We arrived in San Francisco on Day #39, a Saturday - the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to be exact. We were lucky - so very lucky - because Kate’s longtime friend, Mitch, lives in San Francisco. He lives in the Presidio which is a large park in the NW part of SF. There is grass … and trees - lots of trees. Plus, amazing views of the bay and the Pacific and the city, and let’s not forget, the Golden Gate Bridge. We were so very lucky to experience and stay in the Presidio. We stayed in San Francisco until Day #43, the Wednesday following Memorial Day. And boy, oh boy, did we have a good time.

Our visit was both relaxing and tons of fun. Sarah (my sister) called us several times over the holiday weekend and was amazed that we were staying in one place for so long. Thanks to Mitch and his roommates for allowing us to stay for so long.

On Saturday, I learned chess and for the first time experienced Ethiopian food. According to Mitch, I was a natural at chess and really enjoyed it. The Ethiopian food experience was fun. I enjoyed eating with my hands and the plethora of different tastes all sharing one gigantic plate.

On Sunday, Mitch, Brett and I went to the Blue Jay Cafe for brunch where I had the most delectable griddle cakes that I have ever had. They were banana griddle cakes topped with strawberry butter. Yummy! The strawberry butter made the meal - absolutely made it. It tasted like 35% butter blended with 65% strawberry preserves. It was extraordinary. After breakfast, the three of us met up with two of Mitch’s high school friends who were in town, Pooja and Juli. The five of us went wine tasting in Alameda and Oakland. I am not much of a wine fan, but decided that it sounded like a good opportunity to taste a bunch of different wines to either confirm my dislike or broaden my horizons. The first winery, Rosenblum, was fantastic. Our pourer or hostess was named Nari and was absolutely amazing. She went well out of her way to find something that I did like and she succeeded. After the third winery, we headed back to SF in search of coffee, burritos and beer (in that order). The coffee was located in the Mission. The burritos were from Can-Cun and were delicious. And the beer was had at a lesbian bar with a fabulous outdoor patio. The day was absolutely unbelievable. And little did we know that it was not over yet! We proceeded to play the most insane game of Monopoly ever - finally crashing around 5am.

Monday morning and afternoon were used to recover from Sunday night. Brett and I then explored the Presidio and took some photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. We participated in a Memorial Day cookout with Mitch’s housemates which rounded out the weekend on a very nice note.

Tuesday was gorgeous. Bright blue skies and warm sunshine, which was quite the change from the previous three days. After a slow morning and lots of time writing posts and going through pictures on the computers, Brett and I headed out to explore part of San Francisco. We found our way to Ghiradelli Square and sampled the chocolates, Hyde Street and watched the cable cars, the Ferry Building to partake in the farmers market and the Palace of Fine Arts before winding our way back to the Presidio in time for a fabulous dinner (thanks Brett). After dinner, the three of us went out to try and capture some evening shots of the Golden Gate Bridge before our Wednesday departure and continuation North through California.