Some thoughts on our recent trip to (not France) the Bay Area, CA where we escaped from Alcatraz, drove around golf courses for 17 miles, bought beer in wine-land Napa Valley and stormed a castle on an Enchanted Hill:
Macarons
Seriously, I know it wasn't Paris, but it was confusing with all the patisseries selling macarons. I only visited one because my family wasn't dying to take a tour of 7 cookie shops. I don't know what's wrong with them. Actually, maybe I... nevermind. I got a dozen macarons from Paulette Macarons and they were good. Not Pierre Herme good, but gooder than anything I've had in Atlanta, which isn't saying much. That doesn't sound like a very nice compliment. Lemme try again: They were awesome.
Pommeau
This is an apple apertif that is a blend of calvados and cider and it is unbelievable. It's available absolutely nowhere in this country or so I thought...until I found two different bottles of this magic elixir in a package store in Santa Rosa, CA. I only bought one because of all the...
Beer
Cylinda bought and consumed so much beer, my family was impressed. And they're not easily awed. Just kidding. They think driving in the rain is a feat of magic. But anyway, we checked two boxes of beer onto the plane and shoved a few more bottles in our luggage for good measure. We could open a small craft beer shop if Cylinda would quit drinking all the merchandise. Our Napa Valley day trip was beer-filled, as well, sacrilegious as that may be. We did visit Sterling Vineyards which has a self-guided tour after taking a boring skylift up the hill. It was very pretty and didn't cost as much as some other places. We got 5 tastings and I liked the one so much, I drank four glasses in a row (from everyone elses' glasses that weren't finished) and I paid for it with a pounding headache.
Oh yeah, the beer... Toronado Pub in San Francisco lived up to its hype. I had a Black Diamond Imperial Porter that's only available on tap out in CA so I'm sitting here crying tears over not being able to drink its chocolately goodness for a long time.
Hearst Castle
I now have a shirt that says "Hearst" on it and that's all I've ever really wanted in life...unless I can get a shirt with Patty holding up the bank on it. That would rock... or be offensive. Either or... So the mansion and its guest houses and pools are all beyond ridiculous in its ornateness and the setting on the hill high above the Pacific Ocean is perfect. After getting tickets, we had to take a 15 minute shuttle bus up to the house. They don't let you loiter around the property ever because after the tour, we were bussed back down immediately. There are a few different tours to take which we'll do sometime in the future when we can spend a night in San Simeon, CA.
All in all, it was a great trip. I can't believe it's taken me this long to tour the area since my family's lived in San Jose for years now. There's more stuff to see so I guess I'll visit them again next year. I guess...
Andrew Wyeth, 'Christina's World' painter, dies
January 16, 2009
CNN
Wyeth painted one of my favorite pieces of art, which is mentioned in the article. Christina was his neighbor who was wheelchair-bound. Her world without her wheelchair was her house and yard.
It was adapted for famous Rolling Stones article back in the 70s about Patty Hearst. It symbolized her feeling of restriction on where she could go when she was on the run when technically, she could go anywhere. My words do this no justice. Here, see for yourself:
The one on the left is the original. (Duh.) Just wanted to be clear.