San Francisco

At sea, the sailor yearns mostly for a good breeze and for the comforts of the next port. Yet after a few days in port, its the sea that begins calling again. We have been having a great time in this city, but that wide open sea does begin to call us back, as does the "Paradise" in our imaginations, with welcoming warm waters, sandy beaches and days of only sailing from one perfect spot to another. So Thursday has been selected as a shoving off day, and the weather looks like it will cooperate so far, the forecast is for N or NW wind 15-20kts. If that forecast holds it will keep us moving nicely and hopefully we'll make San Diego by the 5th or 6th. In SD, my cousin Ian Maury will be waiting for us with a few surfboards to add to the menagerie we keep on deck. Dan and I are not surfers, but hopefully we can change that by the time we reach Cabo.

San Francisco has been very relaxing. Dan has "worked" at his old job at South Beach Marina taking tourists out sailing and maintining sailboats. I have spent most of my time reading and riding a bike around the city and catching up with old friends and family. Dan and I commute to the Mission most nights on our bikes to find his hipster clan and socialize with them. One sign that its time to leave town is when going out starts to seem like a job.

One highlight of my stay has been a great bike ride I took with my old friend Mariana over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. It was one of those perfectly clear days here, sunny, with cool, crisp air, when you feel it might be the best city in the world. Its the time of year now after the fog has abated that San Franciscans say is their real summer. Its not quite warm enough for us, though. Hopefully La Paz will be warmer, as that's our next big destination.



The view of the city from the top of Twin Peaks.



A good end to a bike ride as the sun sets behind the GGB.