Fireboat along the Embarcadero underneath the Bay Bridge

Every year the US Navy comes into San Francisco and the event is called Fleet Week. This year 13 ships came into the bay and twelve were open for public visits. There were parades and demonstrations plus the Blue Angels practicing on Thursday and Friday and performing on Saturday. They were due to perform on Sunday as well but the fog cut the display short.

Saturday would have been a better day as the ships enter the bay under the GG Bridge in the morning. That would have been a sight to see but we didn’t wake up in time. We decided to drive up on Sunday though and set off early as we knew parking in the city would be at a premium.

We took 101 and exited on Mariposa and headed towards the ballpark. Driving along the Embarcadero, I spotted the the first ship. It was the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vincent anchored in the middle of the bay. This is the only ship which isn’t open to public viewing unfortunately. Just before the Bay Bridge we saw a second ship moored at Pier 30-32 . This one had helicopters on the deck.

Our plan was to park in the Howard Street car park but when we arrived it was closed. Nearby there were parking meters and at 7 in the morning there were plenty not being used. We expected to pay but, when Tom put his credit card in, the screen said we had four hours free parking. No complaints there!

Along the Embarcadero

We walked to the Embarcadero and turned right. Tom needed coffee and we both wanted breakfast. There are now a lot of eating places along the Embarcadero but none of them were open. Along the way we passed the ship with the helicopters at Pier 30-32. I discovered the ship was called the USS Bonhomme Richard. Already a line of people had formed who were waiting to look over the ship. There was no charge but there sure were a lot of rules – photo ID needed, no photography, open toed shoes or backpacks. That meant that neither of us could go on board because of course Tom had his camera and I had a backpack. A US coastguard told me I could leave my backpack beyond the black and white information board, which was over 100 yards away. As if I would just leave it there in a completely unsecured location with nobody to look after it! Ah well, next time we will know better.

Still on on the lookout for breakfast, we crossed the road because Tom had spotted a likely looking place but it turned out to be a convenience store. I noticed a realtor sign listing properties for sale. I asked Tom if he fancied a two bedroomed, two bathroom apartment with amazing views over the bay. Only kicker being they were all over $1 million. That idea was a non starter.

Sidewalk art

Back across the Embarcadero we came to Java House. We have eaten there before so knew what we were in for, namely high prices and mediocre quality, but there was nothing else around. We both ordered the (three egg) cheese omelet with hash browns and toast. Tom had coffee and I just had water. No complaints about the view over a marina and the bay with the the USS Carl Vincent aircraft carrier in the background but the cramped, uncomfortable seating, the small omelet (debatable whether it was a three egg omelet) and plastic plates were a different matter. The price of our meal was not cheap either at $18 but it was food. At the next table, which was awfully close, were two bikers and I couldn’t help but overhear most of their conversation. At one point, they were talking about San Juan Bautista, so my ears pricked up. Looking back at our previous review, I did say that we probably wouldn’t eat there again and my opinion has not changed.

There is just something about a sailor in a uniform that I have always admired, due maybe to the fact that my father was a sailor.  Walking back along the Embarcadero, there were lots of sailors and marines walking around in their smart uniforms and they added a spot of glamor to the normal galaxy of joggers, skateboarders, in-line skaters, tourists and dog walkers. People watching along the Embarcadero is always fun but this visit was even better than usual. The beautiful weather helped of course.  When Tom stopped to take photographs, I took the opportunity to sit on one of the plethora of benches along the way. It is amusing and sometimes frustrating to hear snatches of conversations as people walked or jogged by. I would add though, that amongst this array of humankind one must not forget the homeless and less fortunate members of our society.

Naval ship

Talking of seats, in one section there are a number of unusual benches. On first sight, you may only notice that they are made out of concrete and painted yellow, but look closer.  Every so often along the edges are brass fixtures to discourage skateboarders.  In addition, there are other brass sculptures scattered randomly depicting octopuses, turtles, starfish, scollop shells and sand dollars. The black and white poles are also interesting as they each display lots of information on the history of the Embarcadero. One post I read on this visit, contained details of the mailboats which worked in and out of San Francisco and another about the fire boats which use sea water to put out fires.  Right behind the latter post was the fire house and moored up were the two current fire boats – the Phoenix and the Guardian. As you walk along the Embarcadero, also look out for poems which have been engraved on brass plaques and embedded into the sidewalk. This is one I noted:

They dream
they dream of
dreams about
themselves
-Jack Spicer

(When I got home I looked up Jack Spicer and discovered that the above is only fragments from the poem.) One interesting, temporary, feature we almost missed, were several colorful chalk drawings on the sidewalk. There was a humming bird, an octopus and a seahorse.

Entrance to Sydney Park

When we reached the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, we went inside. Being a Sunday, there was no farmers’ market outside but the shops inside were just beginning to open up. First of all though we paid a visit to Peets so Tom could have a decent cup of coffee and I enjoyed a wonderful hot chocolate. Then we walked round the interesting collection of shops, most of them selling different sorts of food goodies from artisan bread, olive oil, mushrooms, nuts, dried fruits and meat to luxuries like wine, gelato and gourmet chocolate.

Back outside, we continued walking north along the Embarcadero looking for more naval ships. Eventually we reached Pier 27 where we saw not only a line of people waiting to get onto the pier but lots of sailors congregating. I could just see the bow of a ship but not the name of it. I went up to a group of young sailors and asked (any excuse to talk to a sailor of course) the names. They were happy to tell me that they were the USS Antietam and the USS Milius. Whilst talking to them, I also discovered that they were getting ready to take part in the parade starting in North Beach at 12.30.

We decided that it was time to make our way back to the car but instead of walking back down the

Transamerica Pyramid

Embarcadero amongst the hordes of people now promenading, we crossed the road where it was less crowded. Then we cut through a small park called the Sea Wall Lot to Front Street. We spotted a brick arch and went to take a closer look. It marked one of the entries to a park called Sydney Park, which was named after a Sydney G Walton. I could find out no details of who he was until I got home and then discovered Sydney Grant Walton was a San Franciscan banker in the early part of the 20th century. I also found out the archway is called the the Colombo Market Arch and was once part of the San Francisco produce market. The park itself was very interesting. While we were there, a group of older people were doing Tai Chi, which is always fascinating to watch.  There were a number of sculptures in the park including an eye catching one of Georgia O’Keefe. When I first saw it from the archway I thought it was made out of wood but it turned out to be cast bronze. It depicts Georgia O’Keefe sitting on a log with her two dogs.

