San Francisco 2014 -- Day 4

My Preciousss...

At 2am Wendy startled me awake. There was scratching on the roof. I leapt out of bed and closed our skylight fearing something big, like a racoon, skunk or jaguar might come tumbling in. We haven't quite worked it out, but at 8am, it seemed more likely that it was mice or squirrels and not jaguars. In the morning, when we awoke for the second time, we were tired and a bit too sore to get out of bed.

San Francisco hurts my ass! But, in a good way ;) The hills and stairs are really omnipresent. Also, we haven't been great about catching the bus (which SF folks call the 'muni'). Everything seems really close--and by Saskatoon standards it is--but the vertical is a really big thing. +david aschim, I have renewed respect for your trail running.

This morning we headed back to Golden Gate park. It is huge and there is still some stuff we missed. We stopped for breakfast at Amitis Cafe. Wen had a great toasted sandwich and I had a mediocre coffee.

We went first to the Japanese Tea Garden. We got there just in time to get in free, which after I saw how great it was, I kind of felt badly. The balance and serenity of the place was incredible. Every direction had something delightful happening. Wendy was extra happy just because it was free.

Japanese Tea Garden

Pop artist Mik D -- "Sour Jellies romance iPhone with daisy"

We then spent a couple of hours in the de Young Museum. Wendy says it's some big deal to people who know stuff about art and museums. Actually, I really enjoyed it but didn't take any pictures. To make up for that please enjoy this picture of my iPhone.

I suppose I could also link you to the museums permanent collection via the Google Cultural Institute. It doesn't include any of the temporary exhibits, which were some of the best stuff.

We were both wiped out after the gallery and with the sun shining, we found a patch of grass and relaxed had a cat nap. Refreshed, we headed to the Conservatory. Honestly, I expected more. It was a good thing they had butterflies.

Here's Mothy!

In her element

Did I mention that unwinding at our B&B is so much better than a hotel? It is.

Puppet photo from yesterday. This has nothing to do with Jennifer. Even a little.

And as if our day wasn't full enough, we had supper with +Jennifer Wang at Herbivore. It is a funky vegan restaurant. For once in my life, I had so many items to choose from that I had to send the waitress away while I weighed my options. In the end, the food was just okay, but our conversation with Jen was terrific. She is always discovering new things that radically change the way she perceives the world. I love people who are still willing to throw over everything they thought they knew because of new information. That takes guts. She would probably say that she is reevaluating how she sees the world. Potato potato.

Our walk to and from supper took us along Divisadero Ave. We hadn't been out in the evening before and the nightlife was vibrant and quirky. Along one street was a biker cafe. Not to be confused with a biker bar, like you would see in Canada with Harleys and leather. No, this was for cyclists. There were guys in helmets and spandex of every colour kicking back espresso and biscotti. Their bikes were all in the back on the floor and up the walls. Mojo Bicycle Cafe(photo via Google Street View).

Time to sleep I just hope the Jaguars are prowling elsewhere tonight.

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