The day after. San Francisco
It was the morning after (the arrival), and we were all up at 6:00 am, ready to explore the city (I keept in mind that the evening would be under the spell of jetlag). The news could not stop talking about fires jut miles away in Sonoma, making us feel like it was coming into the city, but we did not care – not too much anyway as we had a beautiful day ahead of us. As the hotel offered complimentary morning coffee, we went down to order some before leaving for breakfast, and the sweet lady working there conquered our hearts right away by offering the girls hot chocolate.
There's nothing more important when arriving in a new city than the first meal, and since we had our first excellent meal the night before (Del Popolo), there was another most important one to have – breakfast – and I could not think of a better place than Le Marais Bakery. The sun was warming our Baltic faces as we headed up the hill to the bakery. The choice came down to granola with local Strauss yogurt and homemade granola (serving for one, suitable for three), a tuna sandwich, croissant, and croque. We had all the time in the world, well, at least until the Ice Cream Museum and we took it, bite after bite (leftover bites were gathered for takeaway for the next morning’s breakfast.
After leaving the next day's breakfast at the hotel, we were eager to explore the Ice Cream Museum, the best experience the girls said they had. Arriving at the set time, we were greeted by the sweetest staff member who took us on an adventure that some of us hoped would never end. With ice cream at the entrance, later on, and more along the way, I knew there would be no dessert today at dinner. If I were to be strict, there would be no dessert the upcoming days either – that’s how generous they were.
The rest of the day was supposed to be all about the Mission – it’s Spanish and Mexican roots and the tastiest foods. We drove to Tartine and walked through the streets to the Tartine Manufactory for an early dinner. A few hours later, having visited the local Dandelion Chocolate, kitchen shops, and much more, we discovered the Mission from another point of view while we were looking for an address we could not find. With each step, the girls learned that there’ another city within a city, and we were finally at the Tartine Manufactory, ready for a light meal.
The bright and airy place was already filling up with people eager to have cocktails and wine, later to be exchanged by or complemented with food. We ate slowly as there was no place to hurry to, except the bed that started to call earlier than we thought. we passed by the Flour and Water restaurant again (the 3rd time) promising (3rd time again) to get back their the next time. I did the same for other places.
Knowing that I would not allow sleep, we “ubered” to the Ferry Building and sat on the benches to admire the sun setting over Berkley and San Francisco. The skies turned reddish-orange, and ferries delivered those who were about to go to a restaurant or attend a party. Yet, we did everything we wanted to – we had a day full of emotions, tastes, textures, and surprises, and what else one could look for in a trip? If only a good night's sleep. Especially on day one.
A days plan:
Breakfast in Le Marais
Ice Cream Museum
Drive to Mission Walk in Mission
Places to eat in Mission:
Bi Rite for ice cream
Tartine Bakery for sandwiches, pastries, coffee, bread, viennoseries
Pizzerria Delfina - pizza
Flour & Water Pizzerria - pizza
Dandelion chocolate - chocolate, pastries, coffee, books
Beranl Cutlerry - knives, books, sharpening
Smitten Ice Cream - ice cream
Tartine Manufactory - bread and food all day
Flour & Water - pasta restaurant.
Story and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s
Flying with Turkish Airlines
