Day 13: San Francisco–We love the Tenderloin!
We say bye to our friends and yet we’re still driving one of their cars, their little beater. We leave our van at their place. They’re leaving town themselves. We’re heading into the City for a couple days and a teeny car is a good idea. Thanks!
RTR is a famous non-consuming DIY appreciator of plain good things. Some might say infamous. I mean, he actually made cross-country drives with me in my old Rabbit with no heat, for Christmas, and we would wear sleeping bags as we drove while he was a muni-bonds salesman in the go-go 80’s. Some might call that enabling.
The previous year a neighbor was away for the summer and loaned them their runabout powerboat. They explored the Bay a lot and loved it. Alameda has more boats per capita than anywhere else in the US. The Bay area has more wonderful boat exploring to be done than a life has years. And there’s no traffic.
David is working until early afternoon. He’s the manager of the first retail outlet of an elite chocolate maker in the renovated Ferry Building by the water. His neighbors are outlets representing the highest quality in most of the foodgroups. There’s an elite, custom cheese shop; meat shop; vintage olive oil shop; wine bar. The works. He says he’s getting back into cooking. No doubt! The Farmer’s Market is in full swing so we check it out. Too crowded. We end up hanging out at the end of the wharf with the homeless fishermen. They’re friendly and show the kids their exotic catches. One guy is a big, friendly Viet Vet sort of Indian who is netting crabs and has his granny mom with him, knitting in a rocker. They camp in his truck parked right there. She gives the kids some pops. Everybody chats. We finally think to take a ferry to Sausalito and back to see the Bay before David gets off work. The Bay is gloriously full of sailboats. We change ferries at the turnaround because ours is taking on water. Yikes!
