We're on the road to nowhere!

Tuesday 4 June 2013 Hot/dry

 



Paul:

The first part of the journey was simple. Packed early and off the airport to collect our hire car. We did not eat breakfast because the hotel kitchen staff took longer to pour granola into a bowl for us than it took for a couple on the next table to receive a cooked breakfast. Otherwise the Chancellor hotel is very good and we'd stay again.

I had been under the illusion that we'd ordered a Ford Mustang convertible but Sancho at Budget car says it is not available. After explaining this is our honeymoon and we had hired it he says we can have one at an additional $5 per day or have a Volvo C70 T5 convertible. We take Sweden's finest Ford Mustang. It has no handbook or any guidance to explain the controls, tyre pressures, how the roof goes up and down; the sort of things most car hire firms tell you about. At least we know the car is petrol because there is no indication what fuel it takes.

Out on route 101 everything is going fine: the satnav voice is working well and Amanda repeats what the satnav says. We are headed for golden Gate bridge and it is there things go very , 'wrong. Satnav directs us back into San Francisco and onto some cable car rails during the lunch time rush of people and cars. A blind man steps in front of us and walks slowly across our path as a cable car loom up behind us in the rear view mirror, clang clang clang......a tense moment passes and I floor the gas pedal careering safely around the blind man speeding towards Union St j/w route 101. Amanda clutches the seat squealing and the satnav says, 'recalculate'. We head back towards the airport and restart our journey.

All is well and the Golden Gate bridge disappears in the rear view mirror. We head for Sausalito, as recommended by Dave at work and eat at Scomas pier restaurant looking out over the bay towards SF. Amanda spills all her Pepsi and the waiters replace it without comment, fabulous service. I have Clam Chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. Amanda eats Crab roll salad: delicious.

It's getting late now so there's no time to stop at Muir Woods to see huge Redwoods. We eventually reach our Senoma destination at 17.00. I am exhausted and need to collapse. Les Waller the B&B co owner has other ideas........he takes us on a tour of the B&B, explains the 17 miles of wine valley country and the different vineyards and wine styles. We have a demonstration as to how the fridge works and the different keys for doors. Breakfast is 09.00 sharp and coffee available from 07.30 hours.

Shock.......Amanda left her hair tools back in the Chancellor hotel in SF. She is furious with herself and says the irons alone cost £120.00. I don't know what these are but I can see they are the equivalent of a cheap priced case of NV fizz.

Amanda's agitation passes by the second once she is settled into the Girl & Fig restaurant at the end of our road. Complementary fizz, a cocktail and a theatrically camp waiter called Brian conspire to bring a smile to Amanda's face. The meal was superb. I had a Rausanne with soft shell crab to start and a Flounder poached in butter as a main. The cheese accompanied five reds and pudding washed down with a Port style wine made by Chris Loxton from Australia. Brian said he really enjoyed serving us and hoped we'd be back soon.

Senoma is such a pretty town almost like Bar Harbor in New England; friendly folk taking in the warm night air before returning to their homes. In the room I sleep quickly.

Amanda:

Poor Paul. Driving a different car in a different country on a different side of the road looks fiendishly tricky - and then the sat nav lady directs us on to a tram track. Paul's long-standing deep mistrust of 'sat nav lady' seems to be proven right. He never much liked her in England but now she's really blown it - he harbours a suspicion that she's doing it deliberately to annoy him. It seems unlikely to me but there's no denying that she seems to have gaffed. I pretend I know how to get us back on course and bluff my way back on to the freeway. Looking over the Golden Gate bridge when we finally get there seems disloyal to Paul who's having to concentrate on the whole driving thing, so I just peep a couple of times. Trickier roads lie ahead after lunch overlooking San Francisco from the other side of the bay as Paul manoeuvres around a 40 min stretch of hairpin bends - only for us to run out of time to get out of the car and re-trace the bends. Sonoma is further away than we had been led to believe but the boutique hotel is lovely. I try unsuccessfully not to blub when I realise that I've left my hairdryer brush and straightening irons in SF. All I have is a mini hairbrush and a comb; my hair looks fluffy. A glass of fizz and a lavender mojito later I feel a bit more cheerful. We have a fabulous meal and our waiter is, what I believe is called a hoot - the wine is amazing and I have one of my best puddings ever.