Tom wanted to take some photographs of the Transamerica Pyramid so we made our way towards it. Of course the building is one of the most recognizable features of the San Francisco skyline. Although it is still known as the Transamerica Pyramid, it’s official name is now The Pyramid Center.  I particularly liked the sculptured trees outside cut to look like pyramids.

Eventually we made it back to the car and managed to avoid an excess fee even though we were a little over the maximum four hours free parking. The end of another perfect day.

Pietra Santa Winery outside of San Juan Bautista

Several people have asked us where our favorite places are in the Bay Area and our suggestions of places to visit either for themselves or for ideas as to where to take visitors. Recently my daughter Lizzie and her husband Ric visited from England for a couple of weeks. We thought it would be a good idea to write about where they went while they were here to give some ideas to those people.

(Click the photos for larger versions)

They arrived at the tail end of an extremely wet period on a Friday night. The next day rain was forecast and in fact it poured with rain for most of the day. We could have gone into San Jose and paid a visit to The Tech Museum or taken them to the Monterey Bay Aquarium but we decided on a trip to San Juan Bautista. Our first stop there was at Vertigo Coffee at 81 Fourth Street in San Juan, where we all enjoyed a cup of their speciality hot chocolates. If you like hot chocolate you have to try their Marilyn Monroe with coconut or their Charlie Brown with peanut butter. Neither Tom nor I like peanut butter but Lizzie chose the Charlie Brown and we had to taste it just to see what it was like. To me it tasted more like a Snickers Bar, and therefore I liked it, though I will stick to the Marilyn Monroe in future.  Also they have started carrying Bistro Blends Balsamic vinegar which is the best balsamic we have ever tasted and can thoroughly recommend it.

We would have liked to take a walk around the shops in San Juan and the Mission but it was raining too hard. Lizzie and Ric have been here before and know a whole day can be spent here enjoying the sights. Instead we drove into the foothills to visit our favorite winery Pietra Santa. After tasting their selection we bought a couple of bottles of their Signature Chardonnay (my particular favorite), one bottle of Pinot Grigio and one of their Sangiovese.

The next day we took a trip to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The weather was better than the day before bit still a little chilly and overcast. We had breakfast at Bab’s Delta Diner in Suisun City before taking tour favorite route to the old Chinese town of Locke via the ferry to Ryer Island, the ferry to Grand Island and drive across Grand Island to Walnut Grove. In Locke we visited the restored boarding house, the Dai Loy Museum and the old schoolroom followed by a walk around the residential area. Of course, every visit to the area finishes up with a vanilla malt in Mel’s Mocha and Ice Cream in Walnut Grove.

Liz at Crissy Field during their bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito

On the Monday Lizzie and Ric travelled on the train to San Francisco where they stayed for three nights at the Villa Florence on Powell. They spent one day shopping in Union Square; one day cycling and one day walking. For the cycle adventure they rented bikes from Blazing Saddles and rode around the bay, through Crissy Field, over the Golden Gate Bridge, into Sausalito and back to the city by ferry. The walking tour took in Chinatown, Coit Tower, North Beach, the Marina, the Wave Organ near the  the Golden Gate Yacht Club, Fort Mason, Giradelli Square and the Hyde Street cable car back to Powell.

I picked them up, plus all their shopping bags, from the San Jose Caltrain Station on the Thursday evening. The following day I wasn’t working so the three of us took a trip to the coast. As they have never visited Franklin Point, it was the obvious place to head for. It was an interesting day. First of all the 10 foot high tree stump which marks the beginning of the trail to Franklin Point was gone. We found it lying on the ground and noticed the bottom was rotted through. Then we had to wade through 2 feet of water because part of the trail was flooded. It didn’t end there. We had to take a detour to get to the bench because the tide was too high; Lizzie found a necklace partially buried in the sand; I met up again with the guy Tom and I met on our last visit; when we tried walking back along the beach we got soaked when a wave came in much higher than we expected and finally we had a difficult climb to get back to the trail. It was a wonderful day though and we finished our visit by having lunch in Duartes Tavern in Pescadero.

Liz and Ric admiring the view from the top of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

The next day was Saturday so the four of us drove to San Francisco to cover some of the sights that Lizzie and Ric didn’t get to see during the week including Golden Gate Park – where we visited the De Young – and Haight/Ashbury.

On the Sunday we drove up to Healdsburg in the Sonoma Valley. It was a beautiful day and what could be better than a trip to Healdsburg and  to visit a couple of wineries. Lizzie and Ric have never been to Healdsburg so we knew they were in for a treat. The drive up was magnificent and, being early on a Sunday morning, traffic was light. At 8:30 we were driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco sparkled in the sunlight.

We stopped for breakfast at The Lighthouse Cafe in Sausalito where we had a short wait but it was pleasant standing outside in the sunshine and playing with a puppy which was tied to a lamp post a table became available. Our table was in the window so we enjoyed the view. Afterwards, on our way back to 101, we stopped to look at the houseboats juste to the north of Sausalito.

The drive up to Healdsburg, though pleasant, was not exciting. In Healdsburg it was nice to get out of the car and stretch our legs. I love strolling around the cute little town, with its shady tree lined square, irresistible boutiquey shops and inviting restaurants. Lizzie bought a bag, Tom bought a birthday card for his grandson and I pounced on an old sign for my son.

The vineyard outside of Johnson's Alexander Valley Wines. Kind of a funky laid back winery with lucious Zinfandels.

It was time to head for the wineries. First we drove to Alexander Valley and our favorite winery - Johnson’s Alexander Valley Wines at 8333 Highway 128. Johnson’s is a small, family run winery set some way back from the road. We were greeted by Comet, a yellow lab who led us to the tasting room. In his mouth he carried an extremely well chewed tennis ball which he dropped in front of us and looked up at Ric with imploring eyes. Ric responded by kicking the ball so Comet could chase after it. We were told Comet would happily play that game all day long. Leaving Ric to amuse the dog, we retired into the cool tasting room to sample the wines. There were only three to sample and they were all reds.  We ended buying two bottle of their late harvest Zinfandel before heading off to the next winery.  If you like your wineries high class and a bit over the top then Johnson’s isn’t the place for you. Some of the reviews in Yelp are pretty bad but we think those reviewers just don’t get it. This is a laid back winery down a dirt road through a vineyard with some great Zinfandels.  Our next stop was the Hop Kiln in Dry Creek Valley, another favorite or ours. Since our last visit they have redesigned the tasting room with more space for displaying their mustards, sauces, and dips which were produced locally. As there was no space at the counters to taste any wines, we sampled the other goods for sale and bought a jar of their Sweet Garlic Mustard. Later we drifted over to taste the wine when a gap appeared and came away with two bottles pf their Pinot Noir. To round off our visit, we walked to the lake and sat at one of the picnic benches where we contemplated the beautiful view and enjoyed the warmth of the sun before heading back home.

