Gourmet Delights, Golden Gate Park, Movies & MOMA

Had a few good meals out just recently. On Wednesday I went for lunch with another Brit I met through Jon’s work (Emma) to a fabulous tea house place south of Market Street. You order a meal “package” (an exquisite little three course lunch) themed around a type of tea. I had Moorish – mint tea with stuffed vine leaves, halloumi kebab salad and baklava for dessert – yum! I liked it so much I went again yesterday! On Friday we went out to an Afghan restaurant with Tim, a chap who also works for Data Connection, who was over from the UK for meetings. Afghan food is a bit like Indian, but not quite as spicy and not as oily, so probably better for you. We also found a nice bar – Vesuvio (apparently where Jack Kerouac and other writers of the so-called Beat movement used to hang out).

On Saturday, Jon and I went to Golden Gate Park, a huge (3 mile long) green space in the west of the city. Within the park boundaries are several little attractions, including a Japanese tea garden, botanical garden, bison enclosure, museums and a couple of windmills. We visited the Japanese garden, which was lovely, and enjoyed some tea and fortune cookies (apparently a San Franciscan invention) there. We also walked to the ocean-front and saw the Dutch windmill and tulip garden. In the evening we went to the cinema to see a German film that had been recommended to me, “Das Leben der Anderen” (“the lives of others”). Little was I to know that it would win the Oscar for best foreign language film on Sunday! We managed to get the last two tickets, which unfortunately meant we had to sit right at the front, but I was amazed that it was a full house for a foreign film. Anyway, it was excellent – all about surveillance by the Stasi in East Germany during the seventies and eighties, and how a Stasi employee becomes involved in the life of an author he is spying on and subsequently falsifies his reports to try to help him. I would highly recommend it.

On Sunday, we picked up Susie from the airport, who has come to visit us and others she knows in the Bay Area. In the afternoon we went on a little trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Bonita lighthouse and Sausalito, but the weather was nowhere near as nice as it was last time we went – rather grey and rough. In the evening, we had dinner in and watched some of the Oscars.

Yesterday was pretty dreadful weather-wise. Susie and I decided to have a museum day and went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. On balance, I’d say that it doesn’t measure up to the Tate Modern, but it had an interesting visiting exhibition on Picasso. In the evening we went out to dinner to a little Italian in the neighbourhood with Melissa, a friend of Susie’s from Stanford days. While we were there, it hailed outside, an extremely rare event in SF. Thank goodness for Susie that it’s a bit calmer today!

More photos are now available at http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick/ Password: moocow

Retail therapy and discovering the Peninsula

We’ve just had a long weekend, as yesterday was President’s Day. Needless to say, we did not celebrate it by revering George Bush in any way. On Saturday morning, we headed to the Ferry Building, which is no longer a ferry terminus, but has been converted into a mall of gourmet food shops. We actually went there for the farmers’ market, which is held just outside. You get to browse the stands, all selling interesting produce – some of which you are able to taste – then end up handing over wads of cash. It was good fun, though, and we came away with some locally produced olive oil and cheese, among other things. Waiting for the bus with us was an Amish family on holiday. I was transfixed, I’m afraid, and at first sight thought they were in some kind of fancy dress (I had already walked past an Abraham Lincoln look-a-like that morning). They looked just like they had stepped out of the nineteenth century: women in bonnets and aprons, men with tall hats and bushy beards.

Saturday was a gorgeous day (in fact, the whole weekend has been lovely, but Sat was warmest), so we took our books to the beach in the afternoon, then had a nice coffee in a café in the Marina district. In the evening we went to a party at the flat of a couple of Jon’s colleagues, about a ten minute walk from us. We had a great time, and got to know some people, including a girl from Sheffield! Stayed up way past my bedtime though, which meant Sunday morning was a bit of a write-off.

After a lie-in, we went downtown to do some shopping on Sunday and popped into City Lights Bookstore on the way, a charmingly old, anachronistic shop famous for its connections with the Beat movement. When we tired of Market Street, we headed back home through Chinatown and bought a few cushions to brighten up the flat. We also had some nice Dim Sum, washed down with lovely hot Chinese tea. Sunday was in fact Chinese New Year, but bizarrely, apart from people letting off fire-crackers, business seemed very much as usual.

Yesterday we started with a long run along the waterfront, then set out in the car along the coastline south of San Francisco. We stopped at various beaches, but it was far too windy for lingering long, although some brave souls were paddling and attempting to sunbathe. We did have a pleasant stroll along the cliffs, though, before taking a look at Half Moon Bay, a quaint little town stuffed full of art galleries and the like. We decided to have dinner at a microbrewery (pub where they brew their own beer) in a fishing village called Princeton on the way back. There was a wait for the table, so we meandered out onto one of the jetties and saw starfish on the rocks. Back at the pub, the food was excellent (as was the beer), so we happily troughed our way through it, piling on all the calories (and more) that we’d burnt during the jog. Jon had fish and chips with proper chips (not fries), not unlike back home. We hope to return to the Peninsula coastline in the not too distant future to see the elephant seal colony a bit further down.

