My perfect day

Today I did all my favourite things. Woke up to a beautiful, clear sunny day and the sound of the wild parrots chattering in their morning flight. Eager to get out in the sunshine after a spate of rather dull days, I went for a run along the waterfront with its fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge, the financial district – you name it – and returned to a delicious breakfast of hot oatmeal and fruit. We then set out to do a hike at Point Reyes. We’d done most of the hike before (and seen a bobcat on that occasion), but this time our destination was Alamere Falls, a succession of waterfalls with the largest spilling out directly onto the beach from a sheer sandstone cliff. The weather held clear, although it was by no means warm – a stiff wind was blowing cold air straight off the Pacific for most of the time. The trail to the falls was a real scramble, but we made it, and felt risking life and limb was worth it in the end, as they were pretty impressive. It was also a delight to see so many wild flowers still in bloom along the trail. This time, there were no big cats in sight, but I did almost step on a snake!

After our hike, we went to our favourite restaurant, Coast Café in Bolinas. I love this little village – it’s so quaint, laid-back, full of interesting types and charmingly located at the mouth of a gorgeous tidal lagoon. We enjoyed cocktails (an aptly named Epicenter and a Bolinas Sunrise), then put away huge quantities of food (fish and chips for me, I’m afraid, and yes, I DO feel guilty!). All the while we had the drive back to look forward to, which is an experience in itself – a windy road hugging the coast, dipping down through eucalyptus forest and emerging from a tunnel to the view of the great bridge, glowing an even brighter orange in the golden rays of the setting sun. All in all, great therapy to cure the frustrations of a hard week at work for me and an exhausting time training customers in Texas for Jon.