This morning we caught one of the old trams that hauled us up to the top of steep Nob Hill and over and down the other side. Gray and I held on for dear life on the descent.
We found a quaint café for coffee and breakfast, before walking up to visit the beautiful St Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral, it was magnificent. We then caught the bus with the intention of visiting the Science Museum but it took so long to get there that we were kind of out of time. Fortunately across the park were the Japanese Gardens, that was definitely worth a visit. The well tended gardens were a tranquil haven.
Then it was back to the airport to pick up a hire car. At 5ish we set off on a 2 hour drive to Napa Valley, our route took us over Bay Bridge – I think I preferred going across this bridge to Golden Gate. This ‘new’ bridge has been recently completed after being partly destroyed in the ’89 earthquake. San Francisco has been plagued by 2 major earthquakes in recent history and the 1906 and ’89 quakes are regularly topics of conversation.
The winelands of Napa remind me of the Franschhoek area in South Africa. Beautifully tended vineyards set around beautiful farm houses. Thanks to Wayne and one of his work colleagues (whose cousin has a wine farm) we were able to stay in one of these beautiful old houses.
On arrival we were met by Helen and Jason, who showed us to their parents house, we were able to stay in it as they spend a good deal of the year in France. This is not just a house, it’s a home; a double storey, the kitchen clearly the hub, the bedrooms have slanted ceilings, there are beautiful old wooden floors, eclectic décor that just works. We later found out that the owner is one of Roosevelt’s grandsons and some of the furniture was once in the White House. All this is set in a beautiful garden, with a pool, surrounded by natural bush and vineyards – heaven.
We all agreed, hands down, we would rather be here out here with peace and tranquility, the hummingbirds birds buzzing around the agapanthus and the sounds of the nature to the hustle and bustle and noise of the towns and hotels.
In the evening we went into town for a few provisions. The Oxbow market provided these – WINE, local craft beer, cheese, olives, a chicken and salad. We had dinner sitting around the kitchen table, seriously content and looking forward to a couple of days of wine tasting.
Pandas in Africa 