Take 22 - A trip Up-North (kind of !)

A few weeks ago, David took a day off. We left San Jose late on that sunny Friday morning and headed North. A short drive later and minutes after checking into our hotel, we were enjoying lunch in Japantown (but more on that later). Yes, I am talking about San Francisco again, located North of San Jose and a mere 45 minute drive, traffic cooperating. Very accessible either by car or by train (see a previous post). The trick is to rid yourself of your car as soon as possible to enjoy the city on foot. The reason for this comment is that parking in San Francisco can be a nightmare and spaces are at a premium. So if you decide to visit, plan your day or days carefully.

For us, this time, things were truly different. We felt like two teenagers out on the town with some money in our pockets. The difference ? No pooch. We had not spent a night away from Taylor since ..... 18 months. Last time we were away from him overnight was when he flew from Vancouver to San Francisco via Toronto. (See the details of that trip in Take 2 of my blog.) We have hired a trainer for our Goldie and this wonderful person also does occasional dog boarding for her clients, freeing us and enabling us to take trips sans chien.

Japantown is a neighbourhood which is amazing to visit. The architecture is authentic and surprising and looking upwards can often make you discover little gems like shops or simply a beautiful building. Speaking of shops, they are numerous and can be terribly inexpensive such as (Daiso) where almost all items cost $1.50 or very expensive if you go to antique shops or jewelry stores. In the main mall, not to be missed because of its Japanese decor, Japanese lunch can be had for a few dollars and everything is fresh and tasty. Of course, having lived in Vancouver for more than a decade makes me a fussy customer when it comes to Japanese food but the food is worth the detour.

The weather up there was typical for San Fran. Every morning was gray with a marine layer (looks like thick clouds), then the sun broke through for a few hours warming our bones as we walked beneath wall-to-wall blue skies. By late afternoon, the fog would dramatically rolled in with a fierce cool wind blowing and marking the end of the clement weather for that day. The expression used for this weather phenomenon is May Grays and later in the season, June Gloom.

When we go to San Francisco, we generally do not like to make plans. We like to meander. Going up one street and down another. This is how we discover little shops and restaurants. One of these shops is Utsuwa on Polk Street at Bush Street. It is a magical tiny store specializing in bonsais and terrariums. There are large ones but there are lots of small and very affordable specimens beautifully displayed in a space full of light. the owner is friendly and helpful and, should you decide to adopt a bonsai or terrarium, he will patiently explain the ins and outs of taking care of it. He will even evaluate online or in person, your adoptee's health. I urge you to go visit, even if you are not planning on purchasing. We fell for the charm of the place and their plants and brought home a bonsai and a terrarium. One sits in my kitchen window, the other outdoor on our upstairs deck. Here are photos of my newly adopted specimens.







During that weekend, we had lunch in North Beach (where there is no beach and which is also known as Little Italy) at Trattoria Pinocchio. The Fettucine Puttanesca were outstanding. David raved about the Calzone too. We sat outside at a sidewalk table. Very casual but also very romantic. The service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. We would go back there in a heartbeat. The restaurant is located on Columbus Street At Vallejo Street. Prices are also quite reasonable for San Francisco and for such good quality food.

On another day we took a cable car (my first time, despite all of my previous visits to San Francisco) on California street and headed downtown. We walked to the wharf, which is usually rather crowded but on that Sunday, Mother's Day, the streets were less busy and we took our time to enjoy the walk. We decided to go visit Tcho chocolate. Tcho is an American high end chocolate company based in San Francisco. Their headquarters, shop and factory are at Pier 17 on the Embarcadero. You can purchase chocolate there and you can even tour their factory. Their products come in white, milk and dark and are amazing and original. Not your usual flavors. Go try a sample !

Going to San Francisco is a constant surprise because the city keeps evolving and changing. It is a city, very much like Paris, that you discover bit by bit while walking its streets and people watching. When we go there, we leave the rushing around to others and savor all that is San Francisco. Here are a few photos including a couple of Chinatown streets, the inside of the a Cable Car and a few buildings.









Here is a refreshing salad:

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
2 large cucumbers
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped mint

Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice very thinly. (I use a vegetable peeler). Place the cucumber slices in a colander. Sprinkle with salt (a pinch or two) and let drain 15-20 minutes. Mix the garlic, lemon juice, yogurt and dill in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the cucumber slices. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the mint. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving and enjoy.

Bon Appétit !

Lori

Take 12 - Day trips around the Bay Area

Day Trips around the Bay Area

In order to get to know our adoptive State and take advantage of everything California has to offer, we take Day Trips. Usually Saturdays or Sundays, with or without the pooch. San Jose is a great location to start from since it is situated about 1 hour, more or less (depending on traffic) from places like San Francisco, Berkeley, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and lots more. Now, David is not a natural born driver and neither am I a very comfortable rider. He drives very well but is not one of those rugged drivers who dive into traffic without a care in the world. So that makes him a careful driver (Thank Goodness !) while I sit nervously by his side. Terrified, not of his driving, but of the multitude of cars (and there are so many in California) and I do not often relax on a freeway. Nothing new, I have always been this way. I just breathe deeply and try to think of the place we are going to visit....... So let's get started.