Daily Life

It struck me that I’ve written a lot on this blog about our exciting weekend forays, but not much about the everyday and what it’s like to live here, an issue which I will now attempt to address. Jon thinks I’ll bore you with all the detail – I do hope not!

Weekly routines
Currently I am working (volunteering) two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for a nonprofit. Other fixed appointments in the week are my step class (Tuesday evenings) and my Italian lesson (Thursday evenings). Amazingly, the other three days go by very quickly, and I’m rarely twiddling my thumbs. I divide my time among going to the gym (about three times a week), doing Italian homework (which is usually quite demanding and time-consuming), doing the usual chores like food shopping etc., and – I admit – strolling around for the fun of it, having a nice latte in the café and watching a bit of TV. Jon is working every day, and his hours continue to be quite long. However, he also tries to go to the gym about three times a week. We then tend to go for a long jog along the waterfront at the weekend. I think I am getting fitter, so it must be paying off.

The location
We live in North Beach, which is essentially the Italian quarter, primarily comprised of low-rise, painted Victorian houses, although we’re in a high-rise, which affords really quite stupendous views over the bay. The area is home to a large number of cafés and Italian restaurants. To continue along the Italian theme, the lamp-posts are painted with Italian flags, and there’s an Italian bookshop and tailor too. People have asked me if, in terms of urbanisation, it’s like living in London, to which the answer is “no”. Although the whole area is built up, the feel is completely different. The streets are very wide, straight and laid out in a grid formation. They are often tree-lined and surprisingly quiet, apart from the main thoroughfare (Columbus Avenue), perhaps because we’re almost at the top of the peninsula. To the north is Fisherman’s Wharf, the tacky touristy area (which I rather like anyway), to the south is Chinatown, then west is Russian Hill and to the east, Telegraph Hill, both primarily residential areas, and, as their names suggest, very hilly. Green spaces are a short distance away – one of the nearest is Washington Square (featured heavily in Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood), which is where the Chinese community go to practise their Tai Chi in the mornings.

Getting around
There is an excellent network of electric buses, which are surprisingly cheap: $1.50 for a ticket, which is valid for travel in any direction for 90 minutes, or you can get weekly or monthly passes. My only gripes with the bus are that it can get very crowded and for some reason takes the slowest possible route downtown, with the consequence that it can sometimes be just as quick to walk. There is also an underground around the Market Street area (which then comes up above ground south of Market), and a few tramlines on which 1950’s style trolley-buses operate. I haven’t been on one of these yet, but they are genuinely old and have been shipped in from other parts of the world. Then there are the world-famous cable cars, which negotiate the hills. We can see the end of the Powell-Mason line from our apartment and regularly hear the clanging bells as the cars come past. These are really only for tourists, though, as unfortunately at $5 a journey, they’re too expensive to ride frequently. Finally, walking is a pleasure in San Francisco. The other day, after I’d gone on the bus to run an errand in the Marina district, I got off early to stroll along the waterfront, which is always bustling and metamorphoses from park to beach, restaurant terraces to crab stalls, tacky souvenir shops to historic ship moorings, pontoons covered in prostrate sealions to big cruise liners.

The weather
Apparently, San Francisco has one of the most temperate climates in the world, which means that you would never experience a frost or a very sweltering day here. Over the last few weeks, the temperature has ranged between about 12 and 22 degrees Celsius, so I’ve ditched the winter coat. Although of course it’s measured in Fahrenheit here, just to make things difficult. We have enjoyed lots of very clear days, but also had several consecutive days of rain just over a week ago. Today was perhaps the warmest day of the year so far, so I slapped my sandals out, took my book down to the beach and watched with mild amusement as kids in swimsuits and dogs (not in swimsuits, although that wouldn’t surprise me here) frolicked in the waves. July and August are meant to be the least pleasant weather-wise, as that’s when the worst of the fog hits. However, a few miles drive inland, and you’re in completely different climate (Napa, in the wine region, apparently had a temperature of 26 degrees today).