There were only a couple of days left of Lizzie and Ric’s vacation and they spent it getting around our neighborhood by walking and shopping. All to soon it was time to take them back to the airport for their flight home and it was sad waving them off. Next time they visit there will be a host of new places for them to discover.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Caltrain Station in San Francisco

Something Tom and I have been wanting to do for sometime is to take our bikes into

San Francisco and take a ride once again along the Embarcadero. Today is the day. The weather forecast is warm (unlike on the east coast and in the Midwest where they are experiencing some of the worst winter storms in decades).

(Click on the photos for larger versions)

We left home at 7 am, with the bikes firmly attached to the bike rack, and drove up to Milbrae. We did consider taking the train all the way but the journey takes one and a half hours, so we compromised by driving part way. This will be the first time we have taken the bikes on Caltrains, so it will be an adventure.

AT&T Park and Giants fans lining for Fan Fest Day

The whole train experience was not too bad. Parking was easy and at the weekend there is no charge. To buy tickets we had to take the elevator up. Round trip tickets to the city were $8 each. Then it was down in another elevator to the platform. We had a fifteen minute wait for the train. I noticed that there were quite a few fellow passengers wearing SF Giants apparel so we asked someone if there was something special going on at AT&T Park. Indeed there was. Today is Fans Fest day and were told the train would be packed.

On Caltrains, the first and fourth carriages are for bikes. We got into the first carriage and there were a lot of bikes but we managed to squeeze ours in. Upstairs there was a single row of seats on both sides. There was just one on each side so Tom and I sat separately. At each stop, more and more Giants fans boarded the train. That is going to be one excited gathering, all of them eager to celebrate the Giant’s success in the World Series.

Note from Tom: Baseball  is quintessentially American.  But the nerve of us calling it the “World Series”.  I know it doesn’t make much sense but the game, in person, is wonderful.  Our San Francisco Giants are the best of the best and it’s the first time this has happened in over fifty years.

At the terminal we waited until most of the passengers had disembarked before we left the train. The platform was a mass of grey, orange and black. As it might be some time before we find another restroom, I decided to pay a visit at the station. Fifteen minutes later I made my way back to Tom. Once on King Street, we walked our bikes on the sidewalk looking for coffee. There was a line outside Starbucks so we walked on. The crowds outside the ballpark filled the sidewalk. We did plan to take a ride round the back to take a look at the park but it was impossible to get through the people.

Looking across the bay to the Port of Oakland

We stopped for coffee at Cafe Pasquita. It was a good choice. even though it was right opposite the ballpark, it wasn’t crowded. We sat at a table in the window so we could keep an eye on our bikes. The seats were white leather and comfortable. Tom had his usual black coffee and I had hot chocolate. Then it was back to pushing our bikes. On the other side of the road the line of fans stretched almost to the Bay Bridge. At Townsend we crossed the road and attempted to get to the back of the ballpark but once again we were thwarted. Just too many people. Tom stopped to take photos and I found a convenient seat and got out my iPad. Nearby there were some fitness fanatics exercising under the watchful eyes of a couple of trainers. A sign informed me that they are members of Body Mechanix. Looks like far too much hard work for me! It was hot sitting there with the sun beating down. It is turning out to be a glorious day.

Pier 14. Just sittin' on the dock of the bay, wasting time. Life is tough.

Our next stop was almost under the Bay Bridge between Red’s Java House and the Hi Dive bar. Tom pointed out the old clock on the front of the Hi Dive with it’s neon sign advertising Belfast Water. The seat I sat on had a clear view of the cranes at the Port of Oakland on the other side of the bay.

Some of these old haunts will have to make way for the redevelopment coming when San Francisco hosts the America’s Cup races in 2013.

Once past the Bay Bridge we stopped again. We noticed two new buildings and I went to investigate. They were brand new restaurants – Waterfront and Epic. They both look worthy of a visit when we are up in the city for an evening meal. Tom took photos of the huge bow and arrow sculpture. The backdrop behind it were high rise buildings.

The Embarcadero in San Francisco and the sculpture called Cupid's Span

Just before the ferry building we halted again at the end of Pier 14. At the beginning of the pier were some paintings on tiles of assorted watercraft. The pier is lined with single, metal swiveling chairs. While Tom took photos I sat on one of the chairs and it was fun. With very little effort on my part I was revolving at great speed. I bet the kids love these seats. You get a remarkable 360 degree view of the bay. From there I had a good view of the ferry building and the farmers market which is held every Saturday.

There is a new sculpture on the Embarcadero called ‘The Raygun Gothic Rocketship’ which is part of a revolving display of sculptures which are displayed at this spot. This one is by a group of artists and the sculpture was placed in position by Five Ton Crane (5TC). There was a stand nearby called Local Earth with a time table displayed which gave the impression you could travel to Mars, Jupiter 3, Centaurus, Pluto and Europa.

Cycling past the Ferry Building we noticed that the stalls are now not only behind the building but in front as well. It is a very popular place to be on a Saturday and there were many people busily shopping. Street entertainers amused the crowds. It was about here that three stretch limos passed us with an escort of police motorcyclists. I wonder who is in town?

Transamerica building taken from Pier 7 along the Embarcadero in San Francisco

We took a detour along the waterfront on a public promenade, passing various ships including the paddle-ship ‘San Francisco Belle’ and the ‘Hornblower’ dinner cruise ship. Further along we rode out onto Pier 7 with its rough timber plank walkway. At the end were benches so I once again sat down and started typing. There was a lot going on. Pilots boats were moored at the adjacent pier and we watched one pull in and moor up. A fire boat passed by and a noisy jet ski screamed round the pier. Cycling back towards the Embarcadero there were good views of the Transamerica Pyramid and Coit Tower.

We cycled as far as the turning for North Beach. There we turned round and made our way back to the train station, taking a couple of short detours along the way. Tom was searching for a good spot to get a photo of the Transamerica Pyramid but all to no avail. There was a lot of traffic around. As we passed the Ferry Building, the clock struck 12. It sounded a lot like Big Ben. There was still a large crowd outside the ballpark and more people turning up as well. A lot of fans though were making their way home. The combination of people and traffic was a bit chaotic.

As we were hungry, we stopped again at Cafe Pasquita. This time we sat outside under an arcade. It felt good to get out of the sun. We sat there enjoying a sandwich, listening to the loudspeaker from the ballpark and watching the people walk by. The journey from there back to Milbrae went smoothly.

