Point Reyes Anniversary Trip

Despite being sick last week, we did not cancel our anniversary trip, but felt gratitude for having chosen a destination so close to home so that we could still enjoy it to some degree.

A little cottage in Point Reyes Station was our home for the weekend. A lovely welcome basket included local cheese and chickens from the hens on site, and organic McIntosh apples grown in the orchard our window looked out upon. We found a new favorite restaurant, Stellina, where we enjoyed a stellar lunch, followed by this amazing Raspberry-Pistachio Crisp with honey ice cream (using wonderful local ingredients).

Next up, we wanted to visit Bolinas, the hidden town famous for residents who took down the exit sign so often that there isn't one anymore. What impressed me about this small town was how giving, passionate, and trusting it could be, with a strong sense of community.

Observe: a room full of stuff free to anybody:

A beautiful art mural depicting the history of the town:

This is a farm stand on the edge of town full of beautiful produce. No one stands guard here - you can leave cash or mail a check. Now THAT is trusting!

And we couldn't resist a quick trip to San Francisco. Coming from this direction, I actually went over the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time. (Usually coming from my neck of the woods, we cross over the Bay Bridge).

We stuffed ourselves silly with Indian food...

And made a trip to the bakery Tartine, which I deem utterly deserving of all the praise and popularity it has garnered, a legitimate foodie destination. Their morning buns, tarts and bread pudding were all divine. (Morning bun below, about to be devoured.) We shall return!

Not pictured: Two picnics on the beach... Lovely!

Last Summer Trip to San Francisco

One thing I adore about San Francisco: Every trip there is unique, with new discoveries... and usually a few beloved things to which I'm irresistibly attached. Case in point: Primavera's Chilaquiles for breakfast at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market:

Summer is a glorious time to walk the market. There is so much beauty and color and flavor bursting from every corner and each stand. The sight of these vibrant peppers, for example, made me swoon and convinced me that life would not be complete without a basket of sweet Italian peppers for roasting.

Golden Gate Park was our next destination, the Botanical Garden specifically. We were amazed how the air could feel so still and quiet in the middle of a huge bustling city. Also stunning were the hundreds of varieties of trees, plants, and flowers. Towering redwoods like these, for example, always make me feel small- but in a good way. A humbling way. A comforting way.

The fact that poppies were in bloom simply made my day. Poppies are my favorite flower, red ones in particular, which I fell in love with last year in Vancouver.

Just a short walk from the Botanical Garden, we ate the best Chinese food I have ever had at San Tung. I've lived in China and eaten tons of Chinese food in my time, and I can honestly say that this place was legit. At 2pm in the afternoon, it was still jam-packed with Chinese families, which I usually take as a good omen for the food to come.

Despite the loud level and the distinct impression that they want to get you in and out of your seat ASAP, how can you argue with green beans so good you'd swear they're laced with illicit goodness of some kind? We literally could not stop eating these:

And if they can can make vegetables taste good, try their "dry-fried chicken". Best chicken ever. I can say no more. You have been informed.

The Bath

Here is one more painting that I loved from the Birth of Impressionism exhibit. Belgian artist Alfred Stevens painted this portrayal of a woman relaxing in her bath. Surprisingly, this painting created a scandal when it was displayed in 1867, despite the fact that the woman is not even nude.

The pocketwatch in the white soap holder, the white roses, the open book, and the woman's expression all invite speculation as to the meaning of this particular moment. Is the woman an indulgent, romantic dreamer lost in thought? Or a bored, too-pampered borgeoise? Or a mistress pondering her next rendez-vous with her lover? Perhaps it's the ambiguity of the painting that captured my attention.

Either way, it makes me want to steep my body in a hot bath.