Shopping
The main shopping area is downtown, about a twenty-five minute walk away, around Union Square and on Market Street. This is where you find the staples like Macy’s (Debenhams style department store) and Bloomingdale’s (extremely posh department store). The most ubiquitous supermarket in the city is Safeway. Food is of a similar price to that in the UK, but some things are considerably more expensive, which surprised me. So I’ve taken to dividing my shopping up – going to a little store in Chinatown for most of my fruit and veg. (the service is entirely in Chinese and incredibly brusque, but it’s dirt cheap), then to Trader Joe’s, a primarily organic supermarket five minutes away for most things, and to Safeway for the remainder. Trader Joe’s isn’t really any more expensive than Safeway, and the food seems better quality, plus the whole experience is nicer. Because I have to carry all the shopping, I get Jon to go to a big supermarket near his work once a week to stock up on orange juice, milk, cereals, wine and water – the things that are too bulky or heavy for me. I’ve never bought bottled water before, but the stuff out of the tap does not taste good. Fortunately, we can recycle a lot of the packaging (of which there is tons – Americans really go in for wrapping things up to the extent that you then can’t get in to them). In spite of the amazing variety of products available, there are some things you can’t seem to get: English-style teabags, curry paste, Thai ingredients, orange juice from concentrate (although that’s not really a loss) and crème fraîche to name a few.

The language
The other day I had to ring the offices of some of San Francisco’s most prominent politicians to ask them (or rather their secretaries) to put a fundraising gay-la (gala) in their skedyool (schedule). I’ve started referring to my cell-phone and vacations. Can’t bring myself to tell FedEx that they broke my vayses though. Don’t think I’ll start talking with an accent, but it’s convenient to adopt different vocabulary and pronunciations to make yourself understood. I still got a blank look from a bus driver when I asked him a question yesterday, though, and had to repeat myself three times. Only had one person tell me they “love the way (I) talk”. However, I have heard that the British accent can get you out of trouble. Last weekend, one of our party was happily driving down the freeway at 92 m.p.h., not realising that he was being followed by a helicopter and three police cars (yes, I did say “three”). When they did eventually manage to stop him, he apologised profusely in his dulcet British tones, flashed his UK driving licence at them, and they let him off! Not only that, but it wasn’t the first time this had happened!

Have a nice day
Everyone asks you, “how are you today?”. Not sure what they’d say if you told them your granny had just died and your house had burnt down, but it is “kinda” nice. They also instruct you to “have a good day”. It’s also customary to have a conversation with the person you find yourself with in a lift (“elevator”). You have to judge the length of the conversation carefully, though, depending on which button they press when they get in the lift, but you should always finish it by wishing them a good day or night. Don’t try being ironic, though.

The flip-side
There had to be one didn’t there? As far as I’m concerned, it’s the problem of homelessness, which is probably the worst I’ve seen anywhere, and is acutely visible. It’s at its most severe in the “dodgy” bits of the city, like the Tenderloin (incidentally, I work on the edge of this area, but it’s OK where the office is), although it pervades pretty much every neighbourhood, and I get the feeling that not enough is being done to combat the issue. Perhaps because of the lack of good, free healthcare, you see some homeless people in states which no one in the first world should find themselves in. The contrast between rich and poor is staggering – in a ten minute walk from the financial district to the start of the Tenderloin you can see it all. And consider that there are nearly as many private as public schools, so there’s plenty of money about.

All things considered though, it’s a truly fantastic city. I still wander around, unable to quite believe that I’m here. I see the glazed looks of admiration in the eyes of holiday-makers and smile to myself – I live here now!

Skiing at Lake Tahoe

Last week Jon found out that several of his work colleagues had rented a house for the weekend in South Lake Tahoe, near the Heavenly ski resort (that’s its name, I’m not using it adjectivally!) and that they still had a few places free! Well, it was an opportunity we certainly couldn’t pass up on, so on Friday night we set off in the car belonging to James (a colleague of Jon’s), mainly because he had snow chains and we didn’t (the police insist upon this). The journey took about four hours, past the state capital, Sacramento and up into the Sierra Nevada.

The house was huge – it slept about sixteen in total, and there were thirteen of us. Unfortunately, there was no snow when we got there, and we had heard that the snow had been somewhat paltry just recently, so had some concerns. However, there proved to be plenty of snow on the slopes themselves, if rather slushy at the bottom, as it was raining heavily there (this turned to sleet, then snow higher up). On Sunday, we woke to find the whole area, including around the house, blanketed in white, and there was lots of fresh powder on the slopes. The precipitation continued in the afternoon, which meant that conditions at the top were basically blizzard with poor visibility. In fact, the difference in conditions between the bottom (about 6,500 feet above sea level) and the top (just over 10,000) was incredibly striking. Unfortunately, we didn’t, therefore, have the great views of the lake (incidentally, the second deepest in the US and tenth in the world) from the summit for which Heavenly is famed, although, to be fair, they were pretty fabulous from the top of the first lift.

