Today’s Tip: Empress of China – San Francisco San Francisco is famous for being home to the oldest and biggest China Town in North America. And the heaving blocks of dim sum places, fish markets, and souvenir shops are certainly something any visitor should see. But its not always easy to choose from the hundreds of restaurants … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: Matching Half Cafe – San Francisco San Francisco is full to bursting with cool coffee shops, but Matching Half Cafe in Hayes Valley is one of my favorites. For one thing, I adore the Peacock stained glass windows in the front of the shop. But beyond beauty, the place makes great coffee, the … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers San Francisco is a city with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to natural beauty. And as if the sparkling San Francisco Bay, the towering redwood and bay trees, and craggy sea cliffs weren’t enough, inside the rambling green miles that make up golden Gate Park are the hauntingly beautiful white glass arches … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: Baker Street Bistro, San Francisco One thing I miss living in Nice is going out for brunch. Yes there are plenty of cafes serving cafe au lait and tartines here but it’s just not quite the same. One of my favorite spots for brunch in San Francisco is Baker Street Bistro in the … Continue reading »
It has been just over one year since I decided I’d had enough of Washington, DC and set off on this adventure. Since then I have been to seven countries and countless cities. I have traveled by plane, train, subway, boat, motor scooter, bike, car, bus, and on foot. I’ve lounged poolside, hiked up volcanoes, … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: Howard’s Cafe I love breakfast. Eggs, toast, potatoes, coffee – It is by far my favorite meal. Going out to breakfast is even better, and Howard’s Cafe in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset neighborhood is just about as good as it gets. No muss, no fuss, just a good old-fashioned diner, serving hearty portions … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: Community Thrift Store I love thrift stores. It is one of the few things I really miss about the US when traveling abroad. And Community Thrift in San Francisco’s Mission District is a diamond in the rough. The bright pink building on Valencia Street between 17th and 18th always has a find or … Continue reading »
Prolonged travel brings with it a myriad of new experiences, and some of the oddest ones seem to take place in the many security checkpoints of the world’s airports. In the intense heat of summer, I find wearing my hair piled up in a bun on the top of my head to be the most … Continue reading »
Today’s tip: Sunflower Restaurant Sunflower is a tiny hole-in-the-wall Vietmaese restaurant in San Francisco. They actually have two locations, one in the Mission and one in Potreto Hill. You could easily pass this place by, writing off the shabby storefronts as any other run-of-the-mill place. There isn’t much ambiance- when I brought my mom here, … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: Ride the San Francisco Ferry I used to think of San Francisco as a place you needed a car to get to. Not anymore. Golden Gate Transit is good, and the ferry system is a thing of beauty. The boats take passengers to and from San Francisco from Larkspur and Sausalito – both … Continue reading »
No matter how long a visit, I have with the Englishman, I never seem to realize it will come to and end, until its time to say goodbye. This time we had a full month in each other’s company. Something of a record for the past few years. We certainly crammed a lot into the … Continue reading »
I always like to get a window seat if I can. Not only so I can lean my head against the vibrating wall on long haul flights, but also for the view. A few years ago, I was flying somewhere from San Francisco, I forget where, and I happened to look out the window just … Continue reading »
Today’s Tip: The Chateau Tivoli I grew up near San Francisco, and the city remains one of my favorite places in the world. Its always odd going back where you came from and staying in a hotel, but The Chateau Tivoli, next to Alamo Square Park in the middle of the city, is so comfortable … Continue reading »
The only word to describe Nice at the moment is: glorious. The summer is in full Mediterranean bloom and the weather is beyond perfect. The deep aqua sea is putting on its best sparkle for the hordes of visitors who stare in awe and the magic golden sunshine saturates every corner of the city until … Continue reading »
Selling all of my belongings has changed the way I see things and being back on familiar ground has made those things come into focus. I have always been someone who loves clothes, and shoes, and cosmetics, and basically… stuff and who especially loves a bargain and my closet reflected that. So going from 100 … Continue reading »
It feels like a long time since I’ve set foot on US soil. I have become used to stumbling through the little difficulties of living in a foreign country. Having to try three different ways of saying something before being understood has become second nature. I forgot how easy and comfortable it is to be … Continue reading »
