Birthday Banqueting

Went to the dentist on Friday. Not a happy experience. In spite of having dental insurance, which both I and work pay into, they still found $2,000 worth of work that “needed” doing, of which I’d have to pay about $1,000. I had been warned that this might happen. After spouting huffily about how expensive it was and how I’d never had to pay that much, even when subjected to 100% costs in the UK, they commented about how they had to fix a lot of “bad dentistry” from Europe. Hm. I think they have to fix their books so they can afford to pay the four or so people who came and asked me if I wanted a drink (“hang on a minute, silly me, I thought this was a dentist’s, not a café”) and bail themselves out from the x number of lawsuits that get filed against them each year, because this is California after all. To help me get over the shock, we went out with Mark, Ollie and Tom from Jon’s work for cocktails in the evening. I had a sumptuous chocolatey one.

The weekend began rather hazy, but cleared to leave a couple of pleasantly warm, sunny days. On Saturday morning I had the important mission of going to get Jon’s birthday present, so it was off on the cable car downtown for me. In the afternoon, we headed over to Berkeley, where James and Emma have just started renting a house in the hills. It was a lovely place, complete with an overgrown garden looking down on to the bay and even an outbuilding. We bought picnic stuff, which we enjoyed in the Rose Garden, before pootling off down the hill, first to a rather creepy “bone shop” that Emma wanted to show us (it sold skeletons, not just animal ones), then to a purportedly British-style pub (its Britishness was undermined when Jon’s request for pork scratchings was greeted with blank looks). We played poker (just for chips – gambling’s illegal unless you’re on an Indian reservation – I’m not joking!) and for once I didn’t lose.

I’d been told that Saturday would be the best night for going to the Castro, the gay heartland of San Francisco, to see the Halloween festivities. Halloween in the Castro is much talked about, but it can draw in trouble-makers, which last year led to a stabbing, so I’d been advised that the Saturday before would be a better option. It was after nine when we arrived, so the party was definitely getting started and there was indeed some good people-watching to be done. Costumes ranging from jellyfish outfits to seventies divas, and that was just the men! Unfortunately, my camera battery had run out, so I don’t have any photographic evidence.

Sunday was Jon’s birthday. We slept in a bit, and he awoke in alarm, having forgotten an arrangement to Skype with his Dad. After opening his few cards and presents, we headed out for a jog so that we could earn our breakfast. We’d intended to go to Mama’s, supposedly a legendary brunch place on Washington Square. For us, it still remains the stuff of legends, because the line was so immense that we decided to abort the mission and go somewhere else instead, which still managed to do a satisfyingly stodgy American breakfast with pancakes, eggs, bacon and unlimited coffee. Afterwards, we took a hike up Telegraph Hill, because I had it in mind to see where the writer of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill might live. Of course, there was no sign to show the exact spot, but I got a sense of the type of place he must inhabit by clambering down (and back up) the Greenwich steps, with homes clinging to the steep hillside on either side.

I proposed we take a frisbee to the beach in the afternoon, but we ended up wandering out onto the pier with the historic ships instead. We boarded the Balcultha, a cargo ship built in Scotland in 1886, and were amused by the group of kids who had the good fortune to be on some kind of field trip that involved them staying overnight on the ship and pretending to be sailors. We also went on an old ferry boat that used to take passengers over to Marin and was built for pre-Golden Gate bridge days. After that the wind had got up, making frisbee a tad tricky, to say in the least, so instead we strolled up to Ghirardelli Square, where the Ghirardelli chocolate factory used to be, and indulged in a hot cocoa. Upon leaving the café, our eyes were drawn to some kind of event that was going outside a pet shop. It appeared to be a convention for Yorkshire Terriers, all dressed up in silly costumes (we spotted a fairy, two pirates, a bee and a pumpkin) and having a go at each other. Jon mused on whether dogs are capable of feeling humiliation!

Jon fancied sushi for his birthday dinner and found a place on the Internet a mere five blocks away. It’s an area we don’t often go to, despite its proximity, because it involves scaling steep Russian Hill. However, it was worth the climb, as it was really good food in a beautiful restaurant. We topped off the evening with a drink in a nearby wine bar before descending the hill back to the apartment.

Jon had a call from his brother, James, while we were in the restaurant. We were a bit surprised by the time of the call, but he was just coming off a night shift at the hospital in Luton. Today, a lovely hamper of British goodies arrived for Jon from his family. Not shipped from the UK, which would be too tricky with customs etc., but rather from a mail-order place in Delaware. We’re looking forward to some baked beans and Hob nobs! (Not at the same time!)

Sunny days

Last week was a bit difficult – no Jon to cheer me up and lots of work! I did, however, meet my friend Randan from volunteering days on Wednesday for a delicious meal at a gem of a Vietnamese restaurant in the area known as “Little Saigon” in the Tenderloin (generally viewed as a rather dodgy bit of town, but it actually boasts a few good, unpretentious eateries). I worked late on Tuesday and Friday, but finally got my lovely husband back late on Friday evening. We had a few chores to do on Saturday, but spent much of the afternoon nursing a latte in Caffè Sapore and planning the trip to Mexico, which is now only about four weeks away! Afterwards Jon went to get his hair cut, while I went to soak up some sunshine in Washington Square.

