Enjoyed a wonderful evening with Michele Hennessey. Dinner was light and shared,with lots of good conversation. Peruvian food was new to us and La Bicheria is a unique culinary experience.
Michele navigates the streets of San Francisco like professional driver! She pieced us up and dropped us off at out hotel,and we were treated to the beauty of San Francisco after dark. It's an early out for us tomorrow. Back to snow!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Un bel di
An unanticipated, brilliantly clear day. The first part of our drive was a little rough -- had a little trouble finding the beginning of our route, and then road construction sent us via a detour -- but we got a view of the bay that we had never seen before, through a fog free sky.
Lunch at Cliff House: a cup of chowder (lightly flavored with the detested tarragon) and an appetizer of 6 large prawns. No visit to San Francisco is complete without seeing the magnificent 360-degree vista from Twin Peaks, even more lovely today because of the clear weather.
Taking a break in our cool, comfortable room.
Lunch at Cliff House: a cup of chowder (lightly flavored with the detested tarragon) and an appetizer of 6 large prawns. No visit to San Francisco is complete without seeing the magnificent 360-degree vista from Twin Peaks, even more lovely today because of the clear weather.
Taking a break in our cool, comfortable room.
Good Morning San Francisco
Sitting with my feet up on the bed wondering if I should go down to the lobby to get coffee. The room is pitch black and Bpb is still sleeping very soundly shortly after 6:30a.m. I love the adjustable brightness of the iPad display - it's great in situations like these.
Our dinner yesterday evening was moderately successful. Bread: cakey, non yeast with a cornbread texture - a little stale but good oil & vinegar for dipping; delicious Caesar salad and (shared) tiramisu; yucky crab ravioli. We regularly share a main course because we can't eat the enormous quantities of food so often served in restaurants, and his small portion would have been just right if the ravioli hadn't been drowned in an unappetizing broth laced with tarragon. I loathe even a whiff of tarragon, but unfortunately it is usually added by the bucket.
The server was very polite and attentive, but had such acute hearing that he knew our menu decisions without asking us. It was interesting at first but soon seemed intrusive. However, he did have a great ear and heard my "Canadian accent". I was floored, because I consider my speech to be relatively unaccented, but more Minnesotan than anything else. And here is a server in a San Francisco restaurant comparing me to the Canadians he listened to in Detroit where he grew up. For some reason, I felt a little deflated.
Another beautiful day ahead. Sightseeing and then dinner with Bob's cousin, Michele Hennessey at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana.
Our dinner yesterday evening was moderately successful. Bread: cakey, non yeast with a cornbread texture - a little stale but good oil & vinegar for dipping; delicious Caesar salad and (shared) tiramisu; yucky crab ravioli. We regularly share a main course because we can't eat the enormous quantities of food so often served in restaurants, and his small portion would have been just right if the ravioli hadn't been drowned in an unappetizing broth laced with tarragon. I loathe even a whiff of tarragon, but unfortunately it is usually added by the bucket.
The server was very polite and attentive, but had such acute hearing that he knew our menu decisions without asking us. It was interesting at first but soon seemed intrusive. However, he did have a great ear and heard my "Canadian accent". I was floored, because I consider my speech to be relatively unaccented, but more Minnesotan than anything else. And here is a server in a San Francisco restaurant comparing me to the Canadians he listened to in Detroit where he grew up. For some reason, I felt a little deflated.
Another beautiful day ahead. Sightseeing and then dinner with Bob's cousin, Michele Hennessey at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Fisherman's Wharf
We've been in San Francisco in every season, but this is the first time we've ever had any summer weather. It was a balmy afternoon, and most visitors were wearing clothing seldom seen in this city. Looked like Minnesota in July. Fisherman's Wharf was very crowded on this Monday afteenoon, with many street performers and a much more prosperous appearance than I have ever witnessed here.
The businesses of Pier 39 were well patronized and I noted very few vacancies. Bob and I shared a delicious jumbo shrimp cocktail we bought from a vendor for $4.75, then walked the Embarcadero bedorenturning back to Pier 39 for sunset. Alcatraz looked spectacular in the fading light.
