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Well, strictly speaking, over the bridge from San Francisco. Marin is home to a number of things that make my heart sing.
The Pelican Inn - a little bit of England on the West Coast, is one of them, and Rick and I had an amazing staycation there on Friday night. Dinner in a pub, followed by sleeping in a lush Four Poster bed, and waking up to great coffee and a rare Full English, with the glorious May sun streaming through without a cloud in the sky? Gorgeous. Like a warm bath for your soul.
Although a strenuous hike had been on the cards, in the end we opted for a scenic ramble to Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center. I’ve often wondered about this place, driving past, and wanted to go explore. This place is amazing and I can’t wait to go back. It’s like a Zen oasis in the middle of the city – all the cliches about only being able to hear the birds sing, or noticing a butterfly alight on a rose bush, are all true at this place.
There is zero cell reception. Which for two people who pretty much breathe in synch with the “new email” notification on their iPhone, was at once completely relaxing and yet still oddly stressful. But, as it was Saturday morning, and we both remembered that we are in fact NOT brain surgeons, we went with the flow.
Green Gulch Farm is Buddhist in practice and runs regular meditation classes – something I have an emerging interest in, and would like to explore. So i’m sure we’ll be back. In the meantime, here are some pics from the farm:
Now that Spring is finally and officially here, (I would wish it for it to be Summer too, but I live in San Francisco, so Summer is kind of a moot point), I’m itching to pack up my bags and head out on adventures with Rick.
Luckily, living on the West Coast of the US gives you plenty of nearby options for exploring, so here’s my (pretty much) local wish list for this season. All of them do-able in a weekend. Let’s see how many we can get to…
1) Ace Hotel, Palm Springs: The coolest kid on the desert block.
2) Lake Tahoe: Can I get another ski trip in this year? Doubtful, but worth a shot.
3) Bettane Ranch, Sonoma County: For an overnight getaway that feels like you could really get away from it all.
4) Pelican Inn, Muir Beach: Booked and happening! Just so I can tick it off my “living in San Francisco” list.
5) Big Sur: Yep, still haven’t done this after five years. I know, I know…
6) Indian Springs, Calistoga: An old favorite, but one look at the art deco pool and I’m sold, time after time.
7) Portland: Because I want to pretend I’m a smug eco-warrier. And because everyone that lives there looks so darned happy all the time. Must be all the non-fat, dairy-free, wheat-free, vegan gourmet delicacies.
8) Jupiter and Orlando, Florida: Not local at all. And a somewhat random entry. But hey, when you’ve got good friends and a great hotel luring you there, as well as sunshine and cocktails, what’s not to love?
We’ll get a little further afield during the rest of the year too, to spend time with both sides of the family on both sides of The Atlantic. But this is a pretty good list for starters! I’ll let you know how many actually come to fruition!
Yesterday I was in Sonoma for the day. Not really for wine tasting, although we did stop by Benziger Family Winery (delicious bio-dynamically farmed grapes) and Ledson (having a strangely off day, and also recently blighted by pestilence – i did cave for a bottle of the Legend though, couldn’t help myself – thanks to Bride In Exile for her recap of this delicious red blend). No, we were there for lunch at The Girl and the Fig, one of my favorite restaurants. We sat in the lovely covered patio, and thank goodness it was covered, due to the blazing 90 degree heat. And yep, I’m a typical Brit in that I crave the sun, and then complain loudly when i get too hot. To be honest, it was too warm to fully enjoy the food, although it was wonderful, a fig and arugula salad being a highlight. No, I was really there, after an hour-long drive, for one cocktail.
The Girl and the Fig serves beautiful and refined cocktails, with the First Street Cosmo being my absolute fave. It’s a cosmo with premium tequila instead of vodka. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound too good, but trust me. Looks like Betsy Husband agrees with me. Very delicately flavored, it’s a blend of Arette Tequila, St Germain elderflower liquer, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice. It’s beautiful too, the palest rose pink in a chic little martini glass. This is my favorite cocktail of all time and i’ve tried many times since (way too many, according to my boyfriend) to replicate it at home. After a few disastrous attempts, I’ve come pretty close (the trick is not adding very much cranberry juice, but stop by the restaurant for the actual measures, after you’ve ordered one of course), but it’s still not close to the one they serve at the Fig. If you’re ever in Sonoma, skip the final few wineries and head for one of these beauties instead.
My version - still not pale enough!!
Call me selfish. Call me unsociable. Call me crazy for wanting to spend most of the day talking to just my dog, Sophie. (By the way, pictures of Sophie goodness coming soon). But I spend all week talking to people, either at work, where events can often re-define the term ‘crazy ass busy’ or at home, when my very talkative boyfriend Rick gets home, or out with my friends, none of whom are exactly the shy and retiring type. When Sunday rolls around, I increasingly find I need a little fix of my own company. Rick usually works Sundays, leaving me free to work out, take Sophie for our favorite sunny walk down Sacramento Street (the Laurel Heights end), catch up with friends in the UK via Facebook, read a good book, linger over grocery shopping and then eat everything good and fresh in one fell swoop. When most of your time is spent with other people, it’s amazing how good it can feel to just chill out by yourself. Just you. No-one wants or needs anything from you. (Except Sophie, but she’s a dog, give her a break!) Selfish? No, I prefer to think of it as sanity-preserving. An essential oasis of peace in a world where it’s increasingly hard to find some. And a great refresher for the week ahead. After a few hours of my own thoughts, I’m always more than ready to jump into Sunday night drinks with the girls, or dinner and Lindy Hop practice with Rick. (I use the term ‘practice’ loosely of course, you’ll find out what I mean in the future.) Four or five hours of my own company once a week is a sound investment for the rest of my life.
