WIldlife in the City

Our son flew home a couple days ahead of us so he could get back to college on time.  As one of the things we all really get a kick out of in San Francisco is the sea lions at Pier 39, before we took him to the airport, we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf for lunch.  Afterwards we visited the sea lions.  

There have not always been sea lions at Pier 39.  One arrived on K dock twenty years ago after the Loma Prieta earthquake and within a few weeks, there were hundreds of them.  In fact in May this year there was a celebration of their arrival on the pier -  including cupcakes and hats for the humans.  It was a celebration that nearly did not happen as last year after Thanksgiving they all disappeared.  Most summers they head south to mate, but return in the autumn when the herring season begins.  This time not one sea lion remained behind.  They have become so much a part of Pier 39, everyone was absolutely delighted to see them return. 

Standing looking out over the docks which were specially built for them, all you can hear is their loud barking.  The dominant males make a special effort to sit up with their heads proudly in the air, but other sea lions laze all over the docks, occasionally going for a dip in the Bay.  When one wants to climb back up he usually clambers over all the others, eliciting angry barks of protest and occasionally the odd nip.  Once in while one of them will arch their back and perform an almost perfect yoga cobra, stretching their heads almost backwards to sunbathe. 

Although I have seen sea lions in many other places, it is always staggering to see them at Pier 39 in what is effectively a very urban setting.  Right on the edge of a huge city, you have a large number of utterly wild animals who have, for the last 20 years, chosen to come here.  Crowds gather on the Pier, looking out over the docks, fascinated by these large animals who are so graceful in the water, and so awkward out of it. 

For me it is a great reminder of how much animals depend on us to maintain the environment, and allow them their space even in places we think of as urban.  It also makes me think of how close we really are to wild things even when we believe we are somehow separate and far off.   Most times when I stand there looking out at them, I notice several of them gazing just as intently back at me.  I can’t help but wonder who is watching who.....and hoping that whatever happens the sea lions keep returning to Pier 39.  It wouldn’t be the same without them! 

A Bit of Window Shopping

Okay, maybe not windows, but I love the way Macy’s do store displays.  They are so creative!  Most of the displays that caught my eye in their Union Square branch in San Francisco were on a wedding theme - not surprising as it is June - one of the most popular months for weddings!  I was fascinated by their china and flatware bride:-

and I loved their table settings.

I could not get over how they took some pretty dire plastic chairs and made them into something so pretty with a bit of tulle and a few silk flowers.  It would not cost much to put together either.

I’d love to spend a day with their window and shop dressers.  Of course many of their ideas are way to over the top for real life but I’m sure their hints and tips would be great inspiration!

The 49 Mile Scenic Drive

The 49 Mile Scenic Drive is a route round the city of San Francisco and its environs, opened in 1938 as a promotion for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. By following the blue and white seagull signs pictured above, you can get great views of lots of San Francisco landmarks, including The Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Cliff House, The Presidio and the Embarcadero.

My husband and I had a great time driving the route on Friday, and aside from a couple of points where the signs were either hidden by trees or missing, we found it pretty easy to follow. First stop was the Ferry Building, which I have driven past many times before. I had no idea of the treasures contained inside!



In the 1930’s it was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, and even today it is still a busy terminal for ferries across San Francisco Bay. We popped in looking for the rest rooms and were surprised to find a wonderful marketplace, absolutely humming with people and some fabulous food shops. From incredible greengrocers:-



to fantastic fromageries and artisanale bakers,





it’s a true foodie paradise. There was even a beautiful antique store full of home and kitchen-related items called Culinaire.



We could have spent hours exploring, but we had a lot more ground to cover. I’ll share more of our adventures tomorrow :)

Friday Night

I’ve just had an amazing day in this truly wonderful city with one of my favourite people in the whole world. It was bliss.

My husband and I drove the famous 49 Mile Drive (which showed us sides of San Francisco we have never seen before), had lunch in Chinatown and finished off with dinner in the city. So much more to tell and so many stories, but for now...



Good night!

A Weekend in the Bay Area

The photograph above is of the waiter at the wonderful Consuelo Restaurant in Santana Row, San Jose, making fresh guacamole at our table. We had a wonderful meal here on Saturday evening.

Santana Row is a fantastic place, lots of tree lined avenues with hotels, restaurants and shops. Consuelo is one of several restaurants with a Mexican theme. It had loads of atmosphere and the food was delicious. We had to wait about an hour for a table, but we just wandered across the road to another restaurant with an outdoor bar and whiled away the time listening to music. I can understand why we had to wait for a table as once we were seated the food and service were fantastic. I think the guacamole was the highlight. The waiter brought over the tray full of the freshest ingredients you can imagine - bright red tomatoes, green chiles, lime halves and gorgeous green avocado. He made the dish to order, with the amount of spice we requested (first batch was medium, second batch was hot!). Served with fresh hot tortillas it was absolutely delicious.

Sunday we drove into San Francisco and did all the usual touristy things - riding on a tram up and down the incredible hills and eating clam chowder in sourdough bowls down by Fisherman’s Wharf. We also went to Union Square for some serious shopping at Macy’s. You see, it was very cold down by Fisherman’s Wharf on Sunday and my beige linen jacket was not enough to keep me warm. So, I purchased a very tasteful(!) red hoody with San Francisco written in big letters on the front of it and put it over my jacket. When I removed it, I discovered I was covered in red fluff. It was definitely a wardrobe emergency as we were booked into our favourite restaurant, Harris’ Steak House on Van Ness Avenue, that evening. I needed to buy something new to wear and fast. Guy and Alex took me to the Ralph Lauren department and found me a gorgeous sweater and black jacket which I changed into there and then. Problem solved! Then they found me another sweater and white jacket to mix and match with the other two. I was so pleased. We then headed off to the men’s department (in the Macy’s across the road) and spent a hour in the Ralph Lauren department there with a very helpful salesman finding things for Guy and Alex. We only just made it to the restaurant on time!

As usual the meal at Harris’ was wonderful. It’s a real taste of old San Francisco. Cars are valet parked for you, and walking through the door is like stepping back in time. Their speciality is steak, and they do it brilliantly. We did have a bit of a hiccup with the onion soup which my son and I had for an appetizer. He’s had it several times before but recommended it very highly so I decided to have it too. We were both a bit surprised to find it very over-peppered. When I questioned him about it, he said with a smile that “yes, it’s normally peppery, but it doesn’t normally make your eyes water”. That made me laugh as I did actually have tears in my eyes at that moment! Our steaks were wonderful though, and we had a super evening. All in all, a super start to our week in the Bay Area!