Zoom, zoom, zoom

I feel like a migrating hummingbird, just a little bit of nectar here and there. First we went to the mining convention in Veracruz via the ultra modern Mexico City airport, then drove from Veracruz through the scenic farmland of Mexico to Puebla for a brief visit, on to Cuernavaca just overnight but with enough to time enjoy our host’s beautiful very private home and garden replete with swimming pool, six German Shepherd dogs and two quarter horses, the whole set behind a high walled stone fence.

Two days back in Santa Rosalia then on to Northern California to catch our first glimpse of early fall; cool sunny days and crisp nights. We managed to miss the brief overnight rain in San Francisco when we spent Friday night there at the Omni Hotel having gotten an excellent rate of $160 on the internet (which when we checked out had been further reduced to $100, eeeGad! This is the 3rd most highly rated of all hotels in San Francisco on tripadvisor.com.) We met up with Youngest Daughter after work at the Bob's Bar in the Omni, a small very noisy and crowded affair, obviously hot-hot-hot—then across the street to the Carnelian Room for surprisingly inexpensive drinks in a room with a view. Dinner reservations were all but impossible at the places we wanted to try: Foreign Cinema, Burma Superstar and Zuni Café so we ended up at Saha Restaurant, Zagat’s mostly highly-rated middle eastern restaurant (a really excellent pick for us mixed group of carnivores and vegetarians) located in the Tenderloin district, and finally ended the evening with Irish coffee at that old icon, the Buenavista Café in North Beach.

When Saturday rolled around we had the chance to enjoy our grand- children and explore Petaluma, spending the night in a very quiet room at the Sheraton nestled around the Petaluma River. Onward the next morning for a drive into Healdsburg, with a scenic detour through Sonoma. Everywhere the grape vines of some of the most prestigious wineries in the world had turned gold or red, creating lovely views. We ate lunch in Benicia before arriving at my brother Juan-in-a- Million’s home in Moraga for the rest of our stay. Northern California is such a beautiful place; it breaks my heart not to live here anymore.

Thursday we will be winging our way to Denver, then driving on to Carlsbad, New Mexico, for my oldest brother’s memorial service. It will be good to see all my family, including the newest addition of just several weeks, the first child of my nephew, a daughter, Paloma. This is so rich an experience it should easily compensate for our solitary Thanksgiving when we return to Santa Rosalia in about a week.

One of the fine views from the Top of the Mark

Had a Fab-u-lous Time in the San Francisco Bay Area. Firstly we ate in a lot of fun restaurants, and secondly I celebrated my birthday 3 times (not something one should be doing at my age!) On the first night we had a banquet for the project at Piatti in Danville (this is a great Italian chain, we have one in Denver, also.) The food was heavily drenched in garlic which is always a great beginning.

The next night Esperando and I celebrated my actual birthdate with my brother and his wife at another Italian restaurant, a bit more homey and local—Forli—in Alamo. My brother and I ate the Sole Meunierre. It was wonderful. When the wait staff discovered it was my birthday they also brought me an au gratis tiramisu, and then the owner brought four aperitif glasses and 10 Italian liqueurs to the table, inviting us to indulge ourselves from his larder. He didn’t know what a bunch of drinkers he was serving for we tasted everything, all in the spirit of good fun. The best part was when they sang “happy birthday, dear bella,” and brought a candelabra to the table in lieu of birthday candles.

Then on Friday we drove into San Francisco and took the youngest child along to North Beach, first having a bottle of champagne and snack at the Top of the Mark in the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill, then moving on to North Beach to The Museum Bar, a historic Beatnik bar, just block east of Broadway on Columbus at 12 Adler Street. Esperando and I always go there if we can. Then we moved on back a couple of blocks into North Beach to eat at Mona Lisa, a vibrant eclectic Italian restaurant with an extensive menu. Esperando ate an entire bowl of roasted garlic (at least three heads of garlic) by himself. We had planned to continue on to the Buena Vista Café for a nightcap Irish coffee, but my clock started winding down, so we returned to the Mark Hopkins where we were staying, gave the daughter money for her cab back home, and expired on the bed. The next morning Esperando was seriously smelly from garlic.

When I booked the room at The Mark, some of the reviewers on Trip Advisor were not so happy with it. We had a fine time and felt we had real value for our money. We had a package both nights that included free breakfast, and a really great one it was: Eggs Benedict, dim sum, corn beef hash, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, excellent pastries, hot cereal, waffles, smoked salmon, etc. all for free. On Saturday the meal was in the Top of the Mark (excellent views), on Sunday it was superceded by the fancy brunch so the same great breakfast was served downstairs instead. The service couldn’t have been more pleasant, and what a joy each morning to look out our window at the views of the City on to Grace Cathedral and the Pacific Union Club.