What an absolutely fantastic day we had. The weather was unbelievable and we saw lots of intriguing, amusing and downright beautiful sights.

Tented house. Fumigating for termites.

Note from Tom:

Just a quickie to say that we lost a few days last week due to our house having to be fumigated for termites (fairly common in California).  So they tented the place and we had to spend a few nights elsewhere.  Not a hardship though as we spent the time at my Dad and Step-mom’s little place in San Juan Bautista.  We went to the county fair and had some lovely meals at local restaurants.  We’ll probably write about it in an upcoming post.

Click on the photo for a larger version.  Kind of reminds me of Cirque du Soleil.

When we got back in town the tent was down and we could unpack all the stuff we put in plastic bags so it didn’t get contaminated by the poison gas.  There was a sign on the front door saying all was clear but I noted that Margaret made me go in first.  Her daughter, Liz, called me Canary Tom.  I didn’t keel over so we figured it was OK.

Anyway more posts to follow.

See ya.

Fillmore District, San Francisco

A day off. Where shall we go? We decided San Franciso needed another visit as we haven’t been there for a while.

We checked to see what was going on at both the de Young and the Legion of Honor museums but their combined website was very confusing. ‘The Birth of the Impressionists’ was due to open the next day but there were no details about what was on today. As it was a Tuesday, we wanted to know if either were even open but Tom couldn’t even find out that information.

In the end we set off with no clear idea where we would end up. For breakfast we stopped at the Lakeside Cafe on Ocean in the Merced Manor district. We have eaten here before so we know the food is good, if a little pricey. They have soothing classical music playing in the background and the surroundings are nice.

After breakfast we made our way in the general direction of the Fillmore district. We got a little lost because there were not too many allowable left turns but we eventually arrived on Fillmore Street. The only parking was at a meter where the limit was one hour at a cost of $2.

We walked up one side of Fillmore and down the other. There are some very nice shops; we passed small, high end dress and shoe shops, elegant furniture stores and loads of beauty parlors with exotic names. In just three blocks there are five coffee shops. Along with the ubiquitous Starbucks and Peet’s, there was Tully’s Coffee Shop, The Royal Ground Coffee and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

I’ve had great trouble finding decent and stylish greeting cards and when I spotted Paper Source I made a beeline for it. Just inside a whole array of suitable cards so I bought four of them. One day I will write a list and make a special trip to a shop like Paper Source to buy a year’s supply. At the back of the shop you could purchase all kinds of paper, including blank cards and envelopes to make your own greetings cards. What particularly caught our eye on the way out were racks of beautiful Japanese paper but they were about $10 a sheet. The shop smelt of paper, which was very pleasant.

The next shop we wandered into was Browser Books. Neither of us can resist a bookshop and this one had lots of interesting reads. I’m reading Stieg Larsson’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ on my Kindle at the moment (who isn’t?) and Browser Books had it prominently displayed along with the next one called ‘The Girl who Played with Fire’. Another book which promises to be good is ‘Little Bee’ by Chris Cleave. Maybe that will be my next purchase closely followed by ‘Stones into Schools’ by Greg Mortenson, which is the sequel to ‘Three Cups of Tea’. Amazingly just up the road from the bookshop at The Clayton Theater they were advertising the film, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (we later saw that film and it’s very good).

All this meandering up and down Filmore brought us close to running out of time at the meter so we popped a few more coins in as we passed.

Fillmore Street heading down towards San Francisco Bay

Tom wanted to walk up a little further to take some shots of the Bay where Fillmore suddenly dips downhill. I remember the first time Tom brought me to that point and my stomach just plummeted and now we always bring first time visitors to San Francisco to give them a thrill as we crest the hill and plunge down the other side.

At the junction of Broadway and Fillmore though there was road construction going on. A massive backhoe was making light work of picking up large slabs of tarmac and dumping them into the back of a truck. At the same time, concrete was being pumped in to fill the hole and two guys were busy spreading it. If was an efficiently coordinated effort while traffic was being directed around the construction site. A Muni inspector was on duty to lower the arms of the trolleys as they approached the junction so they could maneuver around the operation. It was fascinating to watch.

Our last stop was at Peet’s coffee house. We sat for ten minutes enjoying a cup of coffee (Tom) and a hot chocolate (me) before getting back to the car just as the expired flag popped up.

Our journey home did not take too long at all and we noticed the thermometer rise from 60 – 80 degrees. It’s true what they say about how much colder San Francisco is in the summer so if you are visiting during June to September don’t forget to bring some warmer clothing.

One of these guys won

The Bay to Breakers is the quintessential San Francisco event of the year. You want to know what San Franciscans are like – come watch Bay to Breakers on the third Sunday in May. A complete cross section of the community lets their hair down and has fun. It is called Bay to Breakers because it starts at the Bay on the east and finishes at the ocean on the west. The course is 7.46 miles (12 kilometers) and has the grueling climb up Hayes Street Hill at about the 2.5 mile mark.

(Click on the photos for larger versions)

The event started in 1912 and has been run every year since then making this the 99th year and is the longest held consecutively run footrace in the world. It was started as a way to boost morale in the city after the 1906 earthquake and over the years it has evolved. Women did not take part in the early days and it wasn’t until the 1960′s that they could officially register. Now there are several distinct groups which take part, seeded and non-seeded runners, centipedes and floats. Additionally a lot of the participants run in costume and some are naked.

First of the centipedes to come through

After our disappointing breakfast at Joe’s Cafe on Geary Blvd, we headed back towards Golden Gate Park and parked on 7th Avenue. From there it was a short walk to the park. Once inside we headed towards the Conservatory of Flowers on John F. Kennedy Drive, passing an area where aficionados of Tai Chi were meeting and greeting before starting their routine. One curiosity I noticed along the way, a fallen log had been adapted to look like a crocodile complete with a piece of yellow police tape tied round its neck.

Bay to Breakers starts at 8 am. This year there were expected to be 60,000 taking part. They all start at the same time with the seeded and sub seeded runners in the front, with the rest of the pack at the back.  The floats bring up the rear. We arrived just after 8 so the first runners were already well on their way. There were quite a few people lining the route and a group of slow moving police motor cyclists were driving by. We took up our position looking up at the beautiful Conservatory of Flowers on the other side of the road.

Some Brits perhaps?

Last year there were a lot of complaints from residents about the behavior of some participants and spectators; drunkenness and rowdiness being the main complaints. The rules have been tightened up and both police and race officials would crack down on any such wrong doers.

