PHOTOS: San Francisco Weird

Corner of Haight and Laguna in San Francisco:

Random along a street on the peninsula, near San Mateo:

-- Happy (Weird) Travels!

California - The Big Empty

Sometimes I forget just how empty California can be - it is such a very big state and population hubs tend to be along the coast with a few spots in the central valley.

Driving back from LA the weekend of Carmagedden, I was forced to take a back road here and there. From I-5 to Hwy 101, there is a long winding highway: 166. It is gorgeous, lonely and reminded me of the sheer diversity of California's plant life and terrain.

-- Happy Travels!

Bay Area: Treasure Island Flea Market

On a recent Saturday, we decided to brave the bridge and head over to Treasure Island for a new flea market. Treasure Island is one of those Bay Area places you tend to forget. It is an odd place to reach - you have to halfway cross the Bay Bridge and exit to the left. If you are coming from the San Francisco side, you don't have to pay the toll coming or going - but from the Oakland side you will have to pay up. The views are worth the effort though.

The city on the Bay: View from TI

The Bay Area flea market has seen a bit of a boom in the past year, growing from one major event a month to three a month. The grand-daddy of them all is the Alameda Flea Market (technically called the Alameda Point Antiques Faire) - never been, but I hear it is madness. The Candlestick Flea Market opened last year and again - haven't been. It was rained out most of last fall and we haven't made it yet this year.

The flea market at Treasure Island was an un-expected pleasure. It is still small so parking was simple at 9:30am and even getting there on the Bay Bridge was traffic free (shocking). The space between booths was wide enough that you could move freely and there was a good mix of vendors: steam punk jewelry, vintage clothes, new clothing, furniture (old and new), wine barrels and such, organic plants, costume jewelry, antique metal "stuff", and so on.

As an added bonus, FOOD. The mini-donut booth was awesome. Fresh made donuts with choices of topping. Yum yum. There were hot-dogs and a greek booth. Then there were the food trucks: garlic noodles, waffles and a few others I don't remember because I was so focused on getting garlic noodles.

The final bonus: the venue is dog-friendly and for paying our $3 entry, we received a card for free entry next time. 

And did I mention the totally awesome finds? Thankfully they even have an ATM on site. 

-- Happy Shopping!

Random Photo: Killarney Ireland

Overlooking the lake at The Lake Hotel, Killarney, Ireland. This was one of the most amazing places I have ever stayed. We were there in October and it was so peaceful and quiet. The grounds, the rooms, the staff - all were amazing.

Wine and Spirits: Alameda, CA

Sometimes there is just nothing like being a tourist in your own local area. Here in San Francisco, we tend to stay in the city on the weekends and avoid the traffic and toll booths. During Fleet Week in October, we decided to get out of the city and see what kind of trouble we could find.

We journeyed across the Bay Bridge to Alameda. Technically Alameda is an island, but it is pretty well connected to the mainland. Formerly a naval post, it is also blessed with some great views of the city.

View from St. George Spirits

Our first stop was St. George Spirits. These guys were the first to start distilling absinthe when it was re-legalized in the United States. Housed in an old hanger, their vodka reflects their home: Hanger One Vodka. This is consistently one of the best vodkas I have ever had. The "Straight" vodka is so smooth you won't know it is vodka. The infused vodkas are amazing - many infusions have a "fake" taste to them, as if the artificial flavor was added after distillation. Hanger One actually distills the fruit for the vodka and you can taste the difference. The Buddha's Hand vodka is superb. Frankly, I can't name one that isn't. They do limited releases and I'm still pining over the Chipolte Vodka - I so want another bottle but it is all gone and they don't know if / when they will distill it again.

Buddha Hand Vodka

Another big hit from the distillery is the new Firelit liquor. Brandy based, this is infused with cold-brewed Blue Bottle coffee - a Bay Area favorite. I'm not usually a fan of coffee liquors, but this one is extremely good. You can sip it alone and skip the espresso on summer nights!

We took the pup with us, and unfortunately St. George will not allow dogs into the tasting room. We didn't get an reason behind this, but I suspect it is because the tasting room and the distillery are all in one building.