The Heavenly ski area straddles the stateline between California and Nevada, so on the first day we skiied across it. It has a wide variety of very attractive runs, including lots of long, fairly easy ones, which I stuck to. Didn’t fall over a lot, although I think I’m suffering from mild whiplash after a tumble yesterday. It is expensive, though, like most resorts in North America, so I think we will get a season lift pass next year and consider buying some of our own equipment – we may even try to get a late season pass this year, as apparently they cut the prices later on.
After a day’s skiing, what could be better than a dip in the hot tub at our rented house? Lovely and warm, even though we were sitting in a torrential downpour! We ate in and stayed up quite late (several of our companions were younger than us and hardened party-animals!), playing games, including Wii sports. I won’t try to explain what this is to those of you who don’t know, but to those of you who do and haven’t tried it, it’s amazing! We left just after 4 pm yesterday and enjoyed the attractive drive through the mountains until it got dark. What a fantastic weekend!

Public Safety Notice

You are entering mountain lion country.

Mountain lion sightings are rare, but in passing this notice you acknowledge that you are in danger of being attacked by a 200 lb saber-toothed feline with a vicious streak a mile wide. You hereby waive all rights to sue Marin County or the National Park Ranger Service for any medical treatment that may result from your injuries, which may include, but are not limited to

• facial laceration
• disembowelment
• decapitation
• compound fractures
• flees, ticks, lice or a mild rash.

To make you feel safer on the trail, we have provided guidelines for you to follow in the event of a mountain lion attack. You acknowledge that use of these guidelines does not decrease your chances of being eaten by a lion.

1) Always travel in groups of at least two. Stay close together.

2) If there are weak, sick or elderly members of your party, put them at the rear. You can make a run for it whilst the lion eats them.

3) If confronted by a lion, do not approach. Back away slowly. Do not attempt to stroke the lion.

4) Maintain eye contact at all times. If you are wearing sunglasses, take them off now.

5) Throw rocks at the lion, make rude gestures and shout intimidating slogans such as "I'm gonna git you sucka!" or "Uzi nine millimeter!" Do not shout "Here kitty kitty!", that just makes them mad.

6) If attacked, retaliate aggressively. Make your hands into claws and stand with your head as high as possible. If your head is currently in the lion's mouth, poke it in the eye. If you have any fingers left.

7) For your safety, we have provided numerous rotten, mould-covered logs along the trail. If you feel there is a danger of a lion attack, you may wish to pick up a log, carry it for four miles through the woods, and brandish it periodically whenever you hear noises from the trees (see illustration).

Remember to enjoy your time in the woods, and have a nice day. Now, please read the adjacent notice about coyotes.

The Mission, Castro and Point Reyes

On Saturday we headed over the Bay Bridge to Oakland to buy some speakers and also a few bits from Ikea. Ikea was exactly the same as it is in England and probably the world over – and we did exactly the same as we always do, spending too much time agonising over whether we should buy this and that, the majority of which we almost certainly don’t need! In the afternoon we took the bus to the Mission district in the south of the city. This is the Hispanic quarter, famous for being the site of the oldest building in San Francisco, Mission Dolores, a squat adobe chapel (and not all that old, being built in 1791), very pretty inside but also decidedly humble, so much so that I mistook the much larger basilica next door for it. They had a service on, which we attended. We also visited Dolores Park, replete with people out with their tiny Paris Hilton-esque dogs, which are very much the fashion here! After that we walked to the neighbouring Castro district, the gay heartland of San Francisco, which is another distinct area, catering for its community. Then we headed back to the Mission for some food and enjoyed very large, delicious and inexpensive burritos in a “taqueria” (Mexican-style café).

Yesterday was a very active day. We started it with a five-mile jog along the waterfront to the beach and nature reserve at Crissy Fields (just over half way to the Golden Gate bridge), which must be one of the most legendary jogging routes in the world. We then drove north over the bridge for just over an hour to Point Reyes National Seashore, a vast wilderness area which juts out into the Pacific. It is in fact a rogue bit of the earth’s crust that started out by Los Angeles six million years ago and has been drifting steadily north up the San Andreas fault ever since. The faultline cuts right through it, as this is where the Pacific and North American plates meet. When the earthquake of 1906 hit, the whole area moved sixteen feet in an instant (there are photos of broken fences testifying to it). Anyway, it was a lovely warm day, so we started out with a picnic, during which we were entertained by a turkey vulture sitting on a fence and proudly spreading his wings. We then set out on a long but easy hike through forest and meadow to the seashore. The trail ended at a cliff jutting out above an arch formed by the sea. We decided to scramble down to take a look at the beach and run the gauntlet of the waves, as it was high tide! On our walk back, we saw a western scrub jay and several deer, one of which ran right past us. It was practically dark by the time we got back, but it had been a great day and we will definitely return very soon, as there’s a lot to explore there. In March and April it’s apparently a good place to observe migrating whales. I am about to post more photos on the Fotki site (address and login details as for 18 Jan), so you can take a look.