The weather at this time of the year is usually warm and sometimes very hot indeed.  Not so this year. The sky was overcast and it was decidedly chilly. I was glad I had my sweatshirt with me.

The road was completely clear and then just after 8.15 we spotted three cars driving slowly towards us. As the cars drew level we spied the first runner – a woman. Couldn’t see her number because the cars hid most of her. Several other women were just behind. Of course I was expecting a man to be first but then concluded that the seeded women runners started before the men. Not long afterwards the first two men passed next and neck. They were dressed identically and their numbers were 21 and 24. I’m sure one of them was the winner – Sammy Kirop Kitwara from Kenya in 34 minutes and 15 seconds. He won last year as well. Lineth Chepkururi was the first woman to cross the finish line and she was also from Kenya.

More and more runners passed us, some of them in costume. Then the first centipede approached. A centipede is a group of 13 runners connected by a rope. The lead centipede was three deep. An additional runner, who is not attached, runs alongside shouting out instructions. At the point they passed us the additional runner was barking out frantic instructions. Just ahead were three photographers standing on step ladders stretched all across the road and getting the centipede to pass between two step ladders whilst maintaining their speed and momentum was a tricky maneuver.

Then the first naked runner streaked past. He was a serious runner and was hell bent on being the first one in that category to finish. He wore

Some folks wore costumes. Others not so much.

running shoes and carried his bunched up shorts in his hand. I guess they have to be wearing at least shorts when they cross the line.

I expect total nudity on a public street doesn’t happen in too many cities and normally of course it would not be allowed here but Bay to Breakers is a San Francisan tradition. I remember the first time Tom took me to Bay to Breakers a couple of years after I moved here, probably in 2003. Having led a sheltered existence in chilly England, I was just not expecting to see total nudity. On that occasion I was surprised when I saw my first naked runner. I thought I was seeing things. Of course Tom was waiting to see my reaction and I tried hard to act as if it was no big deal. As more and more liberated people passed me by the novelty wore off and to be truthful the many and varied costumes all around were far more interesting to look at.

On that first occasion, it was a very warm day and there seemed to be a lot of naked runners. This year it was cold and I did not think there were quite so many people in the buff. Maybe the weather did have something to do with it. One couple looked a bit odd because they were nude apart from the jackets they wore on their top halves to keep them warm.

There were a lot of joggers, most of them in costume but the biggest group were the walkers – those just taking part and having fun. I did notice that there were a lot of people walking the route who did not have official numbers on them. Maybe they didn’t register and just thought they would join in.

All kinds of costumes

The main attraction had to be the wonderful assortment of costumes. I saw lots of people in full body suits including bunnies, monsters, roman soldiers and a square pants sponge bob. There were lots of super heroes, cavemen, hula skirts complete with coconut bras, clowns, brides, prom dresses, night attire, men dressed as women, women dressed as men and Elvis was very much alive. There was one group dressed as bananas and another of whoopee cushions. Some people did not go for full costumes but donned wigs, dress suits or tutus.

Just along from us was a huge banner proclaiming ‘Fear God’ and a guy with a microphone preaching to the competitors. The serious runners completely ignored him, the less serious runners paid him scant attention but lots of them showed their displeasure by shouting back or gesticulating. Several people mooned him but he carried on regardless, regaling everybody with doom and gloom.

The onlookers lining the route gave lots of support and encouragement to the runners, joggers and walkers and there was interaction between all people. For instance I was wearing my University of Oregon sweatshirt and many people shouted out ‘Go Ducks’ or gave me the big O. Everybody was happy and were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I read afterwards that there were many reports of people getting drunk but we certainly didn’t see any evidence of that.

I say everybody was happy but there was one guy who left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth who heard him rant at rave at a security guy. He was not a participant in the race but an onlooker but he sure had a problem and was definitely in need of an anger management course. The security guy did not rise to the bait and deserves praise for remaining calm the whole time.

We stayed until just after 11 and still the walkers were passing. I did notice that some people were walking back through the crowd. Maybe they were going back to the start to where their cars were parked. I heard someone refer to them as ‘spawning salmon’ which I thought was very apt.

On our way back to the car we did notice that one group of onlookers had thoroughly made themselves at home by bringing their couch with them. We were pleased when we finally reached the car to get the chance to warm up before driving home.

One of the San Juan Bautista feral roosters

San Juan Bautista is one of our favorite towns and it is only forty five minutes from home.  It is a place we will be visiting more often in the future because Tom’s father, Don, and his wife Arlene have bought a home there.  Normally we visit San Juan (as it is affectionately called) early in the morning and we are back home in San Jose by lunch time.  This time we stayed overnight so were able to spend more time there.

(Click on the photos for larger versions)

Our first stop today was to visit the home of Dmitri and Kathy Fridman.  In 2007 Dmitri posted a comment on our first San Juan entry.  At that time he invited us to come and have a look at his roastery and sample some coffee.  Several times I tried to set up a visit but could never get the timing right.  This was the first time we have been able to arrange a meeting.

Dmitri and his wife Kitty live about 5 miles outside of town and Dmitri gave us directions on how to find their place.  Don and Arlene came with us and the road we traveled was completely new territory for all of us.  It was a stunning ride along Salinas Road, with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.  The road climbed steadily uphill and soon we had a marvelous views back towards San Juan.  When we arrived at Dmitri and Kitty’s home, the view was spectacular with Monterey in one direction and Salinas Valley and Hollister in another.

Top Dog was the first to greet us, closely followed by Dmitri.  We admired his sheep.  They only have a

Vertigo Coffee's roaster

few and they are a breed which do not need to be sheared.  (Forgive me Dmitri I don’t remembering the name of the breed – I knew I should have written it down.)  Dmitri built a separate building to house his roasting business, which is called San Juan Bautista Roasting Company and the coffee is called Vertigo.  Check out Vertigo Coffee.  Inside was his pride and joy, a German built cast iron roaster he bought on Craig’s List.  He told us of his journey to becoming a passionate roaster of coffee.  He started out by experimenting at home with a small roaster as he was dissatisfied with the taste of the locally brewed coffee.  Friends who sampled it liked it so much he roasted more for them and over the years his roasters became bigger.  Now he has a flourishing business in the area, selling to local restaurants and online.

Kitty came out to join us and the six of us spent a wonderful couple of hours talking, listening and watching Dmitri roast some coffee beans.  It is a very hands on operation and Dmitri cannot wander very far while the forty minute process takes place.  First the roaster has to be brought up to the correct temperature before the the green coffee beans are placed in the hopper at the top.  The temperature was closely monitored the whole time.  At one stage he extracted a small sample for us to smell.  The beans smelt of fresh baked bread and nothing like coffee at all.  When the roasting process had finished, the beans were emptied onto a revolving screen and channeled down a shoot into the bag.  I’m sure there was a lot more to the process but I was enjoying chatting to Kitty.