We people-watched for awhile and headed back to out hotel. Grabbed a glass of wine and bruschetta from the lobby happy hour and headed back to our room to relax before dinner. Decided to eat at the hotel restaurant for dinner. I have walked by Cafe Pescatore in the past, and liked the menu -- we'll see how it checks out.
The businesses of Pier 39 were well patronized and I noted very few vacancies. Bob and I shared a delicious jumbo shrimp cocktail we bought from a vendor for $4.75, then walked the Embarcadero bedorenturning back to Pier 39 for sunset. Alcatraz looked spectacular in the fading light.
We people-watched for awhile and headed back to out hotel. Grabbed a glass of wine and bruschetta from the lobby happy hour and headed back to our room to relax before dinner. Decided to eat at the hotel restaurant for dinner. I have walked by Cafe Pescatore in the past, and liked the menu -- we'll see how it checks out.
San Francisco and 75 Degrees
We got up shortly after 5:30 a.m.to wish Tyler a happy birthday before he and Mary headed out to work and school about an hour later. Today is cast day so we'll soon know what colors Tyler has chosen to protect the broken arm.
The temperature was already high at 9 a.m. We had beautiful views for the entire drive here, relatively smogfeee. Stopped for cashews and almonds at Casa de Fruta and came into San Francisco on 280, which turns into Embarcadero. Found our hotel with little difficulty.
The weather is unseasonably warm and the Christmas tree on Fisherman's Wharf seems odd, and definitely out of season. Leaving the hotel in a few minutes to enjoy the rest of this glorious afternoon.
The temperature was already high at 9 a.m. We had beautiful views for the entire drive here, relatively smogfeee. Stopped for cashews and almonds at Casa de Fruta and came into San Francisco on 280, which turns into Embarcadero. Found our hotel with little difficulty.
The weather is unseasonably warm and the Christmas tree on Fisherman's Wharf seems odd, and definitely out of season. Leaving the hotel in a few minutes to enjoy the rest of this glorious afternoon.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Snow Envy
Just kidding. We did look up Minnesota weather on TV and online, and were happy to be here in here in sunny Fresno. We enjoyed watching Tyler open his birthday presents, a few days ahead of #14 on Monday. The Brett Favre jersey was a great success.
I had hoped to go for a swim, but even I am not going to make that mistake again: I've been too cold, too often in unheated California pools. Instead, we dangled our feet in the hot tub, watching Sophie explore the pool area,where two cats, including a stunning but elusive Siamese, teased her with their antics.
We ran some errands with Mary and Tyler in the morning, driving through Old Clovis and checking out the neighborhood church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The 5:30 mass was crowded with a diverse congregation. The cantor was an earnest soprano with a weak voice, but the keyboard and guitar accompanists were excellent. Unfortunately, the priest's English was accented and hesitant, and Bob was more impressed by the devout environment than by the message -- whatever it was.
We came back to the condo to pick up Mary and Tyler, and I was happy to turn over navigation duties to Mary. She had arranged for us to have dinner at Dai Bai Dang, where we enjoyed meeting Cris Norman again. Kris is the son of Mary's ex-husband Ron, and we hadn't seen him since 2004, when he was 16. Kris, a server at the restaurant after school and on weekends, is all grown up!
We awoke to another beautiful day, and will soon be out to breakfast.
I had hoped to go for a swim, but even I am not going to make that mistake again: I've been too cold, too often in unheated California pools. Instead, we dangled our feet in the hot tub, watching Sophie explore the pool area,where two cats, including a stunning but elusive Siamese, teased her with their antics.
We ran some errands with Mary and Tyler in the morning, driving through Old Clovis and checking out the neighborhood church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The 5:30 mass was crowded with a diverse congregation. The cantor was an earnest soprano with a weak voice, but the keyboard and guitar accompanists were excellent. Unfortunately, the priest's English was accented and hesitant, and Bob was more impressed by the devout environment than by the message -- whatever it was.
We came back to the condo to pick up Mary and Tyler, and I was happy to turn over navigation duties to Mary. She had arranged for us to have dinner at Dai Bai Dang, where we enjoyed meeting Cris Norman again. Kris is the son of Mary's ex-husband Ron, and we hadn't seen him since 2004, when he was 16. Kris, a server at the restaurant after school and on weekends, is all grown up!