Less than a mile away from St. George is the tasting room for Rosenblum Cellars. Very friendly crew here and they are dog-friendly, allowing dogs into the tasting room! Their strength is their zinfandels, but be sure to try the dessert wines also. Everything is reasonably priced and the staff are very helpful.

At this point you should be pretty hungry and need food to keep going. Downtown Alameda has a plethora of restaurants, but for some reason we always end up at La Pinata 3. A local chain, but I can't say the food is the greatest. However, it is cheap and the margaritas are huge and pretty potent.


-- Happy Travels!

A country walk in France: Le Moulin Bregeon

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes video is even better. For the full details on Le Moulin, visit my blog entry here.

I fell in love with the French country-side on this visit and captured as much video as possible. The slower pace of life was charming, but I really enjoyed the ability to walk out into the fields and not hear cars and the hum of electricity. Instead I could hear the birds, the stream running over rocks and the farm puppy bounding through the bushes as she led us on our walk.



How I miss this place!

-- Peaceful Travels!

Clos Cristal: Growing grapes on the wall

The last winery we visited in the Loire Valley was Clos Cristal. This stunning property in the Saumur area grows primarily cabernet franc with some chenin blanc mixed in. One of the things that makes Clos Cristal unique is how they grow some of their grapes.

Guided by Marc, we walked out into the vineyards. The land slopes up slightly to the forest at the top of the hill and the views are spectacular. But you'll notice something odd as you look over the vineyards, there are walls built in them and there are grapes growing on them.

The founder of Clos Cristal, Antoine Cristal, decided to try something new when he was building out his vineyard. Using walls that run east-west, he planted vines on the north side of the wall and pushed the main trunk up through the wall. The leaves and grapes grow on the south side of the wall. What does this do exactly? The roots stay cooler due to their northern exposure, while the grapes get the most sun. The wall retains the heat of the day, causing the grapes to be exposed to higher temperatures than regular vines. This causes the fruit to mature faster. The winemaker allows the grapes to begin to whither on the vine - they dry out to the point of looking very raisin-like and are still able to be harvested a few weeks before traditional vines.

This on-the-vine concentration of the grapes produces incredibly robust cabernet franc wines. Only xxx cases are produced a year and "Le Murs" was a pleasure to taste. Of course I bought a couple of bottles which I will horde in my cellar for as long as possible! The traditionally grown cabernet francs at Clos Cristal are also superb and their Chenin Blanc was a pleasant surprise. They don't grow much of the Chenin Blanc, so if you can find it, I encourage you to buy it.

Something else I learned: you'll notice their sign says "Hospices de Saumur". I was fascinated by this concept in France. The founder died without children and left his vineyards to the hospital. The hospitals use the vineyards as a way to generate income to run the hospitals. I am guessing this brilliant idea helps provide good medical care for everyone in France, though from the American viewpoint I can see some teetotalers arguing that the hospitals sell wine which ensures they have patients in the future. Whatever belief you hold on this subject, I encourage you to visit Clos Cristal for the lovely scenery and the beautiful wines.

For a video tour of the vineyards, check this out:



-- Happy Travels!

Le Moulin Bregeon - Loire Valley, France

I find it hard to gather the words to explain the experience at Le Moulin. Located between Noyant and Vernantes, south of Tours, 30 minutes out from Saumur and located in the tiny village of Linieres-Bouton is Le Moulin Bregeon. An old water mill used to grind grain, has been converted into a ... well, I'm not really sure it fits in any class of accommodation. It akin to being invited to the country home of your dearest friends who wish to make your experience one you will never forget.

Le Moulin Bregeon and the stream running under the building.

Resident Chef Pascal, is truly amazing. Assisted by sous-chef Elissa, he treated us each night to a four-course traditional French country dinner. We had cauliflower with smoked duck, confit de canard (duck confit), boeuf provencal, apple tarte tartine, lentil puree soup ... and that is just a sample! Everything was in season and most of the ingredients were from the gardens there on the farm. One morning at breakfast Elissa asked if we wanted an egg - when we said "yes", she headed out to the chicken coop to see what was available! They focus on local ingredients, seasonality of the food and dishes seeped in tradition.  The chefs truly live the "farm to fork" concept and beyond, gathering ingredients locally and from the farm, composting all the food waste and using it in the organic gardens, shopping only at local farms and markets and then being there when you taste the food to tell you about the dish. It was truly a culinary experience beyond belief!

