On the Way to Tokyo: Boston and San Francisco
 Kai and Eidan mugging for the camera, at a hotel in Boston
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In my last post I promised pictures of our time in San Francisco, and here they are. I’ve included some pictures from Boston too. After spending Christmas in Newport with my family, we headed up to Boston the day before our flight to San Francisco, to visit with my aunt and grandfather. The Melrose library had a display for the month of December of my grandfather’s paintings. In the pictures below you’ll see some of them – there were many others as well.
The Japanese garden you see in the pictures is not in Tokyo, it’s in our previous home town, San Mateo. The garden was created when San Mateo became a sister city with Toyonaka, Japan.
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The biography of my grandfather has already come down from the Melrose public library site, now that the display of his paintings has ended. So I thought I should save a copy:
Dr. Alfonso Mandrachia Artist Display
Local Talent on Display! Long time resident of Melrose, Dr. Alfonso Mandrachia, MD will display his art work during the months of November & December in the library’s main lobby.
Dr. A.C. Mandrachia was born on July 15, 1913 in Chelsea, MA and raised in Everett, MA. A graduate of Tufts University and Middlesex University, he served as a U. S. Army medical officer in Europe during World War II, awarded both a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. After his discharge as a Major, he established his medical practice in Everett. Dr. Mandrachia had a long career as a family practitioner, during which he served as chief of the medical staff at Whidden Memorial Hospital (Everett), and company physician at General Electric in Everett and Automatic Radio in Melrose. Dr. Mandrachia and his wife, Eloise (d. 1989), moved to Melrose in 1954, and raised four children.
Dr. Mandrachia began painting in the early 1960s, but his most prolific period was in the 1980s. Working exclusively in oils, he found inspiration primarily in landscapes, but was also intrigued by the human figure. His work reflects the styles of various periods, from classical to impressionist. Now in his 90s, Dr. Mandrachia enjoys following politics, the Red Sox and the stock market, writing poetry, solving crossword puzzles, and reading.