Dmitri then started to brew some coffee and I was amazed at the meticulous way he went about it.  Brewing coffee is a serious business for Dmitri and everything from the equipment he uses to the temperature of the water is important to him.  The coffee we saw being roasted was an espresso called Monks Momentum.  It was not ready to be drunk but we were given some to take home with us.  We sampled some other coffee and I was very proud of myself for drinking it almost black.  Normally my coffee has to be a half milk/half coffee.

Dmitri and Kitty are soon going to open up a coffee shop on 4th Street in downtown San Juan, almost next door to the Post Office.  We wish them all the best and will certainly pop in every time we visit San Juan.  We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  Thank you Dmitri and Kitty for making us welcome and for giving up so much to your time.

Clam chowder cook off. We tasted several and they were all good.

Time to get some lunch so we drove back to San Juan.  Downtown was busier than I’ve ever seen it but considering we are usually long gone by lunchtime, that was to be expected.  There are several places to eat but we decided to try out one of the saloons.  There are two to choose from, Mom and Pops and Daisy’s.  There are very close to each other but we chose Daisy’s because a lady stopped us outside and said if we were hungry they were having a clam chowder cook-off and for $5 each we could eat as much as we wanted.  Well, who could resist such a tempting offer, especially when you are hungry.

Inside it was buzzing.  The judging of the 12 entries had just ended so we had arrived at the right time.  I never realized how many different ways you could cook clam chowder and I sampled three of them, steering clear of the spicy ones of course.  I spoke to a couple of the cooks and they were very pleased to talk about their entries and what was in them but both had ‘secret ingredients’ which they kept to themselves.  A table was found for us at the end of the bar and we were well looked after and all of us enjoyed our lunch.  We stayed to hear the results and the commentaries were very funny.  This group of people hold many different cook-outs during the year and all monies go to charity.  Today’s went to the local firehouse which is manned by volunteers.

We spent a quiet afternoon pottering around the house but in the evening we walked into town for dinner.  Our choice was the Cutting House Steakhouse on 3rd Street.  We had to wait for a table but that was OK.  On the walls are individually designed, quirky cattle brands.  The building itself is made of brick and over the last 150 years has been a grocery store, a brothel and, from the early 20th century, a bank.  It is reputed to be haunted by several ghosts, the most colorful being “The Lady in White’ or Deanna, who ran the brothel and died when when she fell down the stairs on her wedding day.

After a pleasant meal we sauntered back to the house.  Another interesting day in great company and we looked forward to being woken by roosters in the morning.

View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks

Today we were a bit confused when we woke up.  I have a radio wave clock and it showed the right time but Tom’s alarm was an hour ahead.  It took some time to work that that in fact the clocks had gone back an hour during the night.

(Click on the photos for larger versions)

We hope it is not going to be foggy in the city today as we are off to Twin Peaks and the fantastic views of the bay and the city of San Francisco.  It is a place I have never been to and have been keen to go to for a while.  We are going to incorporate a stairway walk as well.

Our first stop was for breakfast and then it was off to find Twin Peaks.  Fortunately we spotted a sign so followed it.  The drive to the top was curvy and there were great glimpses of the fantastic views off to the right all the way up.  Twin Peaks is exactly that – two identical peaks very close to each other.    Round each peak is a one way road which is like a figure of 8.  We headed for the small car park at the top.  The Sutro Tower is one peak over.

My, the view is wonderful and almost 360 degrees.  There was no fog but it was a bit hazy.  We could see the San Francisco end of the Bay Bridge but not Oakland and the east bay.  The top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz and the whole of the city were laid out in front of us.  The sun was bright so hoped the fog will burn off before we started our walk.

At first there were not many people around but within ten minutes a tour bus turned up and disgorged its passengers.  Suddenly Tom was

Tourists, tourists, tourists.

surrounded by a horde of French people, chattering loudly, all vying to get the best view in their allotted 10 minute stop.  One visitor actually climbed to the top of the raining and swayed precariously while her partner took a picture.  Almost as foolhardy as the guy who climbed over the railings at the Grand Canyon to sit on the edge of the cliff to have his photo taken.  Then another tour bus arrived, this time the passengers were Japanese.  They were far more thoughtful and courteous and didn’t crowd Tom or stand in front of his camera.  I’m not decrying the French per se but was interested to see how differently the two cultures behaved.

While Tom clicked away I tried to pick out the landmarks.  Of course the Transamerica Pyramid and the Bank of American buildings were easily spotted.   Coit Tower was more difficult but I found it eventually.  I worked out where Golden Gate Park was but only the extreme eastern end and the Pan Handle could be seen.  There were a couple of hilltops nearby but didn’t know what they were.  I checked Google Maps when I got home.  The larger one was the Buena Vista  Park and the smaller one Corona Heights Playground where the Randall Museum is situated.  On a clear day we would be able to see Mounts Tamalpais and Diablo.  We will have to come one morning before the sun rise – that would be a great shot.

The first two tour buses departed but their places were soon taken by two more buses.  It was time to make a move before more buses arrived and we were completely crowded out.

We drove down Twin Peaks Blvd towards the city to find the start of our staircase walk – No. 13 in the third edition of Adah Bakalinsky’s ‘Stairway Walks in San Francisco’ – at the Iron Alley Stairway on Clayton Street.  We found it without difficulty but painted on the stairway was a sign saying the staircase was closed.  Finding somewhere to park was a bit of a problem but in the end we struck lucky and found a very convenient place right at the top of the Iron Alley Stairway on Corbett Avenue.

Twin Peaks homes perched on the hillside. That's the Sutro Tower in the back.

We started the walk by crossing Corbett and up Iron Alley to Graystone Terrace.  Looking up the hill it was fascinating to see not only the many different types of house built on the side of the hill but also to wonder at the views they must have of the city beneath them.  Taking a left on Graystone we walked to Cooper Alley where we descended a concrete stairway between houses back to Corbett.  Here we took another left and passed Rooftop Elementary School with its sparkling tile mural on the wall arriving back at our car, which we walked right past carrying on towards Clayton.  Along this section we looked up the hill again and could see the scenic viewpoint on Twin Peaks were we had been just half an hour before.

