San Francisco - Day Four

Let me explain why there's no photo montage today. In our little family, we have two cameras. My camera is an old hand-me-down from my dad many years ago when he was ready to upgrade his. It's a very basic digital point-and-shoot, which seemed amazing when I first got it, because I was still using film! The Husband's camera is roughly a million times better. It's only a couple of years old and has a seriously great zoom lens. It's the camera that really made me fall in love with taking pictures.

Now, the Husband likes to have his camera with him at all times, but has recognized that my daily adventures this week are more exciting than his long shooting days, so I've been happily snapping away with his camera. Until today! His day started with a sojourn to Nappa, so it only made sense that he get to take the good camera. And while I took about a thousand pictures of unbelievable houses today during my tours of Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow and Hayes Valley, I don't have the proper camera cord with me to download most of them! (I got the good camera back at lunch. Yay!) Therefore, you'll have to wait until we return to Canada for the Day Four photo montage.

Two more stories from my day of neighbourhood strolls:

My DAMN guidebook completely messed up my Pacific Heights/Cow Hollow walking tour! The stops on the map were not numbered properly, so when I got to the corner where the "Mrs. Doubtfire" house was supposed to be, for example, I'd actually already passed it by several blocks! Very frustrating. And with so many steep hills, there was no way I was turning around! Still, amazing architecture everywhere! Oh, and Danielle Steel lives in a crazy mansion. I should really consider writing romance novels...

After inadvertently doing WAY too much walking again today, I finally stopped for dinner in a trendy German restaurant on Hayes that was suggested by the guidebook. Now, I have to say that I've done a fantastic job of eating lots of meals sitting alone in restaurants this trip! I was really determined that I wouldn't grab something to eat alone in the hotel room, because eating out is part of what makes a vacation so great. And I've had lots of good meals. Anyway, at this restaurant, they seated me at the head of a table for five alongside a young couple and their adorable three-year-old daughter. They were LOVELY! The daughter's name was Olivia and she was very proud to tell me that she wears underwear. (I'm assuming this means she is potty-trained, which really is something to celebrate!) Unfortunately they had also just finished eating and were settling the bill. So while I had about ten great minutes chatting with them, they left before my food arrived and a group of four women roughly my age took their place. After we exchanged a couple of pleasantries about the menu, they went on with their evening. Only I was sitting right there. It was super strange. In fact, I had to avert my eyes to one side the whole time or I would have been looking right at the woman sitting opposite me. I wanted to join in when they all started comparing stories about their cats, but the fake wall between us was already firmly set. So I ate in silence, as if I was one of them, but not speaking to any of them.

Great day overall! Hoping that I have the energy for Golden Gate Park tomorrow. It's so hard not to run yourself ragged on vacation, isn't it?

Oh, since I don't have pics of my own, here's one that the Husband took this morning. (I was not there when this shot was taken!)



ps. I think I need a digital slr of my very own...