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My friend Patrick said…”Celia, you’d make a good American”.
I’m not so sure about that, but I do know that I could happily live in San Francisco.
Last month, our family of four spent twenty-six days in California, staying with our beloved friends Dan(ielle) and Patrick. It was a trip we’d planned with some trepidation – Dan and I are extremely close, but even the best of relationships can be tested by sharing close quarters for such an extended period of time.
It’s a huge testament to our friendship (and Dan and Patrick’s great patience and generosity) that we didn’t have a single tense moment during the entire stay. And after nearly a month of living with them, we found it difficult to come home. It took me five days to get over the jet lag, but a lot longer to recover from the soul lag. You see, I left my heart in San Francisco.
I bought myself a new pair of Zenni prescription sunglasses just for San Francisco!
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This was our first proper holiday in a decade, and the longest we’ve ever been away. And I fell in love with all of it – Oakland City (where we were based), San Francisco, Berkeley and the East Bay. Most of all, I adored the people.
As a generalisation, San Francisco is a city of friendly, liberal-minded extroverts. Everyone we met was cheerful, and most were happy (keen!) to engage in conversation. Whether it was at the supermarket checkout, in a museum, or while waiting for a delayed flight, the folks we met were almost universally good natured. They have a lightness of spirit that reminded me of Sydneysiders, but their gregariousness and willingness to chat to strangers took it to another level for me. I was completely smitten.
Whilst we visited all the attractions, we didn’t have an overly touristy holiday. Dan and I shopped at Safeway and Target and Walmart; we visited Mexican grocers and Ecuadorean handicraft stores; we ate at local eateries. We attended a neighbourhood 4th of July parade, and froze in nosebleed seats at a night ballgame. The fog rolling in over the Golden Gate Bridge became a familiar sight.
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We cooked dinners at home, taught Dan to bake sourdough and temper chocolate, and sat in her backyard watching for hummingbirds. And yes, I did send packets of dried Priscilla to San Fran, where it was rehydrated into Dan’s starter Johnny Cash (you were right, Emilie, King Arthur flour is the bomb. Thanks!).
Dan’s first sourdough loaf, made with her Johnny Cash starter.
Tempering chocolate with Dan and Patrick’s beautiful children – I hid the golden ticket moulds until the last minute!
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As a food lover, I found San Francisco full of surprises.
The French fries were disappointing (someone needs to introduce chicken salt to America), but there was a vast array of unbelievably good cheeses on offer everywhere, even in little corner grocery stores. Supermarket meat was almost scarily cheap. Oakland Chinatown offered live bullfrogs and tortoises for sale. And then there was the unparalleled wonderfulness of Berkeley Bowl. I have never seen produce as fresh or diverse or glorious for sale! I seriously considered moving to Berkeley, just to shop there.
I actually squealed out loud when I came across the mushroom display at Berkeley Bowl.
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It really was the holiday of a lifetime!
Dan and Patrick, Tully, Mitch and Benny, we love you guys (and we miss you desperately). Words are inadequate to express how grateful we are – thank you for making our visit so much better than we imagined it could be!
I’ll be posting more photos soon – I have over a thousand to sort through!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I knew you would have a blast! And isn’t it amazing to have friends you can spend a lot of time with “tension-free?” that’s exactly what we’ve been through this weekend, having at home two friends we had not seen in 15 years! It was a short stay, but absolutely wonderful…
life is good!
I love the name of Dan’s starter. ☺ I grew up listening to lots of Johnny Cash songs. The bread turned out lovely. I love the expression of the children at the unmolding of the golden tickets. Reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie. 😊
Sounds like you had an awesome holiday. Well worth the planning and the long flight. That’s a lot of pictures to sort through! I am looking forward to seeing more of them. I have never seen so many mushrooms in one section of a grocery store before.
Enjoy your week!
I adore San Francisco and have also left a piece of my heart there. Welcome home, look forward to hearing more xx
I have been looking forward to your San Fran posts and it sounds like you had a ball. How lovely that the two families blended nicely and that you could get out and about with your friend to do everyday, normal San Fran kind of things. A trip of a lifetime. And as for that photo of all those mushrooms and fungi,make that a double scream. Can you hear mine coming your way- all the way from Hue, Vietnam? Bring on your photos, especially the foody shots.
