Life Lately: Around the Bay

Crissy Field

The past few weeks have been filled with a little of everything: a visit from my brother when he was finally introduced to the glory of Philz Coffee; another tubing trip down the Russian River when I got a little too much sun; a visit to Everlane; a viewing of Beautiful the Carole King musical, which I had been wanting to see back East on Broadway but was pleasantly surprised to learn had actually started in San Francisco; a day at a beautiful spa with girlfriends; and of course outings around San Francisco (finally) enjoying our Indian summer. Here's a round up:

Paris Guide

from the Green line

Below you'll find a recap of my Paris trip taken at the beginning of summer. I admit I was thinking, well it's way overdue. I was also thinking of skipping a recap altogether because, hey, there's no shortage of Paris travel guides out there. But then, a good friend said she and her S.O. were heading to France for a couple weeks and asked for my itinerary. 

I was happy to share the details because I've been thinking of the France trip ever since I returned stateside. In many ways it was a comfortable, almost familiar, trip - developed, Western nation, many English speakers, easy Metro systems, large metropolitan cities as well as some quaint little towns (I already wrote about staying in Cannes and hanging around the French Riviera). But it was still great to see everything for myself, to practice French, and to observe any differences between Parisian culture and that of say, San Francisco or NYC, or how some styles are spread around the world. 

There were times around Paris (around the Pigalle and the Canal) that I felt like, wow, they out-Brooklyn'd Brooklyn (see: my new favorite bar). There were also instances when I was reminded of more serious issues such as politics around business/workforce problems, and ideological differences - such as when we had to figure out our transportation when strikes were going on, or when we inadvertently avoided a huge protest taking place by our Airbnb. This is a crazy world we all have to navigate, no matter where we are.

truth (original article)

I was only in Paris for five days, which in my eyes was not nearly enough time. Thankfully you can still get a good sense of the city, especially if you walk and use the Metro, because both offer you so much good people watching where you can see "everyday" city dwellers, and you can see the different kinds of architecture around the city. Many places we hit up were recommended by friends and their friends, which is my favorite way of getting travel advice. And with that, word for word, is what I gave my friend - and now you - on Paris.

Le Comptoir

Le Comptoir

Paris: the best advice I can give you is to pack some comfy slippers or buy the padded 10-euro ones at Muji (which I ended up doing) because even though I wore comfortable shoes, we walked so much that my feet were aching and slippers felt awesome at the end of the day. 2nd best advice is to shop at the Franprix for cheap (but good) wine and other groceries

• Trocadero: First two nights we stayed in a small hotel in Trocadero so we ate in the bistros around the circle ... had drinks at Sir Winston and this college pub called The Freedom. Good area for reaching all the touristy stuff by walking or Metro without staying right next to them. Mo and I were thinking the area is like the Upper East Side.
• Canal Saint Martin: For the weekend we switched to an Airbnb by Canal Saint Martin and I loved this area! We stopped using the Metro without meaning to - we just walked everywhere - up to Sacre Coeur, all the way down to La Marais and back up to our neighborhood. On Sunday we picnic'd along the canal (there's a Franprix grocery store right there). This is definitely the Brooklyn of Paris.
• La Verre Vole - a bunch of Americans recommended it, then I realized it's one of Anthony Bourdain's picks. But my boss (who's French) also recommended it, and it was really good
• Le Comptoir General - coolest bar I've been to, hands down. After dinner at La Verre Vole we came here and left only because our friends couldn't get in (but, their fault for not arriving until 1am). Went back during the day and it's a cool coffee house/lounge
• Du Pain et Des Idees - also a Bourdain pick, but clearly a local favorite. Open only on weekdays.
• Bob's Juice - we got bagels (they were really good!) and filtered coffee here to go so we could eat while walking
• Ten Belles - also got coffee-to-go here one day
• Le Marais - Marche des Enfants Rouges was a cool farmers market with sit-down-&-eat options. The Picasso Museum was great (and free on Sunday). I did tons of window shopping here. Others have recommended it as a good area to stay in, but it got very touristy/shopper-y for me on the weekend (kinda like NYC's SoHo), and I think because we were here at the end of our trip, I was glad to stay somewhere less busy.
• Pigalle - Also quite Brooklyn-y (maybe Bushwick). We ate at Buvette, and drank at Dirty Dick (a tiki bar!) and Le Sans Souci - all were fun, and there were probably 10 other bars I'd read about in the area.
• Versailles - If you are going, and the train isn't running due to strikes or whatnot, you can do the metro to the bus, it's basically the same amount of time (at least from the Western part of Paris) ... the charter buses we saw were like 50 euro vs ~5 euro we spent on the metro/bus. This guide was awesome: http://parisbytrain.com/how-to-get-to-chateau-de-versailles-via-bus/. At Versailles (we did not wake up early enough to avoid the crowds), we skipped the audio guide because the line was ridiculous. My favorite parts were Marie Antoinette's place and all the gardens.