At the junction or Corbett and Clayton is a small garden strip along the side of the house which is beautifully laid out and well stocked with small trees and shrubs, including a lantana growing vertically in a pot.  We have lantana in our garden and it is a ground cover plant.  I have never seen it growing vertically before.  On Clayton we turned left, climbing uphill to Twin Peaks Blvd.  We were surprised at how quiet everything was with very few people around.  We passed one guy outside his garage repairing his motorcycle and that was the first person we had seen, apart from a jogger who passed us earlier.

Between the houses to our right we caught glimpses of the city and the, when we turned left on Twin Peaks Blvd we got some glorious views of Golden Gate Park, including the De Young Museum, the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and out beyond the Bonita lighthouse to the ocean.  There is an open patch of ground at the foot of a rocky outcrop which is called Tank Hill.  While Tom took photos, I perched myself on a small rock and looked over the rooftops to the north.

Onwards and upwards to a short wooden stairway which led to the top of Tank Hill.  There is a covered reservoir on the top which you could walk over.  There are a lot of reservoirs up here on Twin Peaks where water for San Francisco is stored.

A little further uphill there was a small outcrop of rocks and another outstanding view of the city but this time from a different angle.  The haze had cleared and we can now see Oakland clearly but  Mount Diablo was vaguely discernible in the background.  There was a slight breeze up  there but it felt good and it carried the wonderful smell of eucalyptus to me.

Back down on Twin Peaks Blvd where it bears left at the junction with Clarendon Avenue there is a small public garden where we sat in the shade for a few minutes on a stone bench.  We continued walking on Twin Peaks Blvd and passed a big blue house with enormous windows and we spotted a white grand piano inside.  At the junction with Raccoon Drive we turned left and walked past some very nice houses.  About halfway along we passed what looked like a stone sculpture but on closer inspection it turned out to be made of styrofoam.  Raccoon Drive descended and at the

Pemberton Place. A lovely stairway.

bottom we turned left.  I knew it was a dead end road with a pathway through to Crown Terrace but Tom didn’t know and became worried that I was walking through somebody’s garden.  There was a sign that said ‘Residents Only’ and ‘No Trespassing’ but according to Adah’s book it was a legitimate way through.

Crown Terrace is a gem and surely a highly desirable place to live.  Here you are within a short distance of the city but away from a lot of traffic.  A short way along is Pemberton Place which in reality is a long stairway crossing Graystone and Villa Terrace and descends all the way back to Clayton.  It is a marvelous stairway with occasional landings where you can sit and admire the view over the city.  Back on Clayton we turned right and then right again onto Corbett and made our way back to the car.

As I was about to get into the car, a young man came out of a nearby house and approached the Iron Alley stairway and started to descend.  I stopped him and asked why there was a sign at the bottom which said it was closed.  He said it had been closed for some time for repair and a gate was put at the top to prevent children using it to get to the school as it was dangerous.  The gate is still there but is not locked any more and the stairway has been repaired.  The sign at the bottom has not been removed though.  We’ll remember that next time.

We have had another interesting day, discovering Twin Peaks and then enjoying the staircase walk and all it cost was the price of the gas and breakfast at the Squat and Gobble.  How’s that for good value?

Tents, tents and more tents at the 3-Day Event at Crissy Field

Another expedition to San Francisco but this time by car.  As usual we left early, with a full moon shining brightly in front of us for most of the way up Highway 280.  Once again, we are not quite sure what the weather will be like.  We know it will be cooler than the last few days but will it be foggy?

Our first stop today was at Crissy Field.  At this time of the morning we were expecting to have the place more or less to ourselves.  Boy, were we wrong!  The first thing which told us there was something going on was the sea of pink tents pitched on the grass near the fitness center.  Then we spotted a large marquee beyond the tents with a smaller awning nearby.  In the early morning gloom we could people, mostly ladies in pink tops and shorts walking about.  We passed a huge trailer which was a mobile shower and another trailer which proclaimed it to be the Command Center for the Breast Cancer 3 Day Event.  The place was a hive of activity with a long lines in front of the porta potties and outside the smaller tent where breakfast was being served onto paper plates.  Loud music came from the big marque where hundreds of people were seating eating their breakfast.

I wandered past the breakfast tent and the food smelt good.  There was scrambled egg, bacon, cereal and, would you believe it, oatmeal.  I glanced into the marquee and they were just starting the warm up routine.  Over the loudspeaker they were being encouraged to bend and stretch in time with the music.  Now all of this was at 7 a.m.  When I got home I checked The 3-Day site and learned that they were walking 20 miles a day over the three days.  I silently wished them good luck.

Tom and I walked towards the Warming Hut, leaving the bustle behind us.  But we were not alone.  Also on the path were the usual motley

Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field

assortment of dogs with their owners, walkers and joggers.  The Golden Gate Bridge towered in front of us, dwarfing Fort Point which is beneath the southern end of the bridge.

Just opposite the Warming Hut, which is a beacon of rest and refreshment but unfortunately doesn’t open until 9 a.m., is a small jetty.  Already positioned on it were several anglers and a few photographers.  We wandered along it and while Tom took photos I observed what was going on.  One fisherman was emptying a couple of large, plump starfish onto the ground.  I didn’t stay around to see what he did with them.  Did he throw them back into the water I wonder or did he take them home?  The view from the jetty was quite outstanding.  In one direction the bridge, in front was Angel Island and to the right Alcatraz and the city.  A line of brown pelicans flew overhead and then swooped to pass under the bridge.

Then it was back to the car so we could make our way to our second stop of the day – The Presidio.

Lefty O'Doul Bridge being raised

On Father’s Day we had a great treat.  Tom’s daughter Annie, her husband, Mitch, and grandson Brady (14 months) traveled from Eugene in Oregon to stay with us for a few days.  Brady is a cutie and we kept us entertained all of Sunday.

(Click on the images for larger versions)

Monday Margaret took a day off work and we all set off for a day in San Francisco with no real plans in mind except to meet Tom’s brother, Jeff, for lunch at the Connecticut Yankee at the foot of Potrero Hill.  Our first stop was McCovey Cove, right alongside AT&T Park – the home of the SF Giants (that’s a baseball team by the way for all the non Americans amongst us).  Across the small cove we could see the park – one of the best in the country (feel free to dispute me if you wish).  What distinguishes from all other ball parks is the giant Coca Cola bottle and a huge sculpture of a leather baseball glove.

To get to the ballpark, we had to cross the Lefty O’Doul bridge.  Lefty O’Doul was born in San Francisco and was a Major League ball player.  The bridge is a steel drawbridge which has no clearance at all so it has to be raised for even the smallest boat to pass underneath.  We have walked over this bridge many times and had never seen it open.   A copper plaque states that Strauss Engineering Company designed and built the bridge and was opened in 1933.  Joseph Strauss, who headed Strauss Engineering Co, engineered both this and the Golden Gate Bridge.  It is a very noisy bridge, due to the iron plates at the joints and the wooden roadbed.  Tom got into a conversation with a bridge operator who told him the bridge was about to be raised.  Apparently this is a daily feature just to make sure that everything is in working order.

