San Francisco

Tuesday 15th September 2009...

After an early rise and breakfast for Carol and a more leisurely one for Jim and Jon, we set out for the shops - taking the hotel's "House Car"...normally this car is a Maseratti, but sadly and as our luck would have it, this car was in the garage for service and repair...so we had to take the Black Cadillac - what a hardship eh?..*winks*...we arrive at the Westgate Centre and Jon heads straight for American Eagle and Jim for Tommy Bahamas...epic success in both...Jon gets a polo shirt and nice blue dress shirt, Jim a tee shirt and pair of trousers and a new watch...Carol also gets a new watch and, for the first time in ages, buys a couple of fleeces from a "normal size" shop!!...bright yellow and blue - perfect for Spring and Autumn and slightly cooler foggy San Fran mornings!!...Back to Ghiradelli Square and lunch in Lori's Diner overlooking the bay...Jim has his first sourdough chowder pot, a round loaf of bread with the inside scraped out and the chowder poured in...Yummeee!

We return home by cab...another "first" for Jon - hailing a cab in the streets of San Fran, just step into the street and stick your hand in the air and hey presto, a cab arrives...our very kind and friendly cab driver takes us back via Lombard Street, that long and INCREDIBLY winding road that is usually filled with hydrangeas and has been used in many, many films shot in San Francisco...my how steep this city is...not good for people with bad legs, poorly backs or generally unable to climb...but the view from the top of Lombard Street is to die for...

A quiet afternoon is spent by everyone...Jon has a mammoth grooming session in his bedroom, Jim has a sleep and rest in his bedroom and Carol sits in the sun out on the Terrace writing postcards and reading...we walk to The Blue Mermaid Chowder House for a dinner which, although fabulous, is just too much...portion control gone wild again, or (in Carol's case) just over eating and too much sun catching up with us and making us very exhausted...we head back to Ghirardelli Square for yet another early night...