Afternoon snack - simple elegance

Our suite was on the second floor of the Mill and was stunning. Old gears from the days when it was a working mill remained in the ceiling. The stream still runs under the mill and we could hear it in our suite. The furniture were all antiques, right down to the linens on the beds and the tiles on the floor of the bathroom. There are no TV's, clocks or phones in the rooms. There is a hair-dryer if you ask for it - but don't expect a coffee maker or a mini-bar. The kitchen is just right downstairs, make yourself at home! (Which I did one night, searching for a glass of water). Speaking of water - the tap water is safe. I swear it must come from a spring because it tasted better than many bottled waters.

Our suite - master bed

Our suite - second bed

The bath. I fell in love with this sink!

Big enough for two - but there is a rain shower also!

If you truly cannot disconnect from the digital world, you can cross the bridge over the stream and head into the living room. If it is chilly, Bernard will have built a fire and you can relax there and get on the wi-fi network. Just do take a moment to notice all the interesting items on the walls and in the glass cabinet. There are surprises everywhere.

Le Moulin isn't just a refuge for people, but you'll notice the animals have free reign also. There are a flock of geese who will not ever be part of dinner, ducks who swim in the stream, Mona the mascot dog and her two puppies, the chickens and the goats. Explore the outlying buildings and take some time to walk along the stream. It is a peaceful and amazing walk. We had the chance to walk at midnight, under the full moon, with one of the puppies guiding us. It is a memory I will hold dear - it was simply enchanting!

The view from our bathroom window early one morning

With amazing surroundings, isolated from the world and stunning food, Le Moulin Bregeon still wouldn't be half the experience it is without the people who pull it all together. Pascal and Elissa bring cooking and dining to life. They clearly have a passion for what they do and instinctively know what is right (and wrong). If Pascal does not publish a recipe book soon, I will be very angry with him! Jonathan is a gracious and entertaining host - we were sincerely flattered by his request to visit him in his atelier in the village and learned a great deal from him about modern architecture. The daily operating of the Mill could not happen without Bernard. He is grace under pressure and makes it all seem easy while being truly charming and welcoming. He was there to match the wines to our food, he set an amazing table with centerpieces he found on the farm (grapevines, chestnuts still on the branch), helped us find tickets for events and advised us on places to visit.  And last, but certainly not least, our friend Adam: he was full of energy, sincerely accommodating and resourceful, and willing to answer our endless questions. He made us feel completely at ease and went out of his way to make sure all the details were perfect for our visit.

As we left the Loire Valley on the TGV train headed for Paris, I was quite sad. I was leaving friends who I won't see again for some time and who I will dearly, dearly miss. Which gives me all the more reason to plan the next visit!

Exploring Loire Valley: Wineries near Saumur

Living in California, I have a definite bias toward California and Pacific Northwest wineries. I adore American wines - they are close to me and familiar. After traveling in Italy, I was able to round out my wine tastes with some Italian wines that I enjoy. French wines have remained a mystery to me, mainly due to their astonishing price point here in the U.S. and the fact that I know very little about them.

Now with friends living in France and a couple of friends in the wine business, a rather ad-hoc trip to the Loire Valley sprang up over the summer. Not only were we headed to France, but we were going to the lesser known (in the U.S.) wine region. So - let the adventure begin!

Loire Valley is mainly a cabernet franc and sparkling wine (Cremant de Loire) region. Chenin Blanc turns up (especially in the Cremant), depending on the area. We spent most of our time in the Anjou region of the Loire - this Valley is much, much larger than I expected!

Mmm... look at all those bottles aging and waiting...

So let's start with our first day: We left the Mill and went into Saumur on the Loire river to visit Les Caves de Louis de Grenelle. Not much of a looker from the outside - it is in town - but the staff were very helpful and the sparkling wines were superb. Then came the surprise - the actual caves. Dug out of limestone for building the chateau, they are massive and very, very extensive. I could have wondered in here for days, but we had more places to visit....