Half Moon Bay

This is a small town located on the Coast, 25 miles south of San Francisco. There are lots of beaches along the Coast but not all of them are dog friendly. After trying several and being told dogs were not welcome, we finally found one where dogs could run free and swim too. This beach is called Poplar Beach and it is really fantastic. Heck, even horses are welcome there. Our dog Taylor had a great time and also feasted on the little gifts the horses left behind. But seriously...... back to the beach. Some of you might say.... A beach, is a beach, is a beach, well I beg to differ. To me a real beach is not the ubiquitous place where towels are lined up and oiled bodies of every size and shape are playing the toast game trying to get that perfect glow with a few sun burns in between. No. To me a real beach is a large expanse of sand where you can walk, barefoot (weather permitting) letting the foamy water caress your feet, wind in your hair and on your face a smile of contentment. Walking on a beach, I feel free, relaxed and totally grateful for the opportunity. That probably comes from having lived in Montreal for so long where most people have, pinned on the wall of their work cubicle, at least one postcard of a beach where they would rather be than in Montreal in the dead of Winter or the heat and humidity of Summer. So dreams do come true.......if you wish hard and long enough. We chose to have our picnic lunch on one of the cliffs overlooking the beach and with the magnificent view. Even a simple sandwich tastes much better in such a setting.

After our lunch, we drove on to Bean Hollow, another beach 17 miles South of Poplar. The South end is a typical beach but the Northern end is the interesting part and again dogs are welcome but this time on a leash. This is a different kind of beach made of pebbles. No towels here and no walk along the shore. Instead, a collection of Tide Pools and old rock formations creating small islands populated by seals. This place is unique and makes for an unusual panorama. Well worth the visit. Then it was time to get back on the road towards Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz

Another 30 miles South on a beautiful scenic Coast road and we arrive in Santa Cruz. Just the name brings to mind images of hippies and Love and Peace era and some areas of the town still have that feel. Santa Cruz also has a section of beach reserved for dog frolicking. However, by the time we got there (about 3:00 in the afternoon) the temperature had dipped down and the wind was so fierce, we decided to let other people brave the sand storms and the waves and headed back to San Jose to warm up. On a warmer day, Santa Cruz is great to visit, go to the beach and work on your tan (if that is your thing), take a stroll on the Boardwalk and perhaps have a bite to eat. There are lots of great small restaurants and cafés to cater to every taste and budget. As we were making our way out of town, we stumbled upon a little hidden loft mall, made of mom and pop shops, at the corner of Swift and Ingalls, a stone`s throw from the freeway, where you can enjoy some bread, pastries and coffee at Kelly's Bakery and find some more gifts to send the family back East in other quaint shops, including a French importer.

San Francisco

This was our first time ever in SF with our dog. There again we headed for a beach (are we ever good parents,or what?), Ocean Beach - La Playa, and we let him run after a ball to his heart's content or rather until we could no longer feel our fingers from cold (yes, on the 5th of July) because here again, we had over estimated the temperature due to the sweltering heat of San Jose. San Francisco can be quite tricky in the summertime and have beach weather days in the wintertime so you have to be prepared for everything. Next we found Point Lobos, half a mile North, where we stopped at the Cliff House (http://www.nps.gov/goga/upload/sb-clho-2008.pdf) and found more nifty little gifts (for the family again) from a California State Park Gift Shop and walked up a hill to Sutro Heights Park where you have the highest point around overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Coast. Quite a lovely spot, again to picnic, if one chooses or simply to walk around and admire the view. Taylor on a leash was also welcome.

Next we drove to the SF pier and after ditching our car in an indoor garage (needless to try and park on the streets of San Francisco when for a few dollars you can park your car indoors, secure and without all of the frustration of parking in a big town) we walked along with the thousands of tourists in town for the July 4th weekend. We had been to SF several times in the past but this was different. This was new. No need to rush or to go buy a thing or two to keep the memory alive. We were not tourists, we were not staying in a hotel that night. SF was our neighbour. Our dog Taylor took to walking the sidewalks with huge crowds quite naturally and we even found a place to have lunch in the sun where he could sit under our table. Lots of dog lovers in San Francisco. This was a perfect day, strolling the streets, in the warm sunshine (Thank you very much) and later taking the long way home to check off our list a few of the smaller towns.

Berkeley

This time, on our own, thanks to our friends Jill and Steve who took on Taylor for the day. We had been to Berkeley in 2005 and had loved it. People here in the Bay Area call it Bezerkeley ! No one has a real explanation for the nickname except that, as one guy told David, ..... there are lots of crazies there. Heck, has anyone ever been on Main Street and Pender in Vancouver, British Columbia or on Sainte-Catherine street in Montreal, Quebec ? :-) Nowadays, there are crazies everywhere. Berkeley is a university town so there are lots of little shops, great inexpensive restaurants and several book stores worth visiting. The architecture is wonderful, with many streets that are hilly and winding with huge trees creating canopies of shade. Lovely ! We parked our car asap and walked all over, including the Berkeley Campus. For lunch, we went to our old favorite La Burrita, 1832 Euclid Ave (http://laburritaberkeley.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp) for some great burritos as we had done 7 years ago. They are still wonderful and although more expensive than in 2005 but still a great bargain.


We have more town in mind for day-trips, so more of this in another post. Now, on to food.


Do you happen to love bananas ? Well,here is the easiest dessert you will ever make and requiring only one ingredient: bananas.

Banana Ice Cream

Plan for one banana per person
Peel and cut bananas in two inch pieces. Put in plastic bag and into the freezer for at least 3 hours.
Put frozen bananas in food processor and process for about five minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. At first the mixture appears grainy but suddenly turns into the creamiest dessert you will ever taste. Your guests will go Bananas and won't believe it's just Bananas. Trust me on that one. You could sprinkle it with nuts or chocolate bits, if you so desire but it is perfect on its own.

Enjoy !