We had a great time in San Francisco and environs. Here are the highlights:
Best Meal: After fifteen hours in transit without a proper bite to eat, the pub sandwiches at Farley's (the bar at our hotel) were without question our finest meal.
Most Interesting Person: The sixty-something pugilist we saw shadow boxing in a parking lot off the east end of Lombard Street who approached us to offer directions when he saw us haul out our map. He was sweet, friendly, sweaty and a teensy bit incoherent. We did not follow his directions to the letter (on how to get to the famous part of Lombard Street, the segment that zig zags back and forth down a short, precipitous, incline) but, in retrospect, they were 100% correct.
Conversation of Least Consequence: Killing time before the hotel shuttle came to pick us up at Union Square, I wandered into an art gallery next to Morton's Steak House to make idle enquiries after a particularly fine painting of three dogs in the shop window. The proprietor gave me the full press treatment, describing the technique the artist used, showing me other pieces of her work, and telling me that the doggies in the window would set me back twelve grand. I happily accepted the gallery business card and said goodbye forever.
Most Pleasant Surprise: I had selected our hotel on the single criterion that it was close to the Golden Gate Bridge. Cavallo Point has many other amenities -- stunning views, lovely rooms, remote-seeming-but-still-close-to-everything location -- but the one I loved the most was the yoga class every morning!
Favourite Sight-Seeing Moment: On the Sausalito ferry, hanging around by the Angel Island dock, watching the pelicans amuse themselves with formation flying stunts. They rode the thermals rising from the hills warmed by the setting sun, carefree and golden in the late afternoon light.
Most Workmanlike Jazz: At the No Name Bar in Sausalito, after getting off the ferry, looking for some food and drink. We got the drink. The food was just not happening at the No Name Bar.
Longest Line Up: After the line ups at Pearson Airport first, to do our own check-in, and second, to have airline personnel check that we'd checked ourselves in, and third, to just stand in a line for no reason, and fourth, to scan our own passports, and fifth, to have Homeland Security personnel check that we'd scanned our passport correctly, and sixth, to go through Pearson security, and seventh, to line up for our plane and eighth, to line up for our second plane, the longest line up I stood in was the one to the ladies' restroom at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Most Obnoxious Perfume Bomb: There were some doozies this trip, but, the prize goes to the thirty-something blonde woman in front of us at Pearson after we'd checked ourselves in. She must buy in bulk.
Most Panhandling Monk: On the way to the hotel shuttle rendezvous point by Union Square, I made the mistake of smiling at an Asian gentleman wearing robes. He was on me in a flash. He asked me to sign my name in a book. And then he wanted me to accept a wooden bead bracelet. And then write the word "PEACE" in the same book where I'd written my name. And then he wanted me to give him forty dollars. I had no US cash. I asked Bruce if he had any money. We gave the monk $5.
Most Obvious Evidence of a Curse: After an uneventful trip (just the way I like them), the last leg of our journey - a short hop from Philadelphia to Toronto - ran into a snag.
We were boarded, late, onto a freezing cold plane and sat shivering in our seats as the pilot explained that part of the electrical system (the part that heats the plane) was not working. This would also require some special tinkering to get the engines started. Oddly enough, every passenger was prepared to go along with this. However, after a couple of attempts, the pilot had to admit defeat. We were "deplaned" and a mechanic was sent for.
No one expected things to go well after that, but, within an hour or so, the plane was fixed, toasty warm when we re-boarded, and we were on the ground in Toronto only two hours later than we would otherwise have been.
I'm glad we had that five bucks.
Thanks for reading!
Have a great week!
Karen
No comments:
Post a Comment