I could write a whole blog about the experience of sitting in Washington Square on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It’s a pleasant patch of greenery, triangular rather than square, flanked on one side by the ornate white façade of St. Peter & St. Paul Church. Behind the buildings on the eastern side rises Coit Tower, atop wooded Telegraph Hill. On the southern side the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid pokes out above the classic Edwardian architecture. From the right spot you can also see the distant hills in Marin. It’s always alive with an eclectic group of dog-walkers, football-players, big kids with remote control flying machines (in this case, a dragonfly), families, artists, pot-smokers and tramps. You can browse the artwork for sale in the south-west corner, join the elderly Chinese folk for a bit of tai chi if you come early enough, or simply soak up the atmosphere and the sunshine. Relaxing there really is one of San Francisco’s pleasures.

In the evening, we went to a housewarming at Dave and Oli’s new flat (two of Jon’s work colleagues). The downside was that it was in Oakland in the East Bay, so it involved a slow bus journey through Chinatown to Market Street, then a trip on the BART to Oakland, and a rather long walk to their place along the banks of Lake Merritt. It was good to see everybody again, though.

Today we awoke to another beautiful day – as clear as yesterday, but warmer still. We started out with our jog to Crissy Field and back, revelling in the stunning views. We then headed for our favourite beach in Marin – Tennessee Beach – for a bit of rest and reading. It was as lovely as ever, but the waves were definitely bigger than I’d seen them before. We were both feeling tired, so fed our caffeine addiction at Caffè Sapore (again!) upon our return to the city, before heading out to meet my friends from Italian class at the Italian School fundraiser. It was held very close to us, at the Italian Athletic Club, which fronts onto Washington Square. We enjoyed the wine and nibbles, and I got to meet Gami’s new boyfriend, Nick. Both Candida and I expressed a wish to go up to the balcony, which was actually out of bounds, but we found it anyway! It was on these rooftops that Clint Eastwood staked out the serial killer in Dirty Harry. To finish the evening, we went for a nice gelato at another of my favourite spots in North Beach.

Back to work tomorrow – yuk! Especially as it’s forecast to be in the eighties on Tuesday! It really is incredible for late October. Something else I noticed the other day: by this time in the UK, all the shops are crammed with Christmas stuff, but there’s none of that here. It’s all Halloween at the moment, then after that it’ll be Thanksgiving. Christmas won’t hit until it’s actually December – how about that?! What a dream!

Departures and decadence

Yet another tough week at work – I’ve just got so much on! Still managed a couple of nights out with Dan and Michelle, though: the healthy delights of Samovar Tea Lounge followed by less healthy cocktails at the Top of the Mark on Thursday, then North Beach Italian (Café Divine on Washington Square) on Friday. For once, it was actually clear at the Top of the Mark and we were able to enjoy the views over the city and bay. Rob, our friend from university who now works for Google, is over for work, and he met us there. We were pretty much obliged to go out on Friday, even if we hadn’t planned to, as a power cut – presumably caused by the heavy rain we had that day – brought darkness to us and our immediate vicinity for some 12 hours.

Saturday was a day of departures. Dan and Michelle left for home – but not before doing a bit more sightseeing and meeting me for lunch at Caffè Sapore. The weather was glorious, so we sat outside in the sunshine. Jon also left – for New Hampshire, where he’s attending another test event. I headed over to see the sealions, whom I’d not visited for a while. There were hordes of them, and they were either sleeping or fighting in highly amusing fashion. After doing some food shopping, I returned home and then headed out to the famed City Lights Bookstore. I’d decided it was time to read some more San Franciscan literature, and purchased The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, as I’d grown interested in them after seeing or hearing them most days for the last several months.

Today I awoke to fog, but still headed out on my 5½ mile run to Crissy Field and back. I then got ready to go and meet Rob, who, it turns out, is staying in a fabulous hotel downtown, with a lobby like an art gallery. We took the bus out to a rather grey Cliff House, perched on a rock above the ocean. We indulged ourselves in a champagne buffet brunch to the sound of harp music, which felt very decadent indeed. It was only right that we should take some exercise after gorging ourselves so heartily, so we took the coastal trail up to Seacliff, onto Baker Beach and beyond to the Golden Gate. Bizarrely, the fog was only hanging over the ocean side, while the bay enjoyed relatively sunny skies. We picked our way down to Crissy Field and headed on to the Marina District, past the lovely Palace of Fine Arts. After more than six miles of hiking from Cliff House, we were certainly ready for a hot beverage. My own new tipple is a chai latte – a gorgeous spiced tea with frothy milk. It was then back on the bus – to North Beach for me and downtown for Rob. Spoke to Jon on the phone. He’s arrived safely and successfully set up today. I miss him already, though!