We just had to watch this event and there we were with our cameras.  A klaxon sounded, a barrier was lowered and bells clanged.  Slowly the roadbed was raised and the huge concrete blocks, which balanced the whole structure, were lowered until they were almost resting on the road.  Tom, who was standing in front of the blocks, was dwarfed.  We all got a kick out of it, including Brady who clapped his hands and grinned throughout.  The whole process was repeated in reverse and five minutes later the traffic was flowing again.

The ballpark is right next to the Lefty O’Doul bridge and that was our next stop.  By the Lefty O’Doul entrance is a statue of former Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.  Just outside the main entrance to the park is a statue of Willie Mays,  one of the greatest ball players ever.  He played for the SF Giants from 1958-72.  In 1973, when playing for the New York Mets, he hit his 660th home run and stands at number four in the rankings.  His godson, Barry Bonds, currently is at number one with 762 home runs.  Willie Mays was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979.  His statue outside the ballpark is surrounded by 24 palm trees in honor of his number 24 uniform, which was retired by the SF Giants.

When we walked past the Giants Dugout Store I noticed a board advertising tours of the ballpark .  They are conducted every day at 10.30 and

AT&T Park. Home of The San Francisco Giants

12.30 expect on days when there is a home game.  As Mitch is such a keen baseball fan and coaches a high school team back in Eugene, we decided this was an opportunity not to be missed and bought tickets for the 12.30 tour.  That gave us enough time to move the car from a parking meter to a long term car park and pay a visit to Borders book store on the corner of 3rd and The Embarcadero.  At 12.30 we were at the top of the stairs in the Giants Dugout Store with several other people waiting to begin the tour.

Our guide showed up on time and opened the roll up door leading to the ballpark and through it we all trooped.  Just inside we gathered round as he introduced himself.  The only trouble was we could hardly hear him.  The sound of the traffic outside seemed to be magnified and that didn’t help but even when we were inside later on, hearing still was a problem as he was so quietly spoken.  In order to hear what he was saying, you had to stand really close.  In the end, we must have missed half of what he said, which was a pity because he had so many interesting things to tell us.

Our first stop was the Press Box.  I’ve never seen a press box before but I’m guessing they are all very much the same.  It is located on the lower level and overlooks home plate.  There are several banks of counters and chairs.  On a game day I can imagine the room filled with sports commentators and journalists all talking nineteen to the dozen.  On the back wall are the shirts bearing the numbers which have been retired by the SF Giants.

Then we took a lift up several floors to the club level where we first walked through the tunnel to one of the general seating areas with a view down to the field and over McCovey Cove.  Our guide said that the ballpark was originally planned to be built the other way round, look towards the west instead of the east but following some research on wind movement, when it was discovered the prevailing wind was from the west, it was decided to turn it 180 degrees thus overlooking the bay.  He went on to tell us the history of the coke bottle – which is a children’s slide – and the glove sculpture.  He went on to explain about splash hits – that’s when a home run is achieved by hitting the ball out of the park and into McCovey Cove.  When Barry Bonds was scoring home runs and splash hits regularly a couple of years ago, there used to be a multitude of boats and kayaks, all waiting to retrieve any balls which landed in the water.  I wonder, now that Barry Bonds has retired, whether there are so many boats out there on game days.

We walked back through another tunnel onto the outside promenade where our guide explained how the ballpark was built to withstand earthquakes by showing us an expansion joint.  We then looked out over the Embarcadero and the Bay Bridge before turning back and entering a luxury suite.  There are about 70 luxury suites at the ballpark, most used by private companies or individuals.  There are two though which can be rented for about $10,000 a day.  That overall price includes the cost of food.  The one we entered could hold about 25 people, though I was not too impressed with the view of the field.  Our tour continued down the corridor, past all the other luxury suites.  All the doors were open so we can take a peek inside but were not allowed to go into any of them.  They all were decorated by the users in a variety of baseball memorabilia.  Willie Mays has one of the suites and, inside, the main pieces of furniture were two, very comfortable easy chairs.  Along the corridor were a collection of lithographs of ballparks around the country.  None of the names meant very much to me and, to be honest, they all looked the same.  Of course, to baseball fanatics, every ballpark name conjures up memories of past teams and games.

Annie and Brady in the visitors dugout at AT&T Park

Halfway along the corridor we took a lift down to the Field Club Level and walked through a tunnel to some of the premium seating in the ballpark.  Out on the field the groundsmen were mowing the grass.  Mitch used to work at a golf club and knows a lot about the different types of grass.  He was keen to talk to the groundsmen and here was his opportunity.  While the guide led us to the visiting teams’ dugout he stopped and spoke to a couple of the men.  Meanwhile we were hearing about how the seating areas and dugouts are cleaned after each game.  First of all the rubbish is removed and then everything is washed down thoroughly.  It was interesting to sit inside the dugout and have a player’s view of the field.  Tom was fascinated by the beat up look of the wooden seat at the bag – ten years of abuse by players shoes and bats.  Behind the dugout is another tunnel, this time leading to the indoor batting cages – all three of them.

Our last stop was the visiting team’s clubhouse.  We saw the changing room and lockers where there is a baseball shirt up on the wall behind a perspex screen which has been signed by just about all the players who were in attendance the last day the Giants played at Candlestick Park.  I was surprised how small the room was considering not only the size of some of the players but all the rest of the support people that must travel with them.  We were also shown the laundry room and looked through a window into the Visiting Team Manager and his large collection of bobble heads.

The tour was advertised to last two hours and to cover over two miles of walking.  It costs $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors, $7.50 for children under 12 and free for children under 2.  As the tour lasted nearly two and half hours, we certainly got our money’s worth and it was great to get a behind the scene tour and to see areas not normally visited by members of the public.

Needless to say we were a bit late getting to the Connecticut Yankee but as Jeff is the barman there it didn’t really matter.  Tom had rung to let him know we were going to be late.  Maybe it was just as well because the lunch time crowd had gone and the early evening drinkers had not arrived.  We had a very nice lunch there without too much interruption.  The only trouble being that this was the first time Jeff had seen Brady, his great nephew, but he slept most of the time we were there, due no doubt to all the exercise he had got on the tour.

If you are ever in San Francisco we thoroughly recommend the tour.