23 May - San Fran - Santa Clara

Who fell back asleep this morning?!  So a mad dash to get all of our stuff packed (read, "shoved anywhere!"), showered, house straightened, car packed, hello and goodbye to our host, Linda, and on our way.

We decided to take Claire to the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park, a lovely tradition of ours.

With the Tearoom behind us

The lush gardens

Loads of students are graduating here and the restaurants, card and balloon shops are all doing a huge trade with all the grad dinners. Golden Gate Park was hosting a graduation of liberal arts students all decked out in bright purple gowns and mortar boards with yellow and white trim. Huge stands of billowing balloons in the three odours adorned every available bare spot.

We visited the bison at the bison paddock, a marvellous site within the grounds of GGP.



A bison with a "passenger"

Two windmills stand as sentries at the Pacific Ocean entrance to the Park, at another time during the year, they tower over a blaze of tulips, but not now.  We pointed the car south once again, heading to Santa Clara via Pacifica.

John toured around all of his childhood haunts, as we always do when we come here.  His elementary (primary) school, his junior high and senior high schools, and the various houses he lived in - and of course 951 Rio Vista.

The welcome sign to Pacifica.

We set the sat nav and the cow took us down Highway 1 then across the I-280.  She then had us criss-crossing back and forth, taking us into areas that we need not have travelled, but like I said to John, not to worry ... she took us to parts of California I'd never been to!

We arrived at the Marriott and we were met by Margaret after a check-in hassle (an hour's worth of hassle). Having had not one room booked in our name, but three, we got a double queen room, but not until Margaret had to give up her room and move to another! Not good enough Marriott Hotels.

We had some snacks and cocktails and the gorgeous Liyani arrived to a rapturous response from Claire.  And at 8.45 pm Lisa, Tony and the kids and Pat arrived.  Cuddles and hugs all round and we were off to a local restaurant for dinner with cocktails and coffee to follow back at the Marriott - but alas, the cocktail bar closed at 11.30 pm. Boooo!

Claire bunked down with Liyani in Pats's room and I caught up with the last few days blogging before hitting the pillow at 2.45 am.  Hope you're enjoying the blog!!!