Drivin' (around): 05/07/08

To Victor's great pleasure I went on a driving tour of San Francisco Bay today (he had made numerous suggestions as to where I should visit on my first night with him, and found it hard to understand why I hadn't already been everywhere). I have to say in his defence that he was a most excellent guide, as I had a great time!

I went up to Mt. Tamalpais, which has a commanding view of the whole bay area (see the pic). Once at the peak, I kept trying to take self-portraits with somewhat comical results, so I gave up and just enjoyed the view. I find that taking pictures makes an important record and a great aid to memory, but it is also too easy to look through the camera and then not take the time to take in the real views and people. I lunched in the car park, desperately trying to cool down in the clear heat, and drove on to the coast and Muir Beach overlook. 

From there, with the vista of the Pacific calling to me, I went back to Vista Point (where the classic view of the Golden Gate is to be found) which was now clear of fog, and the winding cliff-top road was now littered with dangerously parked cars. I took a couple of pics and went across the bridge to "The City" (very humble of them, no?).  The city was a real treat, as driving around it was like a trip down memory lane - I passed Phil and Alison's old gaff, where Mum, Dad and I had stayed more than ten years earlier. It was a real reconnection with that charming city, and I had quite forgotten a) what a gentle place it is and b) how STEEP the hills really are!

The day was rounded off by the most unusual pizza I have ever had, which made me see why in parts of the US they are called pizza pies (only when the moon hits your eye though). It was basically a filled pizza, that was about 1 1/4 inches deep... The place was Zachary's on Solano.