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!
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!
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