Next up was Chateau du Hureau, where cabernet franc is the ruling grape. The Chateau sits up on a hill with the caves dug into the cliffside. It is a beautiful place that produces bold, robust wines. Cabernet franc is not an easy grape to grow and seems to be one that needs to be aged to bring out the subtleties in it. For American palettes, accustomed to cabernet franc turning up only as a blending grape, these French wines may be a bit startling. A good cab franc really needs food to bring out the nuances and showcase what is best about it.

Our final stop along our Saumur path was Chateau de Villeneuve. This winery focuses on organic growing and produces superb Saumer-Champigny reds and an excellent dessert wine.

The wineries of Saumur were an unique experience for me. The red wines being used in the tasting rooms were all young. While drinkable right away, you could tell they would benefit from aging. The sparkling wines of the region were a delightful surprise. The best part of it all: the most expensive bottle was 17 euros. Most bottles were under 10 euros. Now if it weren't for those pesky customs rules coming back to the US....

-- Happy Sniffing, Swirling, Sipping!

Château du Petit Thouars: Wine and Twitter

It started with a tweet from our friend, founder of Corkbin: she mentioned we were going to the Loire Valley in September and she quickly received a response from @ChâteauPetitThouars suggesting we visit their winery while we were there.

It turned out the winery was in our area, so we decided to make sure we stopped by. Once we found the turnoff, we drove up a lovely tree lined driveway.  Chateau du Petit Thouars sits up on a the hill at the end of driveway with astonishing views from the top. The grounds are immaculate and the chateau appears to be very well maintained.

We were greeted by Gwendoline Pinard, daughter of Michel Pinard, the winemaker at the Chateau. She provided us a tour of part of the chateau - absolutely gorgeous! I was completely envious of the library and took tons of pictures. I may just sneak back and move in there...the dining room alone was enough to convince me.

After the tour we had our wine tasting across the courtyard. Cabernet franc is the ruling grape in Loire Valley, but we did start with two sparkling wines. Both were delightful though I preferred the Cremant de Loire Brut over the rose. Rose's tend to suffer from my American bias against them - I think "too sweet" and syrupy due to all those bottles of Gallo running around in my Mid-western background. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the roses in Loire were dry, not sweet.

The tasting room

 My favorite was the Touraine 2005. I was impressed by how smooth it was, though I think it will benefit from a bit more aging. In general I found the tasting wines in Loire to all be a bit young - probably a factor of cabernet franc and the style of wine-making in France. Since I have a hard time not drinking wine if it is in my house, I need the older wines right away.

We truly had a wonderful visit - and it was the power of social media that brought us to this place.  We would not have found the Chateau without Twitter. It is an interesting meeting of the old world and the new when social media allows a winery to reach a potential audience and customers.  Traveling wine tasters are alerted to places they may not have found in a guidebook. Overall, it feels like a good thing all around. If you have an iPhone (and Android devices soon), check out the Corkbin App. It brings this theory to another level, allowing you to see what wines people near you are drinking and their feedback on them.

-- Happy Travels!

Loire Valley: Hot Air Ballooning

I would like to mention that I have "issues" with heights and vertigo. Airplanes don't bother me, but glass elevators with a view make my feet tingle and my palms sweat. High-rise buildings with ceiling to floor windows freak me out and roller coasters where my feet dangle are out of my ability. I'll ride roller coasters that have a bottom to them, but scream the entire time.

So, on our visit to France, my darling husband asks our friends there to set up a hot air balloon ride for us over the Loire Valley. Huh? Since I know my fears are completely irrational and only in my mind, I agree to the adventure, silently hoping the weather will rescue me and the ride will be canceled.

The weather did not meet my expectations. So we headed to Amboise for a balloon ride.

Take a look at the video I captured. A few notes:

• The jitter is not from the balloon ride. I was shaking the time we were in the air. 
• The first part of the video shows the filling of the balloon. This was a totally awesome process and fast, even though the first time they turned on the fire to heat the air I freaked out. Seriously - that is a wicker basket there with fire like 3 feet away from it!!
• You'll also notice how silent the video is in the air until the jets come on. They are loud and very, very hot. You feel the heat and the taller guys in our basket (just thinking about that basket makes my palms sweat again) felt a bit singed. 
• Please also note there is no bathroom on-board the basket. If sheer terror makes you feel like you have to pee -- too bad. 
• You stay up in the air about an hour, but the whole adventure takes about 3 hours. 

