I fully intend to post a little bit about Haines, and maybe try to explain this newborn blog's reason for being-- later. For now, here is how I spent my next to the last Saturday in the Bay Area:

We woke up late and went walking around Buena Vista Park, where we saw one million dogs and many banks of prehistoric looking plants with brilliant blue blossoms.



We left the park on the south side, and followed Upper Terrace to the funny little stone obelisque that lives at the hilltop cul de sac. Its enigmatic emptiness and lack of identifying plaques pleased Valentine as much it had pleased me when a visiting friend's aunt showed it to me last November. What used to sit on top? Why do people write occult and astrology symbols on the base in chalk, layered over older chalked symbols that have faded or been eradicated by rain? It's a mystery, thrilling to my inner Nancy Drew...



who has has been rendered obsolete by google. No more staking out suspicious houses late at night wearing sensible jumpers and using morse code to signal my chums for help. Apparently, the hill was once named "Mount Olympus" and was at one time the geographical center of the city. The obelisque is the base for a long-gone statue, "Triumph of Light", inaugurated by Adolph Sutro in 1887. No idea what it looked like or who actually made it, so maybe there's room for a little Nancy Drew moment at the library later after all.

Getting back in the Mini, we drove slowly through the Sunset. Valentine has discovered "Synchronicity", which was the tape cassette I attempted to steal most frequently from my sister during the years 1984 - 1986. He says that latter-day, cheesy Sting had soured him on the idea of the Police being any good, but all of his drummer gods sing Stewart Copeland's praises so he's giving their discography a shot. I am an unapologetic Police fan and particularly fond of Copeland, so it's worked out well.



OH yes.

We had a mutual craving for fresh juice, so went to the Atlas Cafe in the Mission for ginger lemonade and to split a smoked trout salad. Their lemonade is so potent that your lips and stomach tingle for a long time afterwards, which is just the way I like it.

We drove back to V's apartment, which was flooded with late afternoon sunlight, and played shadow puppets.



Then Valentino made me soyrizo tacos...



and we watched the sun set over Cala.



I would rate that as the best goodbye city day I've had so far, thanks to V and his tacos.