeping Tobacco Sacred

I found this large, interesting mural on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt.  I couldn't figure out why such an intricate mural was on the wall of a parking lot.  Until I realized the lot belongs to the American Indian Child Resource Center next door.  Oakland has a diverse population including many tribal groups.

Made in 2004, this mural was part of an anti-smoking health education campaign calling for tobacco's use only in sacred ceremonies as had been done for millenia.   I was impressed by the inclusion of symbols from many different tribes and how bright the colors remain. 

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

B is for Bocanova

Bocanova is at Jack London Square.  It's a pan-american restaurant with recipes from all the Americas using local ingredients.  Small plates are perfect for sharing.  It has a large dining room but

if the evening is warm, the terrace can't be beat.  If you go, definitely order the shishito peppers with Trapani sea salt.  Warning: they are addictive.

Linking to ABC Wednesday.

POTUS

President Obama was in Oakland on Monday for three fund raising events.  Well, one event was actually in a private home in Piedmont-- a small, wealthy, independent city within Oakland.  The excitement of being able to see him and his motorcade brought out many folks including your's truly.  I took tons of pictures but stopped just as his limo drove by and instead waved at the tinted windows.  My partner insists that he waved back.

Monday Mural

During the last Art Murmur I ran into this humungous mural on 26th Street between Broadway and Telegraph.  It is a collaboration between David Polka and Ernest Doty.  This section is only about a quarter of the mural, which covers the entire wall of this building.  This property is owned by a body and fender shop that becomes a gallery for vintage cars during the first Friday Art Murmur.  They also invite a chef to set up a sausage grill and beer spigot.  Can't be beat.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

Monday Mural: tree mural

This new mural is at Telegraph and 43rd Street.  It covers the entire length of the building and looks like it is a collaboration among a number of street artists.  This section is signed by Billy Sprague.    His style looks simple, but once you start following the lines you realize it's quite complicated.  I like the way he plays with positive and negative space.  The upper corner looks like it was done by a different artist.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Weekend Reflection: another vintage car

As you've probably guessed, I like reflections on shiny surfaces.  Hope you don't mind one more from the First Friday vintage car show.  For more reflections, visit James's meme, Weekend Reflections.

getting a leg up

A rock climbing wall was again provided for children at this year's Temescal Street Fair.  This little girl knew she could count on her mom to help her get her footing.  She looks pretty brave to me to even try this challenge.  You can see it was a warm, fair day, which we've continued to enjoy all this week.  A definite improvement over the past couple of summers.  Linked to Skywatch Friday.

flying yoga

Another sight at the Temescal Street Fair.  As my dad would say, "Try THAT on your piano!"  Brought to you by Flying Aerial Yoga on Telegraph Avenue.

Rainbow Man

Spotted at Sunday's Temescal Street Fair.

Monday Mural: Clothing Town

Clothing Town, a discount store at 34th Avenue and Foothill Blvd., added this mural to its wall in 2011.  The mural was made by many community volunteers with the guidance of the Eastside Arts Alliance, previously featured here and here.  The cultural and historic references in the mural no doubt educate some who view it.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

vintage reflection

This reflection is from the trunk of a vintage car.  The vintage car show is on the first Friday of the month and coincides with Art Murmur.  The Royal Jokers car club is now sponsoring posters for the monthly show.

To view more photo reflections, visit James' meme,  Weekend Reflections.

celebrating the 4th

Due to difficult economic times, most cities in the East Bay, including Oakland, did not celebrate Independence Day with fireworks.  But a sunny afternoon in Lakeside Park, with the Municipal Band playing their first concert of the season, was a charming and relaxing way to honor the day.

Monday Mural: Aztec dreams

Otaez Mexican restaurant was one of the first businesses on International Blvd. to use murals to decorate their exterior wall.  More recently they've used murals to add pizazz to their interior.  For years I've seen this mural's central image on various business advertising calendars.  You see it almost as frequently as the Virgin of Guadalupe, (see her with Pope John Paul II in a framed print touching the left side of the mural?), which suggests it's an important cultural reference.   I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know what it refers to.  Can anyone enlighten me? 

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.