We awoke to another beautiful day, and will soon be out to breakfast.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
iPad Performance
Sitting on the deck in an adirondack chair, comfortable in my Vikings windbreaker and shorts. We're missing the snow in Minnesota,but still loving the sunshine and this temperate climate.
I like the portability of the iPad and it's easy enough to upload pics to Picasa and Facebook. I deliberately bought only the camera accessory so that I wouldn't have to keep track of a lot of components.
I do like the size, quality of the display and ease of use. However, for someone who writes as much as I do, the onboard keyboard doesn't really cut it. In my case, it will be great for weekends away from home, but it's a little too unaccessorized for a week.
I like the portability of the iPad and it's easy enough to upload pics to Picasa and Facebook. I deliberately bought only the camera accessory so that I wouldn't have to keep track of a lot of components.
I do like the size, quality of the display and ease of use. However, for someone who writes as much as I do, the onboard keyboard doesn't really cut it. In my case, it will be great for weekends away from home, but it's a little too unaccessorized for a week.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Fresno/Clovis
I was feeling out of sorts yesterday evening -- typical addictive reaction to withdrawal (from the connected world) -- but decided that I would enjoy our dinner anyway. We had clam chowder, halibut in orange sauce, rice pilaf, and creme brulee. Delicious, though not quite so good as the sea bass the evening before.
This morning, we woke late (after 6!) and walked on the beach until sunrise. By the time we left the hotel after breakfast, we were ready for another full day of sensory overload. The Pacific coast near Monterey is so beautiful and stimulating that the experience defies the limitation of words. A lady in Pacific Grove sat silently on a bench, apparently contemplating the bay, looking so serene that I myself could feel the draw of the interior experience. I am not very contemplative, but I could see the possibilities of contemplation and the interior life!
By the time we got to our intended stop, Casa de Fruta, we were on a roll so we sped on by, up Pacheco Pass and past San Luis Reservoir and, finally, into Los Banos for lunch at Burger King. By this time, I was feeling hungry -- it was a long time since my breakfast of fruit and cottage -- and feeling ticked off when Bob announced to Chris on the phone that I was "cranky"! No matter. A whopper junior repaired my sour mood and we were, once again, on the road.
Arrived at Mary's around 4 PM. She has a beautiful condo, decorated artfully, with lovely colors. Sophie the poodle is as sociable and friendly as Mary and Tyler, who has recuperated very well from this morning's surgery to repair his broken arm with titanium plate and screws. Mary served a delicious dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread and French wine. I think I'm just going to stay here!
Tyler downloaded a couple of apps for the iPad, and I found that wireless access certainly facilitated the process of uploading pics to the Internet. Of course, I'm sitting at Mary's Windows desktop in the kitchen, enjoying the familiar operating system and keyboard. Bob is sitting happily in the living room, listening to Mary's iPod broadcast through the stereo.
Sophie the Dog is as beautiful as pics have suggested!
This morning, we woke late (after 6!) and walked on the beach until sunrise. By the time we left the hotel after breakfast, we were ready for another full day of sensory overload. The Pacific coast near Monterey is so beautiful and stimulating that the experience defies the limitation of words. A lady in Pacific Grove sat silently on a bench, apparently contemplating the bay, looking so serene that I myself could feel the draw of the interior experience. I am not very contemplative, but I could see the possibilities of contemplation and the interior life!
By the time we got to our intended stop, Casa de Fruta, we were on a roll so we sped on by, up Pacheco Pass and past San Luis Reservoir and, finally, into Los Banos for lunch at Burger King. By this time, I was feeling hungry -- it was a long time since my breakfast of fruit and cottage -- and feeling ticked off when Bob announced to Chris on the phone that I was "cranky"! No matter. A whopper junior repaired my sour mood and we were, once again, on the road.
Arrived at Mary's around 4 PM. She has a beautiful condo, decorated artfully, with lovely colors. Sophie the poodle is as sociable and friendly as Mary and Tyler, who has recuperated very well from this morning's surgery to repair his broken arm with titanium plate and screws. Mary served a delicious dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread and French wine. I think I'm just going to stay here!
