berkeley

When I was fifteen, I came to Berkeley for the first time. I think my dad had some sort of meeting on the UC campus and so my mother and I tagged along and spent the afternoon wandering around the grounds and the south side. For me, it was love at first sight. 

It's been ten years, almost to the day, since that first visit to Berkeley and I have to admit that the place still  knocks me out.

{Cheese Board Pizza Collective}

On Saturday, Daniel and I drove out to Berkeley for the afternoon. He's a Berkeley alum as well, though we didn't know each other in college, so we each have our own distinct memories of the place. We decided we'd stop for lunch in North Berkeley and ended up Imperial Tea Court. Lots of puerh tea and dumplings and hand pulled noodles with spicy broth. Afterwards, we went across the street to the Cheese Board.

The Cheeseboard is a delight to behold. It's just like a French cheese shop except for the fact that they freely give samples. The sheer quantity of cheese is incredible- there are hundreds of different kinds- but we narrowed down our choices and ended up selecting three- an aged gouda, a soft goat from Indiana, and a silky epoisse. 

We wandered down Shattuck a bit and I bought a new pair of sunglasses. We snuck a peek at the menu at Chez Panisse.

Afterwards, we drove up closer to the University. We walked by my old apartment on Virginia Street.

{Virginia Street}

And then we walked through campus.

{view from the east steps of Mulford Hall}

{Daniel, in front of the Li Ka Shing Center}

{Doe Library}

{Free Speech Cafe}

{the Campanile}

It's amazing what has changed and what has stayed the same. Even since I graduated, not so very long ago, new buildings have sprouted up. But the feel is the same.

{sunset seen from the Berkeley Rose Garden}

The light started to fade and we were due at our friends' house in El Cerrito for dinner. We drove up Euclid to stop by the Rose Garden just as the sun was setting behind a heavy bank of clouds. It was a beautiful afternoon. Oh Berkeley, we love you still.