Austin Weekend

Downtown Austin (Westin hotel lobby)

I just spent a weekend in Austin with old friends and it was really fun. We all flew in from different cities around the country to catch up while hanging out somewhere new. We stayed in an Airbnb downtown and nearly all our activities were chosen thanks to recommendations from friends and colleagues...

Life Lately - Summer Edition

This has been a summer of somewhat "firsts" - first time going to the San Francisco Opera, trying out Paniq Room (an escape room group game), sailing in San Francisco Bay, taking some new exercise classes, and spending a couple days in Bend, where I went stand-up paddle boarding on my own for the first time. I probably won't do most of these things frequently, but it was fun to give them a try.

I also hit up some area restaurants for the first time: Old Bus Tavern (new-ish gastropub in Bernal), Pampalasa (Filipino food in SoMa), and The Conservatory @ The Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay (we were going to hang outside on the terrace but the summer fog got the better of us). All were tasty and places that I'd been meaning to try for some time now... Pampalasa in particular for the link to my Filipino heritage and Old Bus for being written up all over local press. Both spots are undergoing changes but I hope they'll be area mainstays for a while.

On another note, this has been a crazy summer around the country and the world. Who knew US politics could get this crazy? Who knew hate and violence could spread around the world so fast with our technological advances? There have been times, watching the news, where I've felt helpless as to what's going on. But out of recent tragedies, and from watching the DNC speeches over the past week, I've also been more motivated to pay attention and be more participatory in our political system, and to encourage others to do so, so that our voices are heard and have an impact.

Finally, this month marks my four-year anniversary of living in San Francisco! I'm not sure I thought I'd be in the city this long. It is one more year than I lived in New York City (after college) and two more years than I lived in Washington, DC. In each city I've taken time to explore neighborhoods and see what they had to offer, but even after four years here, there are times when I still feel like a tourist in San Francisco. The city has the added bonus of being an easy home base for my West Coast adventures. It's so nice to be in a city that still makes nature and travel accessible. I suppose all of that is a part of what's kept me here for four years and counting.

Springtime in Napa

Inglenook

A perk of living in San Francisco is being so close to Napa (& Sonoma, aka world class wine country). Drive just over an hour over the Golden Gate Bridge and you'll feel like you're on vacation. When I moved here I was pleasantly surprised how accessible and casual the wineries can be. Since there are so many (hundreds), over the last few years I have taken a pretty lassez-faire approach to trying them out, mainly relying on friends or events to go to new ones. I'm happy to report I haven't had a bad winery experience yet :)

The latest new-to-me winery I've visited is Inglenook, which is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. I first heard of it while staying in Yountville's Villagio Inn (they had a huge book of local wineries) back in March, and then in April a friend was in town and suggested we go. The Rutherford estate's rich historical legacy is maintained by Coppola, who apparently kept making movies in order to fund his winery hobby. (No judging, just admiration!) With my friends I did the full tour and tasting experience and it was one of the best tours I've done in wine country. I'd love to go back and sit in their little bistro. 

