San Francisco

April 9, 2016

“Los Angeles? That’s just a big parking lot where you buy a hamburger for the trip to San Francisco.”

— John Lennon

Seattle’s sunshine and breeze today has me nostalgic for mylast trip to San Francisco. It was a memorable sunshine day with coffee, food, shopping, food, and bookstores.

Hidden spaces and restaurants in San Francisco

Did I mention food? It is a food mecca. I could eat their all day, every day and never have the same thing for a year. Every culture blossoms on every street.

Vietnamese,

Chinese,

Japanese,

Russian,

Italian,

Indian

you get the picture, right?

Besides food though my favorite coffee place exists in the City by the Bay and we had to stop and retest them. After all living in Seattle doesn’t exactly mean we are in want of good coffee.

Notice the not so snooty attitude here. Can you say not being humble?!

Our street corners boom with not good coffee, but Fantastic coffee, the only problem being which one to decide to go visit.

An espresso hangover however, is no fun feat, I know from experience. Aka: never take a barista course and forget how many shots you have tasted: good or bad.

Espresso hangovers aside Blue Bottle in San Francisco is always on my list. Although I was not able to visit the original location the ferry terminals to go coffee shop still packs a punch with that caffeine you need to start your day or end it depending upon your preference. Therefore first stop:

1. Grab a coffee although when I say grab I mean stand in line for 20 minutes at least. Good news is: while in line people become the show. I once saw a woman come in to Blue Bottle in a black lace bra and bathing suit cover up- no joke. She was there for brunch? Did she leave her lingerie on accidentally?

2. Find food.

I never eat anything from Blue Bottle because there are always too many options in the ferry building to try. So I decided on an egg and bacon sandwich from American Eatery and it did not disappoint.

The egg was cooked but not overdone, the bacon tasted like it had just been smoked to a tender crackle and since I was in California where avocados grow like weeds I added that to half.

Bacon and Egg Sandwich from American Eatery

Next off to a farmer’s market out at Fort Mason. A very hip and up and coming area with fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Mason is a former U.S. army west coast headquarter.

Besides the views, fresh fruits and veggies and breathtaking weather of sunshine there was music and lots of good, people watching or in my case dog watching to be found. An easy ride with Lyft, we try to skip the driving while in S.F.

There are some amazing coffee/bar places and a very small bookstore that is stemmed from donations of books to the S.F. public library. Bring your big bag and be ready to pack a few real books to bring back home. Fell in love with Dewey the library cat from Iowa here…or at least the book I purchased at the Bookbay Bookstore .

Also , I found my favorite recipe book from long ago that I use to make the best egg salad sandwich. Coming soon to the blog , during egg salad sandwich week this month, look for it! What do you put in your egg salad? I am curious. Let me know in the comments below.

Walking along the Marina people were flying kites, playing soccer, picnicking all in what was once a landing strip for air mail. Add this to your San Francisco history lesson.

After loading up on books and walking a lot it was time to eat lunch. Tasting at the farmer's market is not included as lunch so headed to a busy main street in the Marina district with shops and restaurants that would make your heart sing.

Originally I wanted to hit a yummy brunch place but alas like Seattle the lines were aghast and the places were packed so I decided on a teriyaki joint that looked upscale and cool. Great choice because it was lip smacking good.

Saw this pup on my street walk. I guess I love dog watching more than people watching...but can you blame me with this face. She was just to cute.

Della waiting for Brunch Scraps under the Table

Happy eater now it was time to walk off the lunch and not miss the Lucas Films Headquarters. Made the day seeing this little guy.

Some other famous movie people and gardens in Lucas Headquarters.

The day is coming to an end as I were going to head off to meet friends for dinner but just for one last way to complete the day I finished at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Swans are like geese you never know what is hidden behind their beauty. This guy was eyeing me and wondering why I was not providing bread for the photo op he was giving me.

Loved watching these girls ride off into the the park with their hot pink new Barbie car. I so would have wanted one of these as a kid! How about you?

A few more pictures to wet your appetite for your next visit to S.F.

Thanks for visiting San Francisco with me. Always looking for hidden spots in big cities what are some of your favorites?

Enjoy the Sunshine Seattle

Prince Edward Island

February 17, 2016

“10/15/1930
Forty years ago I was a very young girl with little worldly wisdom or experience. But I knew how to do one thing — I knew how to choose friends. I made no mistake about that.”

— L.M. Montgomery

Reading the journals of L.M. Montgomery the woman best known for Anne of Green Gables as struck a cord in me. Turning forty her world had already been turned upside down. She was a famous author, had gone through a World War and given birth to life and death. I am going to turn forty and at times life hits you.

I don't mind it, turning forty. Some people say they loved their thirties but I have to say I look forward to my forties. I know me. I know my friends. I know what I like or don't. I'm happy with me. Isn't that what gaining wisdom is all about, learning to be okay with yourself and who you are.

Letting go.

Forgiving.

Being Kind.

Being Happy.

Smiling because you can.

It is lovely seeing where someone else grew up and reading their life experiences both struggles and highlights. It's like she blogged before her time. Who knew?

She writes about herself, people in her life, those she encounters along the way and the beauty of the island she lived upon for decades. Her friendships, her loves, her sadness, her happiness, her marriage, her children and somehow all while writing her journals she managed to bring to life characters so real that people carve statues, dress up, make movies and musicals all about people who lived in the imagination of this woman. I would haved loved to meet her then but alas I read her life now.

Prince Edward Island was a journey to be taken only with a kindred spirit. Thus I set off with another "Anne" lover but discovered more of the real woman "Maud."

Her birthplace, her grave, her jaunts aka Lover's Lane her community, her life, her island. I loved the books as a child but the Island made things real. This was a real place that Maud wrote about and loved every day of her life even when she lived far away. PEI was her home, always. Not sure how I feel about that.

My home, well it is wherever I am because life can be as lovely as a piece of chocolate cake or as sour as a lemon it is all in what we want it to be. I'm gonna stick with chocolate cake even if I have a few sour lemons to deal with every now and then.

And you?

Where have you wanted to go?

Who inspires you?

What do you call home?

Until next time....

Amsterdam

January 6, 2016

“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.”

— anonymous

It took me to a place I had never been to a world I never knew and to a city where bikes, art and water ruled. That is Amsterdam in a nutshell to me. The weather was sometimes dreary and wet and dark in September. The fall foliage was coming to an end but flashes of sunshine popped out of a corner of sky every now and then. It reminds me of another city I know: Seattle... No one likes to tell you in Seattle that the weather is not always as bad as it seems it is a little known secret that it keeps tourists from taking over the city and Amsterdam gave off the same vibe. Of course they have the tulips in the spring that brings people from all over the world and lovely summers so I heard but the fall and winter seemed for the lesser known. Bikes splashed up sprays of water as people pedaled at high speeds pelted by raindrops. The museums were a refuge from storms brewing outside. The Anne Frank house would not have been the same in sunshine as it brought on a haunt of things past that should never have been. The quiet of the canal waters surrounded by lights and sometimes a siren or yapping dog off in the distance to break the silence to remind you, "Yes I am a city. Yes I am Amsterdam." People who could only love a cith both at it's best and worst. That is Seattle. That was Amsterdam.

Dank U Wel Amsterdam