San Francisco!

Robert had business in San Francisco this month and invited me to go out there with him for the weekend beforehand. San Francisco is one of my favorite American cities so I jumped at the chance to join him.


Liguria Bakery

The weather was absolutely glorious on the afternoon we arrived. I had a read rave reviews about the Liguria Bakery, so after checking into our hotel in Fisherman's Wharf, we walked to North Beach to try some of their famous focaccia bread.

The bakery is completely no-frills and the only thing they sell is focaccia. Usually they offer several choices, but we arrived an hour before closing and all they had left was pizza focaccia. As the portions are HUGE, Robert and I opted to split one (only $5 - cheap lunch!) and had the lady slice it for us. We walked across the street to Washington Square and sat down on the luscious green grass for a picnic. The focaccia was very tasty, the weather perfect - quite a delightful way to pass an afternoon!




View from our picnic - lovely!

My cousin Caroline lives just south of San Francisco. Late Saturday afternoon she and her family picked us up at our hotel and drove us on a tour of San Francisco and then down the coast to a brewery near Half Moon Bay. We had a great visit with them and loved the place they took us.


The "microclimates" in the Bay Area result in widely varying conditions. Contrast this fog to the clear skies we just left in the city


Moss Beach Distillery


We sat outside around this fire pit overlooking the Pacific Ocean


Caroline and her precious children, Bennett and Avery, with me


It was so cold! What a treat that was for Texans in July

The next morning we went to Mama's on Washington Square for breakfast. I expected long lines so we got there just after they opened at 8. We still waited almost two hours for a table! We had a NY Times to help pass the time, and the food was delicious; I can think of worse ways to spend a morning.


Look at this line!


Bountiful fresh ingredients


Homemade bread for the French toast


Our breakfast was worth the wait! Obviously we worked up quite an appetite while in line - lol





Later that day Robert and I went to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Walt Disney's daughter, Diane, established this museum in the Presidio to house her father's memorabilia and honor his life and legacy. From Wikipedia: The 40,000 square foot space in the main Museum building features the newest technology and historic materials and artifacts to bring Disney’s achievements to life, with interactive galleries that include early drawings and animation, movies, music, listening stations, and a 12-foot diameter model of Disneyland. We spent almost four hours there and could have stayed much longer. The exhibits were fascinating and very well done. I especially loved the model of Disneyland.


Postcard I bought of the Disneyland model


Stunning vista of the Golden Gate Bridge from a back room at the Museum

We made two visits to the historic Ferry Building Marketplace, including a wonderful morning where we bought pastries, cheeses and jams and had a picnic breakfast on a bench out back and watched the boats entering and exiting the Bay.


Robert by the Ferry Building - this is probably my favorite place in San Francisco


Inside the marketplace - lots of local merchants selling regional artisan specialties - I could spend hours wandering around here


Cowgirl Creamery cheese market - yum


Bakery


Doesn't this look fabulous?


Outdoor Farmers Market - gorgeous produce

The rest of our time was spent leisurely walking around, shopping and eating. I was sad to leave Robert in San Francisco after the wonderful few days we spent there. I hope to return soon.


Shopping for a few souvenirs at Ghiradelli Square, located next door to our hotel


I love the Elizabeth W line of sachets and linens. Their only retail store is in Ghiradelli Square


Enjoying an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista (our hotel, the Argonaut, is behind me)


The iconic Transamerica Pyramid


We enjoyed a great dinner at Barbacco