L.A. or bust

I flew out on Friday evening to Los Angeles to join Jon, Dan and Michelle, who’d driven down there in a convertible Mustang they hired from San Francisco. They’d had a great time taking in the stunning Big Sur coast on the way down and visiting Hearst Castle, an absurdly opulent stately home. I’ll have to let Jon blog separately about his experiences en route.

We stayed in Venice Beach, at an art déco hotel rather past its best. Venice Beach turned out to be a rather schizophrenic place – very hip and trendy during the day, with lots of people roller-blading, selling art and otherwise parading down the promenade by a perfect palm-lined beach. However, at night it was a different story. Absolutely dead (nothing open) and populated only by drunks, drug dealers and the homeless. Really quite dangerous. Fortunately, Jon, Dan and Michelle had already found this out on the first night, so I didn’t have to subject myself to it personally! On the second night a fight broke out just outside the hotel – lovely!

After a hearty breakfast on Saturday, we headed up to the Getty Museum, which had been recommended to me by a colleague. This comprises an amazing collection of superbly designed buildings atop a bluff with panoramic views of the city, ocean and Santa Monica Mountains, accessed by a monorail from the car park. The buildings house the Getty Foundation art collection, an eclectic mix of pieces ranging from medieval manuscripts through the decorative arts to Monets and photography. It was such a beautiful space, with stunning architecture, fascinating art, gorgeous gardens and amazing vistas. The kind of stuff that’s good for your soul, especially after a difficult week. I particularly liked the Impressionist room, which included one of Van Gogh’s Iris paintings. Moreover it was free, since the Getty Foundation has so much money! We ended up spending a large part of the day there, before heading off to find the Hollywood sign (not easy!) and going for dinner at a Mexican in Santa Monica (just north of Venice, also on the coast). The food was great, but the service less than stellar.

On Sunday we enjoyed another nice breakfast at a café further down the promenade – a great place for people-watching. We then checked out and went to Hollywood Boulevard to look at the hand and footprints of the stars outside the Chinese Theatre, as well as the Walk of Fame. Didn’t spot any famous people, though – alas! Dan and Michelle dropped us off in Santa Monica, before setting off on the drive back to SF (we’d booked flights some weeks before, as we weren’t sure what their plans would be). We spent a bit of time on the beach (the weather was gorgeous) and browsing in the town, then flew back at just after 8 p.m. Amazingly, Dan and Michelle had a great drive and managed to beat us back!

It was a really fun and interesting weekend, but I was still happy to return to San Francisco. L.A. is a completely different place: really sprawling, which forces you to drive everywhere, and nowhere near as attractive. Not a place I’d want to live, in spite of the wonderful weather. I found myself looking down my nose at it a bit, which must mean I’m a true San Franciscan now! More photos are available on the Fotki site (http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick - password: moocow).

Opera and October sunshine

Went to the opera on Friday night – it was Tales of Hoffmann at the Legion of Honour in Lincoln Park. A nice drive up there with views of the ocean and Golden Gate. Opera isn’t usually my thing, but I did enjoy it – especially as they helpfully projected the words for the audience to read! We emerged to find a raccoon scavenging by the car, then saw another one cross the road as we drove off!

Jon had a cold and also needed to do his tax return on Saturday, so I headed off on my own: first for a run, then for a walk along the waterfront, from Crissy Field to the fort under the Golden Gate Bridge. The fort was open, and you could go right up onto the ramparts, overlooking the ocean and looking up to the bottom of the bridge, which is currently being retro-fitted to make it earthquake-proof - yikes! It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed meandering along the beach, watching the pelicans in low flight and a sealion diving into the waves. No fewer than two wedding parties were picking their way out on to the sand for photographs.

Sunday was another lovely day weather-wise. We headed to Chinatown in the morning to make a purchase we’d been meaning to for a while: an iron teapot. We wandered back up to North Beach, taking in a new sight along the way: Waverly Place, with its ornate Chinese balconies. We had a sandwich at a table outside Caffè Greco on Columbus, then proceeded to Mara’s Italian Pastry Shop for a coffee and a shared dessert. We took in some sunshine in Washington Square and watched the start of a parade outside the St. Peter and St. Paul church, before heading home and getting ready to meet our visitors, Dan and Michelle, from the airport. In the late afternoon, we took them over the bridge to take in some views from the other side, then on to a fish restaurant in Sausalito.

It’s been a busy and rather difficult week at work for me. It was broken up by a pleasant trip to a posh Greek restaurant on Tuesday evening, where we also saw our friends, James and Emma, but otherwise it’s been a toughie. I’m now on my own, as Jon, Dan and Michelle left today to do a road-trip down the coast to Los Angeles – I’m flying down to meet them tomorrow evening. In other news, the area where we live (North Beach) has been designated one of America’s ten best neighbourhoods by the American Planning Association!