We drove over to Marin County the next morning and spent sometime enjoying our grandchildren, then drove back to the City to ready ourselves for our next party—the private Esperando & La Dueña de la Casa affair. San Francisco is such a happening place, after a brief nap we had a few hours to kill so we walked through the ferry building to admire all the food stalls and further down the pier, the Mexican tall ship Cuauhtemoc which was to set sail the following morning. They were having quite a celebration on the pier with costumed Aztec dancers performing to a drum beat. Then back to the room to get ready for dinner. Initially we planned dinner at Fournou’s Ovens, just a block away from our hotel—I even made reservations earlier in the day! But when we got there it turned out they had been closed for two months!! So on we ventured to our next planned stop, The Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel. It was a lot of fun—great Polynesian food, rain showers in the room every 30 minutes, a live band and dancing.

The next day we had a great BBQ compleat with children, grandchildren, nieces and my brother and his wife at their home. The 100F weather made their pool a great cool retreat and my brother kindly provided some wonderful Rosenblum zinfandels—my favorite wine. This morning it was back on the airplane early to Denver where Sweet Pickle told me how much he had missed me.

View of a "polar bear' basking in the sun, one of the hardy swimmers that meet each week to face off the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay at Aquatic Park.

My Friend’s Wedding

One of the reasons an expatriate comes back home is to attend important events, such as weddings. Esperando and I recently flew to the San Francisco Bay Area for just such a purpose. After 23 years of living in consensual sin, the Brainy Blonde’s Significant Other decided to make an honest woman of her. They had a smashing wedding. Really. It was one of the most enjoyable weddings I’ve ever attended if not the best (well next to ours). Their wedding and reception were held at Thomas Fogarty Winery on the Peninsula up in the coastal hills on Skyline Blvd. with a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley. It was a gorgeous day, with a little breeze but perfectly lovely weather for a wedding.

The wedding proper was on an upper level garden terrace with the guests facing the bay view in front of an arbor decorated with spring flowers. A three-piece ensemble played flute, guitar and cello while the guests gathered. At the appropriate time we all took our seats. Her attendants were her grandchildren, a darling redhead girl and her baby brother serving as flower girl and ring bearer respectively. A college friend of many years served as a Matron of Honor and helped her plan the event; she was attired in a beautiful two-piece white satin floor length skirt with matching over jacket and pearls. The Blonde appeared wearing a strapless white satin gown seeded with scattered pearls and rhinestones which featured a high-low hemline that was tea length in front and floor length in back. She was well poised and she looked totally stunning. For the reception the ‘almost train’ buttoned up to the back of the gown to make it one length.



After the wedding while photos were being taken, the guests walked down a level to a large wooden deck that had the same fabulous view, but overlooking one of the vineyards as well. Thomas Fogarty’s fabulous wines were featured; complex and well structured, not a one could disappoint. There were several options of red–Cabernet, Merlot and Barbiolo; and the whites were Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. The catering was provided by Componere from Emeryville who I would highly recommend. Fabulous hors d'oeuvres were passed around by the very professional catering staff: a rosemary salted grilled shrimp with mango salsa; teeny pulled pork sandwiches; and a fabulous mushroom tart. If this was any inkling of the meal to come we would be in ecstasy.

A plus for Esperando and I was getting to chat with some old mutual friends, for me a girl and her husband that I knew when I was first out of college and going to parties in San Francisco. Finally the bride and groom appeared from their photo shoot and we had a nice cocktail hour on the deck. Then it was time to go into the dining room, a beautifully appointed wood paneled area with windows overlooking that breathtaking view. We were served the most delicious meal, a choice of salmon or beef that melted in your mouth, and that bested any restaurant at which I’ve ever eaten. With the wine and the food and the convivial atmosphere of people all special to the bride and groom, I felt like I was at Babette’s Feast.

When they had finished dining The Blonde and her new husband moved from table to table to mingle and talk to their guests, moving on to cut the cake, and thankfully not smearing it on each other’s faces, but sharing bites of it with their handsome grandchildren (who did seem to get some frosting on their faces). I can’t remember being so happy in a long time. It did my heart good to see the radiance on my friend’s face. Being expatriates themselves, they are off soon to respective assignments in Abu Dhabi and Montreal.