Happy Campers PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 11 March 2005 16:00
Today we moved from the Bodega Bay RV Park to the Novato RV Park, an hour south and about forty-five minutes closer to San Francisco. After settling in we proceeded by car into the city to explore it some more. Unfortunately today's weather wasn't like yesterdays however it was still warm, 16C, though it was overcast with patchy fog. We drove around the city, following a tourist guide map, which led us into some of the more famous areas like Chinatown and the Haight-Ashbury district. Finally, after a couple of frustrating hours of driving on crazy streets and trying to find a parking spot, we managed to find a spot on Columbus Street, in North Beach, a predominately Italian district adjacent to Chinatown. There are dozens of coffee shops and restaurants to choose from and judging by the lack of parking spots and the crowds of people, it is a very popular area.

Any of my friends and family that know me well can tell you I am a bit of a garlic nut. I love the stuff and use it quite liberally in just about everything I cook. In fact, my motto has always been, "if I could put it in chocolate cake and get away with it, I would". Today, this garlic lover met her heaven, The Stinking Rose Restaurant just two blocks from where we parked. It was late when we arrived there, too late for lunch, and so we enjoyed our favourite meal, "Lupper". My sympathies are directed to anyone within 100 yards of us for the next 24 hours because everything we ate had no shortage of garlic in it, including the "Garlic Ice cream with Caramel Mole Sauce." Thank 'gawd' we both ate garlic because if we hadn't, one person would have been extremely unhappy but as it was we left there with full bellies and smiles on our faces.

We were both tired and ready to go home. San Francisco is a fascinating city and driving on its almost vertical streets, many going one-way and all of them dissecting dozens of others was exhausting. Once again I was grateful to be the passenger with an excellent patient driver. Had I been driving, I am sure at one point I would have parked the car in the middle of a street and walked away out of frustration. We have come to the conclusion that driving may not be the best mode of transportation for getting around hence tomorrow we are looking forward to using the trolley system.