Our balloon crew were France Montgolfier and were truly lovely people. Our pilot, Pierre, was fantastic and had a wicked sense of humor. When the balloon landed, the guys in the basket were asked to help move it closer to the truck and then everyone pitched in to roll up the balloon. We were treated to some fruit bread and sparkling wine afterwards, while hanging in the field in which we landed.

It was an experience I will never forget - I am very happy I braved it and conquered my fears. It was incredibly memorable, I would honestly recommend it to anyone who isn't terrified of heights and even to those who are but think they can manage it. That being said, I don't expect to sign up any time soon for the balloon rides just north of my home in Napa Valley.

-- Happy Ballooning!

Short entry: Where is the Sarcastic Traveler?

Hint: Somewhere in France

Random Photo: Bologna, Italy

Through the window at via Piella, Bologna

As I count down the days to France, I was thinking about other visits to Europe. This photo was taken in 2004 in Bologna, Italy. We have a copy of this hanging in our entryway and most people guess it to be Venice. However, Bologna was also a canal city - though now most of the canals are covered up. There is a walking tour that takes you to the "windows" looking out on the remaining areas where the canals are above ground - we captured this photo from one of the viewpoints.

Ft. Funston - San Francisco Dog Friendly spot!

If you are a dog owner in the Bay Area, you are about 98.9% likely to have heard of Ft. Funston. Just south of Ocean Beach on the Pacific, this is a huge multi-purpose area.  Hang-gliders take off from here, there is a golf course up on the hills and there are ... the dogs!

This is the most note-worthy dog beach in San Francisco - and while it's ongoing "off-leash" status continues to go through legal battles, for now it is an amazing place for dog owners.

Warning though: it isn't easy to get to the beach. This is the view from the top of the sand stairs:

It's a long way down!

But the beach goes on forever once you get there:

View south down the coast - only one small part of the beach!

You'll see fisherman down on the beach and plenty of dog owners - but the extent of this beach makes it such that it never really feels crowded, especially here on the south end.

There is another route to the beach, if you head north out of the parking lot through the dunes. Keep to the left, you'll see the "beach access" signs. This isn't as steep of a walk for most of the way, but the access to the beach is a more or less a ditch in the cliff that you climb down (and back up). It is usually wet and a slippery, so be ready for it. Of course, those sand stairs will test your endurance too!

-- Happy (woof!) travels!

Buena Vista Park - San Francisco

Very beautiful park but word has it is a bit dicey at night. You could truly get lost in here  - but the intricate stairways and multiple paths all lead you to stunning views at the top of the hill.

Stairway through the trees

This is a man-made hill and the drains along some of the walls are paved with marble - marble reclaimed from the headstones of a cemetery that was moved out of San Francisco.

Faint inscription from a headstone

 Bonus: There is an off-leash dog run in the park and dogs are welcome on leash in the entire park!

Touring Mazatlan, Mexico

This is city where cruise ships dock (typically on Wednesday and Thursday) and they know their audience.

A trip into Old Mazatlan on a Monday was incredibly quiet. The Mercado was fascinating and lively, but it was almost too hot to be inside. I did capture a bit of video that gives you a feel for what you can find:



As we walked down toward the waterfront, it was clear that Monday definitely was a slow business day and many things were closed up. We didn’t make it back to Old Mazatlan on either of the days when cruise ships were docked, but I suspect it was a very different atmosphere on those days. On a Monday in “low-season”, it was pretty sleepy and empty. There were a few restaurants open along the waterfront, along with a very over-priced silver store.

From there, we visited the Cathedral – a beautiful and very welcoming structure. Take notice of the lamp posts outside. Inside, the alcove to the right is dedicated to Maria (Mary) and the alcove to the left is dedicated to Jose (Joseph).