Tyler downloaded a couple of apps for the iPad, and I found that wireless access certainly facilitated the process of uploading pics to the Internet. Of course, I'm sitting at Mary's Windows desktop in the kitchen, enjoying the familiar operating system and keyboard. Bob is sitting happily in the living room, listening to Mary's iPod broadcast through the stereo.
Sophie the Dog is as beautiful as pics have suggested!
A day late ... On Monterey from Fresno
Can't connect. Not unglued ...yet.
We ate breakfast in the dining room and I thought I could catch up on my online but no luck. I had a connection on both iPad and iPod early in the morning, but nothing worked. Despite my dismay, I gut I handled the situation reasonably well and resisted the temptation to spend the day troubleshooting.
By mid morning, the sun was already hot, so I changed to shorts for 17-mile Drive. It was even more beautiful than I remembered from our quick trip in 1994. Breathtaking views of the ocean, violent and full of foam as the waves crashed against the rocks. We were not alone on the road; the residents of the opulent houses in the hills above Carmel were also out this morning, along with tourists from all over the world. I snapped dozens of pictures, and I almost forgot about my unconnected status back at the hotel. Then the low battery icon showed up! Fortunately, I had already captured the thousands of sea lions, harbor seals, seabirds and little squirrels living in the rocks, but I did feel a little upset, because the afternoon had barely begun.
We drove through downtown Carmel but decided to have lunch at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey instead. Lunch at Isabella's -- prawn cocktail and fish & chips, shared by the two of us -- was good but service was a little slow.
After lunch, there were many missed photo ops: returning fishermen harassed by gulls, pelicans and sea lions; a car show with many beautiful Corvettes; good musicians. We returned to the hotel at about 4, and I enjoyed a fantastic swim in the large pool. The water is comfortably cool and the only swimmers were a few middle schoolers. The sun was still shining and I thought happily that life really doesn't get any better.
Dinner at the hotel tonight: we had a superb meal yesterday evening and we're hoping for a god meal again tonight. The clam chowder was the best ever, as was the parmesan encrusted sea bass.
The sea noises are loud and soothing. Looking forward to another good night's sleep
We ate breakfast in the dining room and I thought I could catch up on my online but no luck. I had a connection on both iPad and iPod early in the morning, but nothing worked. Despite my dismay, I gut I handled the situation reasonably well and resisted the temptation to spend the day troubleshooting.
By mid morning, the sun was already hot, so I changed to shorts for 17-mile Drive. It was even more beautiful than I remembered from our quick trip in 1994. Breathtaking views of the ocean, violent and full of foam as the waves crashed against the rocks. We were not alone on the road; the residents of the opulent houses in the hills above Carmel were also out this morning, along with tourists from all over the world. I snapped dozens of pictures, and I almost forgot about my unconnected status back at the hotel. Then the low battery icon showed up! Fortunately, I had already captured the thousands of sea lions, harbor seals, seabirds and little squirrels living in the rocks, but I did feel a little upset, because the afternoon had barely begun.
We drove through downtown Carmel but decided to have lunch at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey instead. Lunch at Isabella's -- prawn cocktail and fish & chips, shared by the two of us -- was good but service was a little slow.
After lunch, there were many missed photo ops: returning fishermen harassed by gulls, pelicans and sea lions; a car show with many beautiful Corvettes; good musicians. We returned to the hotel at about 4, and I enjoyed a fantastic swim in the large pool. The water is comfortably cool and the only swimmers were a few middle schoolers. The sun was still shining and I thought happily that life really doesn't get any better.
Dinner at the hotel tonight: we had a superb meal yesterday evening and we're hoping for a god meal again tonight. The clam chowder was the best ever, as was the parmesan encrusted sea bass.
