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Over and Out

Home at last. It feels very odd. Leeds was hotter than SF on our return. The dog has acquired an entire new set of vocalisations in our absence and is keen to use them as much as possible. I’ve gone back to having no idea where anyone is any of the time. I don’t know … Continue reading →

Back in San Fran

Staying in a hotel on the 42nd floor in downtown San Francisco, however wonderful the place, is a slightly alarming experience. Great views compensate for the scary elevator and the fact that I cannot walk up and down the stairs every time I enter and exit the hotel. I dragged everyone yesterday to Alamo Square … Continue reading →

Birds in Bodega Bay

Running from birds outside the schoolhouse Aggressive seagull and other birds perched en masse in Bodega Bay Leaving Napa Valley today, we diverted over to classic Hitchcock territory: Bodega Bay where The Birds was filmed in 1963. As if bears and deer mice and everything else wasn’t enough, we had to terrify ourselves with a … Continue reading →

Napa Valley Foodies

The Napa Valley in California is lovely. Lovely climate (but we are in September now, so probably anywhere would be lovely) and picturesque vineyards with a backdrop of scenic mountains. And lots of seriously good wine and food. Tastings are mentioned by others. I’ll just mention the delights of a Dean & Deluca picnic. Six … Continue reading →

Napa: the wine capital of the USA

Today, we ‘did’ two wineries, deep into the Napa Valley, between Rutherford and St. Helena, north of Napa itself. The first Estate, Inglewood, is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. One of the earliest wineries in the valley, FFC has – since he acquired the dilapidated estate in the early 90’s, restored it to its former … Continue reading →

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

I write with drooping eyelids, which I hope goes some way towards providing an excuse for the lame blog title. But I’d like to amend the title anyway. It is much more a case of ‘snakes and mice and bears, oh fuck’. This was pretty much the family’s anthem as we braved a deserted forest … Continue reading →