Afterwards, we wandered into Zona Dorado (Gold Zone) is also often called "Tourist Zone" on some maps. We visited the Zona twice - once on a day when there was no cruise ship, and once when there was a ship in port. VERY different atmospheres. The day without the cruise ship was nice, most things were open and bargaining went well with the vendors.



When the cruise ship came in, there were more vendors out and about, but we also were pressed more to buy. The pace picked up in shops and restaurants, but things still weren't packed. A number of places had specials running for the cruise ships and the silly tourists walking around with name badges on diverted the timeshare sellers from us. Yeah!

Happy Travels! 

Blue Agave Distillery Tour: La Noria, MX

Technically, you can't call it Tequila because it is not in one of the three states licensed to officially sell Tequila. However, blue agave is blue agave. Distill it and you get something that looks, smells and tastes like Tequila.

The Los Osuna Blue Agave Distillery just outside of Mazatlan is a very happy place. Getting to the property is easy - follow the signs off highway 15 to La Noria. Just before you enter the town, you'll see the sign to the left. The road from here is dirt, but not too bad overall. You'll pass the canopy zip-line place and keep going to the Distillery.

We arrived before the big tour groups arrived and received a very detailed tour - I noticed the bigger groups didn't get to go through some of the tighter spots in the distillery (probably for safety reasons). The tour provides information on how tequila has been made historically, as well as showcasing the huge newer stainless steel distillers.

Free tequila shots at the end - all you can drink. Total cost? $2.50 a person. Not joking - best value we found in Mazatlan. We tipped our tour guide and the bartender generously. There are a few small shops by the bar and while I didn't buy a thing, everyone else in our party walked away with good prices on silver and titanium jewelry so the bargaining must have been good!

To get a feel for the place, check out the video:



-- TEQUILA!!

** Interesting fun fact: the tequila is 65% alcohol after distillation. They water it down to 35% in order to make it more palatable. I asked our guide if you could sell it at 65% and she laughed at me and said "no". I'm guessing it must just be awful ... either that or gringos can't handle it!

Spotlight on San Francisco: Bay to Breakers

Bay to Breakers - always the third Sunday in May! If you are thinking of a trip to SF around that time, you need to know all about B2B.

Touted as the "oldest footrace in America", B2B has become more than just a 12K run. Sure, the elite runners start off the race, but they are finished long before the rest of the folks starting pulling their beer carts up Howard Street. Yes, beer carts, often pulled by about 10 Elvis's and / or naked people. B2B is an excuse for a city-wide costume party and unfortunately, some of those costumes are birthday suits - usually by folks who should be covering themselves up and NOT running around naked. And then there are the salmon spawn - they run the whole race dressed as salmon and run "upstream". I so want to be a salmon one year!

Technically, nudity and alcohol are prohibited. But really, how do you control thousands of people all hell-bent on breaking the rules? Folks who love to sleep in late actually set their alarms so they can start getting drunk at 7:30am on a Sunday - this is serious business!

If you are a tourist, you'd better know the route of the Breakers because it will effect your sightseeing. Starting at the Embarcadero and heading up Howard Street, the course makes it way to the dreaded Hayes Street Hill. Once it reaches Alamo Square, there is a big party with DJ's and everything (forget about seeing the famous Painted Ladies on this day). The course is all downhill from there and continues along Fell Street and the Panhandle, through Golden Gate Park and out to the Beach where it ends. Well, the "race" ends there. There is a huge party at that end of GG Park and you will see drunk people wearing tiaras and wings stumbling around all over the city till late Sunday evening.

If all this isn't your aesthetic, I'd suggest getting out of the city early and heading up to Wine Country. Road closures start around 7am downtown (or earlier by the start line) and continue most of the morning.

B2B is an experience - if you are a runner or even an active walker - it is a blast to participate in. The people watching alone is worth it. If you just want to dress up like a ballerina bunny rabbit with wings and party, it is your type of event. 

In case you need further proof of just how crazy this is, we created a video from Alamo Square today. Notice the landmark Painted Ladies - I felt bad for the tourists trying to take pictures there today!




(For the record, I'm annoyed with the quality YouTube is doing on uploads these days. This is an HD video. Looks waaaaaaaay better on Facebook).

-- Happy Bay to Breaking!!