The sea noises are loud and soothing. Looking forward to another good night's sleep
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
California Vacation - Day 1
I hadn't been to MSP for several months and I was amazed at the number of kiosks in the airport for phone, camera, computer and other mobile device peripherals. Not so mNy years ago, I was out of luck when I forgot a battery charger or power supply. No longer. Even at 7 a.m.,most venndors were open for business. E displays were so tempting that I felt inclined to pick up an accessory for the new iPad, but I resisted, this time at least.
the flight was fine by most sat dards but I found myself wedged between Bob and a long-legged young man who must have been bothered by my constant, restless movement. However, he slept most of the trip, impeding any chance of escaping to the restroom, just to stretch my legs. to mKe matters worse, my seatbelt was twisted and I couldn't straighten it to make It more comfortable. In fact, I was only an inch or so formal requiring an extender, a long-standing fear not yet realized, and I am grateful for that. I did grunt a little, and I was reminded of the famous Seinfeld episode, in which Elaine is stuck in a crammed seat while Jerry luxuriated in First Class. We were in Row 13, close to Business Class, and I couldn't help thinking that I belonged in front of the blue curtain, enjoying morning champagne and a delicious breakfast served on real dishes vy a smiling, well groomed flight attendant. Insead, I gulped my Coke Zero and scarfed peanuts, damned happy to have them.
By the time we got to Thrifty for our car rental, we had wasted a little time because we could't find the counter at one end of the long line of vehicle rental windows. By the time we set off on Hwy 101, we were a little hungry as it was already after one, Pacific time. I was a little grumpy as we headed south, happy to stop in Gilroy (garlic capital of the world, I seem to remember) for a whopper junior at Burger King. Never has a $1.25 burgerbtasted so delicious. Made the windy trip across the hills to the ocean all the more pleasant.
By the time we arrived in Monterey, we were dead tired, not ready for the poor lady who backed into our front right fender, in the parking lot of the busy shopping center near our hotel. Bob dealt with the situation while I took pictures, and then picked up a bottle of Johnny Walker black for our room. We felt a little dejected checking in, but soon cheered up when we got settled in our oceanfront room. The waves are high, and the sunset is stunningly beautiful. I thought I got a glimpse of a couple of fishing dolphins. Looking forward to a good dinner and many photo ops tomorrow.
the flight was fine by most sat dards but I found myself wedged between Bob and a long-legged young man who must have been bothered by my constant, restless movement. However, he slept most of the trip, impeding any chance of escaping to the restroom, just to stretch my legs. to mKe matters worse, my seatbelt was twisted and I couldn't straighten it to make It more comfortable. In fact, I was only an inch or so formal requiring an extender, a long-standing fear not yet realized, and I am grateful for that. I did grunt a little, and I was reminded of the famous Seinfeld episode, in which Elaine is stuck in a crammed seat while Jerry luxuriated in First Class. We were in Row 13, close to Business Class, and I couldn't help thinking that I belonged in front of the blue curtain, enjoying morning champagne and a delicious breakfast served on real dishes vy a smiling, well groomed flight attendant. Insead, I gulped my Coke Zero and scarfed peanuts, damned happy to have them.
By the time we got to Thrifty for our car rental, we had wasted a little time because we could't find the counter at one end of the long line of vehicle rental windows. By the time we set off on Hwy 101, we were a little hungry as it was already after one, Pacific time. I was a little grumpy as we headed south, happy to stop in Gilroy (garlic capital of the world, I seem to remember) for a whopper junior at Burger King. Never has a $1.25 burgerbtasted so delicious. Made the windy trip across the hills to the ocean all the more pleasant.
By the time we arrived in Monterey, we were dead tired, not ready for the poor lady who backed into our front right fender, in the parking lot of the busy shopping center near our hotel. Bob dealt with the situation while I took pictures, and then picked up a bottle of Johnny Walker black for our room. We felt a little dejected checking in, but soon cheered up when we got settled in our oceanfront room. The waves are high, and the sunset is stunningly beautiful. I thought I got a glimpse of a couple of fishing dolphins. Looking forward to a good dinner and many photo ops tomorrow.
Monday, November 8, 2010
California Itinerary
Wednesday, November 10: leave for San Francisco on a morning flight.
Two nights on the lovely Monterey Peninsula , in a beachfront room at one of our favorite hotels, the Monterey Beach Resort. We'll spend the weekend in Fresno with Mary and Tyler, and end our holiday in beautiful San Francisco.
Wednesday, November 17: back home.
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