A Life, Lived: Our Last Day in SF

On our last day in SF Paul and I set out early - we had things that we wanted to see before we left! We skipped a big breakfast - when your pants are getting snug 3 days into vacation you need a break - instead we picked up a yoghurt at Starbucks.

We had planned on an early morning cable car ride but when we got to the turnaround there was a huge line up. Hmmmm. Other than crazy Canadians who the hell wants to ride a cable car at 7 AM?

We decided to take the street car to Fishermen Wharf instead. Getting off at Pier 39 we discovered that the only time to visit Pier 39 and not be underwhelmed by the touristy crap is to visit it before anything is open. Instead it was almost civilized. We went and said 'hey' to the famous sea lions.

A dense fog was in - at times even Alcatraz was obliterated from view.

It wasn't long before we came upon Boudin bakery - probably the most well-known makers of sourdough bread. The smells were so good that we almost reversed our 'light' breakfast plan! Happily we managed to find some inner strength - we skipped the cafe and wandered around the gift shop.

I got a kick out of their seasonal sourdough:

When we got to the cable car line we were still full of energy so we kept walking. The Municipal Pier was nearby so we headed there. Normally there would have been amazing views of the Golden Gate bridge but with the dense fog all that we saw was a wall of bluish/grey.

Yup, in the midst of that fog is the iconic bridge.

There was a tiny line for the cable car. After about 15 minutes we were on our way - with amazing seats. I got a kick out of this little one who stood with her dad and waved at us as the cable car went by.

We got off at Union Square, popped into the hotel to drop things off. We laughed when we discovered that mom and Rose were just heading out. Apparently their plan is to sleep the vacation away.

Our next stop was Chinatown for Dim Sum. A few years ago when I was in San Francisco for a conference someone recommended a Dim Sum restaurant to me. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to go back with Paul. The service is quick, the food good, and the price reasonable.

Yes, we had a Dim Sum feast!

Because we were on the border of the Financial District we decided to continue our walk to the Transamerica Pyramid. As soon the Transamerica Pyramid was built in 1972, the skyscraper's unique silhouette made it an iconic San Francisco landmark. Before its completion however many people were opposed to the construction of the tower - how typical . . . it seems to be the way with all modern architecture.

While many recognize this iconic structure (likely seen in movies since it seems to be a classic target for aliens *smile* ) not many people know that tucked behind it is a redwood grove: an intimate, half-acre redwood grove nestled between the skyscrapers of San Francisco’s Financial District.

Transplanted from the Santa Cruz Mountains 60 miles to the south, magnificent redwoods dominate the park designed by Tom Galli. A fountain designed by Anthony Guzzardo — its pond complete with jumping frog sculptures, in a fond remembrance of Mark Twain, who for a time lived and wrote on this site — lends the sound of running water to those who seek peaceful moments here. Ferns, boulders and a winding walkway add to the tranquility.

Also featured in the park are a Glenna Goodacre bronze sculpture of children at play, a bronze plaque honoring two dogs that legend would have it were Emperor Norton’s canine sidekicks, and benches and tables for business people and visitors taking a respite.

We had time for a short nap before we met Rose in the hotel bar for some happy hour drinks.

I had made dinner reservations at one of my favourite restaurants in the city - A16. The restaurant, which specializes in the cuisine of Campania, was a hit from an earlier visit (so much so that Nancy bought me the cookbook for Christmas). The narrow restaurant is always packed. And the food is consistently stellar, especially the pizzas and pastas.

It was Monday night so we were in for a treat - A16 serves meatballs once a week - on Mondays. These meatballs were originally created as a Monday special by the chefs at A16 restaurant in San Francisco as a way to use up scraps leftover from butchering whole animals. They pay deference to the rustic cooking of southern Italy, but have taken on a life of their own. We ordered these to share.

Paul and I split a fall-like salad (kale, farro, pine nuts, fennel) and it might just have been one of the best salads we have ever eaten. Yes, a kale salad. Paul is determined to try and perfect it at home.

We all ordered pizza for our mains. I decided to try the pizza special - it was described as a pizza envelope stuffed with ricotta, tomatoes, olives, and proscuitto. AMAZING!

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I read this twice because the photos were just so amazing and the food looked fabulous, all of it, and I loved that shot of the breads in the window and all of it was just so much fun. Sometimes I do that...I read them twice...living vicariously! Thanks for sharing so much.

Posted by: Kayte | November 01, 2014 at 04:36 PM