Sunday, August 16, 2009

Bart's Bridges

It was too early in the morning (and too cold) for anyone to be at the nude beach. So we thought until a man walked up the beach and, after finding a suitable spot, casually dropped his shorts and lay down on the rocks. Good thing you were turned towards my chest and not out while hanging out in your Baby Bjorn, little Rai.
We had arrived prepared, though. The north end of Baker Beach and this beach, Marshall Beach, are known as San Francisco's nude beaches. Whereas, on a warm day, it is normal to find dozens of nude sunbathers and even nude volleyball games on Baker Beach, Marshall Beach, accessed by a trail that crosses over a series of coastal bluffs, is more remote and unknown. We had come here not for nude sunbathing but for a chance to get a closer look at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Rai, up in Winnipeg where your Uncle Bart is from, a new footbridge spans the Red River, connecting downtown to the French quarter, St.Boniface. Most call the pedestrian bridge the Esplanade Riel, but those who know the details of how this strikingly modern structure became an integral part of the Winnipeg cityscape, call it 'Bart's Bridge'.
Yes, that's 'Bart's' as in 'Uncle Bart', little Rai. Your uncle is an engineer and bridge builder. When the bridge was under construction back in 2003, he was one of the key engineers on duty, making sure that the construction team kept to the plans. Without Bart, the bridge would have collapsed by now, and so, we have Bart's Bridge.
As an engineer and bridge connoisseur, your Uncle Bart, naturally, was very interested and impressed with our two great bridges, the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. The very evening that he arrived, at 11p.m., we made an evening visit to both bridges on our way home. But, a nighttime visit wasn't enough so we continued to visit both bridges throughout his stay here, getting a close look at them from every possible angle.
This morning, while on one of our 'Rai Walks', we had decided to visit Marshall Beach. The coastal waters had receded noticeably over the past few days so we knew that this often thin, rocky stretch of sand could be more accesible than it usually is. It was. Marshall Beach had opened up entirely.
I've never seen this beach as exposed as it was this morning. On a typical day, rocky cliffs block the north end of the beach. Today, we passed easily and continued walking, closer and closer to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge until we stood right under the giant foundation and web of beams of this, the southern end of the great bridge. We were both amazed and your Uncle Bart was in bridge heaven.

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