My parents came to visit over the weekend so we went on a little adventure.
They came Saturday afternoon, and we headed out to explore the streets of Berkeley. I never really get to walk around too far outside the bounds of campus. Usually I go from home to class and back home again so it was nice to venture outside of my normal path for once.
Whenever I saw photos of cool murals in San Jose or Insta-worthy brick walls in SoCal, I used to get really jealous because Berkeley seemed to lack the "aesthetic" quality that other places in California had. But as we drove down the streets of Berkeley, I realized that there was a lot more that the city had to offer than I had thought. I found a brightly colored wall that contrasted with the rest of the plain buildings and I'm sure I would have found more interesting architecture if I had continued exploring.
But food is always the priority.
We went to Bartavelle Coffee & Wine Bar, but not for the coffee or for the wine. Located right next to the popular Acme Bakery, they sell salads and sandwiches all served with freshly baked bread. I ordered a lemon vinaigrette salad. It came topped with sliced persimmons, so I automatically fell in love. My mom got a "Persian Breakfast" which was twice the price of my meal but half the portion. (I have a theory that the more expensive a dish is, the less they give you and I'll never be able to understand why.) The real star of the meal was the famous avocado toast. Avocado is already heavenly, so once you season it and serve it on a slice of warm bread, it practically becomes a holy object.
The next stop was the Botanical Garden. My mom is a flower-lover and passionate gardener, so she is bound to enjoy anything involving plants. Despite being a Berkeley student, I had never been to the garden so I thought this would be a good chance to make my first visit.
The garden is organized by themes, specifically by regions around the world. There are Mediterannean, South American, and Asian regions, among several others. Toward the center of the garden, there are greenhouses filled with tropical plants and flowers. Although the garden was not as large as I was expecting it to be, it houses thousands of different plants and trees. We explored for quite a while but still did not get to see everything.
Although I'm usually deathly afraid of all insects/bugs, I got up close and personal for the sake of good photography.
I especially liked this photo of the ladybug hanging onto the plant for dear life. Something about it resonated with me.
At the top of one of the trails there was a bench overlooking a nice view of the bridge. Considering the non-stop rain that had been pouring several days before this, the clear sky was greatly appreciated.
As I was looking through my camera roll, I realized that I had no photos of my parents. In fact, I have never photographed them before. I'm not sure why. Maybe I never had the opportunity, or felt the need to. Or maybe it was because I never felt quite comfortable enough with my photography skills.
No matter what the reason is, this was the perfect opportunity to get a few shots of my mom and dad. Great weather, nice lighting, and wonderful people.
