Today is our last day in SF – we fly home tonight.  It’s been a big couple of days of exploring.  

Monday was an epic walking day beginning with the walk down the hill from our hotel, through the edge of Chinatown and to North Beach to find an italian language bookshop I’d found online.  Unfortunately Wellington will never to be able to support something like Libreria Pino – made me wish my reading skills were better as he had a great selection; anyhoo, I got some books designed for adult learners of italian.  

From there we walked along Union Street to Cow Hollow – which was reminiscent of Melbourne (but with hills!).  Nice victorian architecture, interesting shops and cafes.  After lunch we walked from there to Fort Mason park on the Bay and back to the Ferry Building via what felt like an endless walk along the Embarcadero.  By then it was time for a restorative drink.

Monday night was our blow-out dinner at Quince – I had gone on my own last year and wanted John to try it. It was amazing – we tried the seasonal white truffle menu with the wine match – even the dessert of an amazing chocolate souffle came with truffle gelato.  

Yesterday morning was a very early start for a photography tour.  Again, I had done one last year with Doc and enjoyed it.  So at 5am we were off to Treasure Island in the Bay for city lights, then various stops including views of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges and the Sutro Baths.  I’ll post some shots if WordPress cooperates!

We were back at the hotel by 10, and after a brief break were off to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  We had booked lunch in their restaurant which turned out to be amazing – but one of those experiences where the menu description doesn’t do justice to the food that arrives. The museum had an interesting exhibition of Walker Evan photos – he took some interesting and iconic photos during the Great Depression, but had a long and varied career.  And, there was a small display of Louise Bourgeois metal spider sculptures.🕷

By last night we were shattered!! It was dinner in the bar of the hotel and a few photos of Grace Cathedral’s Christmas lights.  And sleep….😴💤💤💤

Yesterday was grey and wet. So we went shopping!  We had a couple of things we wanted to get that we’d used/seen at Caroline and Dan’s, and as it was so miserable, being inside was a priority.  Everywhere still had their Black Friday sales on so some stuff was ridiculously cheap.  In general I wasn’t impressed with the women’s clothing but John got a couple of things.  Mostly we just mooched about having a look.

By last night when we were heading out for dinner down at the Ferry Building on the bay the heavy rain had stopped.  We went to The Slanted Door – a modern vietnamese restaurant.  The food was great, the room, which was huge, was full when we arrived and stayed busy; not bad for a holiday weekend Sunday.  

We took the California St cable car down the hill and (more importantly) up again!  Way easier to get a seat at night!

Some pics around the Ferry Building will follow but off now to find an italian language bookshop in North Beach.  Today is bright and sunny so I expect we’ll walk a bit today!

The day after Thanksgiving was supposed to be fine and sunny, so Caroline and I headed off early to walk a trail on the opposite side of Lake Hennessey from them.  Luckily for us, the forecast was correct and we got some nice views and autumn colour as we walked the Sam the Eagle trail (unlike Moore Creek Park there were signs and names for the trails). At the top of the trail was some light woodland of oaks draped with spanish moss, and we got some nice views over the lake.  Unfortunately the water birds played hard to get by staying out in the middle of the lake..

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving meal at Caroline and Dan’s for our American thankgiving experience.  Dan smoked the turkey (starting early as it took 6 or so hours), and I tried to help Caroline out by doing the cranberry sauce while she prepared various vege/salads and dessert of apple crostata.  

That morning we accompanied them to Thanksgivind Day mass to hear Caroline sing in her church choir. 

And, of course,there was American football to watch on TV.  John had been well schooled by Dan before the big day!

Most mornings Caroline walks a loop around and up the hill alongside Bryant Vineyard, then around to Chappellet Vineyard and back down the hill to home.  Yesterday I played with B+W just for something different…

Had to share otherwise you’d never believe the decor!

These are from our walk in Bryant – all the grapes are in so only very few stragglers are left on the vines.  Hard to believe there were fires so close not long ago.

Out and about a bit today in the Valley.  This morning we walked the Caroline’s usual walk up to Bryant Vineyard and Chappellet Vineyard (Caroline and Dan’s neighbours).  More autumn colours and views out over Lake Henessey.  We met Caroline and Dan’s neighbour Cyril Chappellet supervising works his property to improve resilence in the wake of the fires.  Like many people Cyril is taking the proximity of the fires as a warning and looking at what kind of mitigation is possible.  Much the same as happened in areas of Australia after big bush fires.

After that it was off to morning tea with an Italian friend of Caroline’s, Roberta where I got in a bit of language practice.  She was lovely and very patient!  But any chance for practice is good – all part of my overcoming my performance anxiety about speaking.

Then we were off to Raymond Vineyards.  Caroline and Dan had suggested it as an ‘experience’ and it certainly was!  We had booked the Red Room – a tasting experience which began with blind sniffing various aromas – getting your nose prepared so to speak.  Then we tasted something like 8-10 wines mostly cabernet or cabernet blends of varying vintages.  The place is owned by a flamboyant Frenchman who brings marketing flair – of a certain kind!

The Red Room was all red velvet, red upholstery, crystal chandeliers, mirrors and shiny black furniture (‘bordello’ decor springs to mind!).  The tasting was not cheap – almost no tasting here is by Australian or New Zealand standards ($60 is pretty standard here) but then the wine here is much more expensive too.  Anyway, we had a great time, the tasting was just the two of us and we got to taste things we wouldn’t have otherwise.  The theatrical decor continued beyond the Red Room to the Crystal Room – a bar area which adjoins a private dining area and leads through to a lab where clients – for a price – can blend their own wine under the guidance of Raymond staff.  Only in the US!

Quiet afternoon after that – preparing for my dyeing experiments with Caroline tomorrow.

Pictures to follow….