I also visited V. Sattui, for probably the umpteenth time. Their picnic grounds are great for groups and I have a membership that gives access to a smaller tasting room. Sattui has a sentimental place in my heart, too, because it was one of the first wineries I visited when I moved to the Bay Area, introduced to my husband and me by one of our own wedding party members. Our family and friends  also love their wine so we bought a case to give as presents this past Christmas (hence, the membership). On this most recent visit, my friends and I got to taste a cab right from the barrel ("wine futures"). I also bought a bottle of rose, which is now just waiting for me to finish my Whole30 diet.

And finally, another new adventure in wine country was having dinner at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville. My husband and I made use of a gift certificate we got for our wedding (over two years ago) ...talk about delayed gratification. Anyway, we had a fabulous meal, the service was great (our server got a kick out of us testing our French vocab on the clever mural behind us), and we got a kick out of listening to the vacationing family next to us (their youngest kid, maybe a 10 year old boy, gawked at how small his order of 1/2 lobster tail turned out). We had an early reservation, but even at the end of the day, there was a long line for Bouchon Bakery next door - another perk of being a local is having the chance to go to the bakery when it's less crowded!

Inglenook

barrel tasting at V. Sattui

dinner at Bouchon

walking the grounds at Villagio Inn and Spa

Life Lately: Rainy City

a little Paris in San Francisco

It's been raining a lot in San Francisco the last couple weekends, so I've been spending more time indoors. Some of my friends joked how they appreciate the excuse to not go out, which both resonates with me and makes me think about why we feel this way yet still want to live in cities. My generation insists on living in cities (small and big ones) and paying to be so close to other people, but also reserves the right to choose how to be active in our cities. Plus, my friends and I have pretty much lived for a decade or so in various metros. Perhaps for us, it's age (almost all of us have turned 30, so I myself am a granny millennial) that turns us into little urban homebodies.

I've been using my time at home - on the couch, if we're being honest - planning upcoming travel to France. Now I don't speak French, so the research itself is an education (I downloaded Duolingo and am browsing YouTube videos to get familiar with the language). It's also inspiring me to go back and read books and watch movies set in France. Even walking around in the rain has made me look forward to walking around in Paris (hopefully not in the rain but I'd still take it).  

 Pampalasa

I still have gone out a little bit though, running errands and meeting up with friends for a comedy show and a movie. One friend lent me her umbrella as I had to keep walking after she got in her car (she did offer me a ride but I really wasn't going far to my next destination and it would've taken more time driving just a few city blocks). Having to walk led me to snap the picture above outside Pampalasa, a Filipino restaurant that I'd heard of but never actually located. "Have you eaten yet?" is something my Filipino father asks me all. the. time. and even though it was pouring I had to smile at remembering my childhood. I look forward to going back to the restaurant and actually going inside.

Abalone at Cala

One restaurant I did go into was Cala, which could be the Best New Restaurant in the country soon enough (my husband and I have also enjoyed Liholiho Yacht Club so I'm cheering for either SF-based spot to win). It reminded me of traveling in Mexico and other Latin countries with its delicious seafood-based dishes. One California-based item was the abalone, which I've only had once before in my cousins' kitchen up in Mendocino. Cala's version was smaller and farm-raised in Santa Cruz, but just as delicious. Like State Bird Provisions, everything that came out felt like such a treat. Since (a big) part of my vacation-planning is setting our budget, I probably won't go to Cala again anytime soon, but it was totally worth it. 

November Wrap Up

November was a mix of new and old: I went to my first-ever NFL game and also did a 5K fun-run with friends from the office (okay, I've run races before BUT this one was different). I also went bowling with friends (before they dropped me off at the airport!) and hung out in Dolores Park for the first time in a couple months... gotta love the warm temps in mid-November... and visited home for almost a week.

