California cont.

Other than Bolinas, the closest towns were Stinson Beach - slightly bigger and more touristy as well as Olima and Inverness to the north. These were very small as well. As far as we saw, Inverness only had two restaurants and one of them happened to be Czech. What do you know? In business since 1960. Cob webs galore and true Czech hospitality. Though they were open, they weren't serving food. What they were dishing out, however was attitude. Mr. owner sat inside reading the paper while we waited for him for five minutes outside. I finally went in and got yelled at for trying to order lunch. Oh those Czechs. Gotta love them.

The house itself provided a quiet respite from our busy lives. The atmosphere forced us to slow down. No phone, no computers, no internet. I did experience some withdrawal, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Other than the deck with the peaceful view of the lagoon, the hot tub out in the forested backyard was the best part. I dream of owning one some day.

My dad got to know his grandson. It was fun watching them interact. I think Jonah's favorite was playing driving with grandpa Tomas. My sister made it too, which was quite a treat for all of us. I just wish we lived closer to each other.

Our day trips to San Francisco across the treacherous terrain ended up being fun, of course. Who could top that city in its picturesque beauty. We walked to the famous Fisherman's Wharf with its colony of sea lions; we drove down San Francisco's most curvy street and up the city's steepest street; we ate in North Beach, the city's Italian neighborhood and in Haight/Ashbury, the neighborhood known for its hippie history. We also explored one of my favorite spots, the Palace of the Arts; we saw the famed Victorian houses - "the Painted Ladies;" and before running out of time, we made a stop over in Sausalito, a small harbor town across the bay. Sausalito was once a fishing town settled by the Portuguese. Today it's a tourist mecca full of boutiques and restaurants. Cute as can be. And the view of San Francisco from the waterfront is superb. If you've ever been to Lugano, Switzerland, you may experience a huge deja vous. I did.

After our week near Bolinas, Tim, Jonah and I spent an additional weekend in Frisco as a little family. We stayed right in the heart of it all - in Union Square. It's easy to catch a shopping fever there. Everyone is doing it. Our old-fashioned hotel was full of Italians. The streets about 90% tourists. My favorite oddball place was the 50's-style diner across the street from us. In fact, we could see in from our hotel room. The staff was full of colorful characters. The prize winner was the door man. An aging Charlie Chaplin with runny make up and a plastic (?) triangle-shaped Hitler mustache. He would unexpectedly bust out tap dancing to fifties rock, getting even the bums to join in the jig. As he ushered us in, he gazed at himself in the mirror. Boy, do I look good today, he must have thought. Charlie Chaplin would have been proud.

Tim and I enjoyed more of San Francisco- China Town, Embarcadero, the Financial District, Golden Gate park... Some day we shall return and see more of what we missed.