CalDay

Boy, is it ever so hot today. Freakish to think that not too many days ago, we were all still pretty much all wrapped up in sweats and fleece, reluctant to go downstairs because it is a few degrees colder than the bedroom. We played four hours of tennis under a sweltering 87 or 90 degrees F from 9:00 am. California spring is very quickly turning into summer. Too quickly if you ask me.

Yesterday was hot too when we were trudging up and down the gentle slopes of the UC Berkeley campus. It was Cal Day, open house for all new students and their families. We were very lucky first to find parking right in front of a Chinese restaurant where we took a quick lunch. I did not realise it was paid parking and glad to get away scot free. And we were very lucky to be just around when a car pulled out of a nice parking spot in a multi-storey car park just in front of the campus.

There were information booths, wheels of fortune where we got a free t-shirt (large unfortunately) and a recyclable luggage tag (what else would you expect from UCB). There was a carnival atmosphere with a 1920's jazz band of oldies that we listened to on the steps for a bit and free trolleys reminiscient of San Francisco that took people round the campus and into Berkeley. Considering how briskly cold it had been just the day before, the summer like weather played to UCB's advantage. People were out sitting on the grass, enjoying the sun, frisbees flew and the drinks stalls did a brisk trade. Here are some pics:

After the trolley ride, it was off to the new student mixer at Nic's college where she met other students, new and existing, and the Half Man and I got our hands on a couple of bottles of water and some free snacks. Then to the School of Life Sciences to gaze at the most complete fossil of a T-Rex in the world and some mushrooms and flowers before trekking back to the car and the drive home.