September Wrap Up

Gloria Ferrer winery, Sonoma

Another wrap up post, another moment of disbelief that another month really has gone by. With a lot of hot weather ("hot weather" will always remind me of Uli from Project Runway Season 2) for San Francisco and the surrounding area, the theme for September (besides finding a fan for the apartment) was being outdoors and exploring different parts of the city:

August Wrap Up - NorCal Summer

urban sidewalk garden, Mission district

Lately, I haven't had much free time during the week outside of work and work-related events, so I've particularly savored any down time. And while I took a few much-needed moments to space out on the couch as well as to clean and organize my neglected home, I also wanted to continue taking advantage of free time to hang with friends and explore the area. I've gone around the Bay Area a bit (floating down the Russian River, barbecuing at China Beach in Marin, chilling out in Half Moon Bay). In the city itself I've mostly stuck to my part of town, going to a couple more Giants games, checking out some new-to-me restaurants and bars, and trying to avoid Karl the Fog during the month of Fogust. A while back I read this post on Apartment Therapy and realized I adhere to the mantra: "The city is my living room." In words and pictures here is what August looked like:

July Wrap Up (Three Years in San Francisco)

from Pinterest

This month is my three-year anniversary of moving to San Francisco! Since I moved here during the summer, every year around this time I am reminded of that whole process, especially the housing search. I remember thinking, somewhat arrogantly, that if I could survive the NYC apartment search and even the DC market, then surely I could secure a place out in this "little" city. 5 days and 15 appointments/open houses later, I finally put an earnest deposit down on a spot, and it's become my home base for the past few years of West Coast adventures.

With that, here's the latest...

May Wrap Up

sunset at Bodega Bay

Some favorite moments of May: witnessing dear friends celebrate marriage; having my best friend visit from out of town; celebrating my husband's birthday with a weekend getaway and hiking among redwoods; and as always enjoying San Francisco during meals with friends and meandering through the Mission. I'll be at a music festival this weekend, which is the best way I could think of to start the summer.

March Wrap Up

I've been having this feeling all winter where I think it's more like May or September, maybe because the climate is so mild... I keep pinching myself that I haven't been buried in snow like the East Coast. Now it's actually Spring which means glorious 65,70-degree weather in the Bay Area. Granted it gets cooler in the evening, particularly in San Francisco, but it still feels great to get home from work with the sun still out. Here's what's been going on this month:

January Wrap Up

What a January! Even when it seemed quiet it was a busy time (busy in a good way, though). And the fact that it was 70 degrees on the last day of January reminded me why I love living in California. Here's what's been going on this first month of 2015:

Cartagena

Cartagena is one of the most romantic cities I’ve ever experienced.

It was founded in the 16th century and looks like a quintessential colonial town. Part of the city is preserved within stone walls built by the Spanish (to protect against pirates!) and that is the part you must visit. There are many little parks and plazas, and the buildings are all brightly colored and have bougainvillea on their balconies. You can’t help but want to take pictures everywhere.

The food is amazing. You can find cheap eats and extravagant meals, and you can’t really go wrong. We had good value/affordable meals at places like El Bistro, and went all out at places like La Vitrola and Club de Pesca. We lucked out and wandered into Club de Pesca without a reservation, then got the best table in the place. With La Vitrola, our hotel set up our reservation, and that is when I was so grateful to be in a luxury hotel with the right relationships.

For live music, we of course went to Cafe Havana, but the locals really gave us props for going to Bazurto Social Club. There are small cover prices at the clubs, but they’re much less than you would pay in NY for great music. Both clubs are well worth the trip outside the old city walls.

I’ve stayed in a few hotels in Cartagena, and the top one for me is the Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa (I wrote about it previously). But Arsenal Hotel Boutique is a close second and it’s just outside the old city walls.

So that’s Cartagena in a nutshell. If you get the chance to go, take it. You won’t regret it.

Bogota

 


Most flights to Colombia will take you through Bogota. This was the 2nd time I’ve been to Bogota, and I like the city, but I may skip it next time. But, if you’re there, here’s what I recommend to check out:

La Candelaria - just walk around aimlessly. It’s fun

Monseratte - take the cable car ride up to the chapel, and hope for a cloudless day so you can see all of Bogota

eat/drink at Andres - whether at the original site in Chia or at the new one right in Bogota, it’s such a fun experience

dine at Leo Cocina y Cava. The chef/owner, Leonor Espinosa, puts Colombian food on the map. The ingredients are staples of Colombian food but used in very interesting ways. We had snails, octopus, lobster, and beef medallions. There was sauce made from corozo, and foam made out of… foam? We asked the kitchen to make us their favorite dishes, and they’ve now become ours.