What a fabulous holiday, Celia. San Francisco is fascinating isn’t it – did you try any of the famous San Francisco sourdough? If you did, what did you think? Don’t you just love listening to the accents – it made me just want to inhale the place. I love your sunglasses, Celia, they’re so you:)
I loved San Francisco too. Now it is my turn…when are you coming to stay with me in Italy?
I’d go crazy in that Berkeley shop! Priscilla has arrived thank you very much Celia. I’ll try and bring daughter Eve (called her Eve since she’s probably going to be a handful lol) to life this weekend.
There IS reason why all of us know the words to that song! So glad your holiday is ‘an affair to remember’ ;) !! And one would not have gotten me from that mushroom display for hours: don’t think I have seen one like it in my life – hmm! look at the price of chanterelles there also . . . and the US prices of food items are usually unbelievably cheap!!
Over a decade ago I too found myself very much at home in San Fran and it very much like home. I so happy you had a wonderful holiday, and I’m sure San Fran is all the better for you leaving a little piece of Celia heart there, and your wonderful touch with food.
Love San Francisco. I did a course at Berkeley where I was based for a month many years ago, then last year took the husband and kids. We had such fun! If I’d known you were going would have sent you to the Mission District for Tartine’s Morning bun….devine…..I have the recipe but not the three days required to make it!
Gawd, you mad me SOOOO ‘homesick’……lived in Oakland for 10 years and ohhhhhhh, Berkely Bowl enough to make me jump in the car and drive 12 hours for a shopping trip!!! SOO glad you had a good time! Hugs to you and yours.
A beautiful post on what sounds like a great holiday with a really lovely family. I loved that you did the normal everyday stuff as well as touristy things. You always get a better feel for a place. Love the mushrooms – did a little squeal myself after seeing your photo.
I agree, you’d make a terrific honorary American. You get my vote too. My brother lived in SF for 40 years and I loved visiting him. He’s moving back east to watch his granddaughters grow up. Nobody deserved a fantastic holiday more than you and the family. I’m thrilled it was so much fun.
xx
I am so glad you had a wonderful vacation in one of my favorite towns. I love San Francisco and even though I live nearby I don’t get to go there as often as I would like .
OmG – that mushroom display – no wonder you squealed! :) I am doing it right now and I am not even there. And then your sunglasses:) :) :) – Nice to know you had such a lovely time.
Well it sounds like a wonderful holiday and I can tell by the comments that Australians have an afinity for SF. I love it too. After landing in the USA for the first time on the East Coast, I was in culture shock. When we arrived on the West Coast I realised that all those Easterners who thought Californians were ‘weird’ wer wrong. California has many similarities with Australia (must be the Ocean we share) and it’s the people on the East Coast who are ‘weird’. What a wonderful holiday with many happy memories made! xxx
You lucky lucky lady! Don’t suppose you found where I left my heart did you, I know its somewhere in San Francisco! I shall just sit here dreaming of the Golden Gate, the people, yes they are every bit as friendly as Yorkshire people, the fog, the street cars, the prawns, open spaces, painted ladies. Aaah!
What fun, Celia! And I love your glasses (I have a pair of sunnies just like ’em). Thanks for sharing, lovely lady. xx
What is chicken salt?
Sounds a fab holiday.
ooops, just asked the same…. great minds ask alike! ;-)
It’s chicken flavoured salt! :) The seasoning on all hot chips in Australia. At some point we moved away from salt and vinegar and adopted chicken salt as the universal condiment. :)
Celia, forgive my ignorance, but what is chicken salt????
I spent 11 years in Berkeley and Oakland, and you’ve just brought all the memories flooding back! Such wonderful food!
Sounds brilliant. I love San Francisco. We used to live in Mill Valley many years ago.
Love the sunnies Celia! You obviously had a fabulous holiday – and I’m sure the friendly natives loved chatting to you.
I need to know what chicken salt is too. Why does that make fries so good?
It’s chicken flavoured salt! :) All hot chips bought in Australia seem to come with it, unless you request otherwise! :)
I’m with Celia on the chicken salt! So good on hot chips. My bread knife you recommended is being delivered this week Celia so I better get some bread flour for Priscilla’s first loaf :) Thanks again for sharing.
Sounds interesting. We hope to get to Australia next year so I will have to try it 😃
Celia, you’re so adorable, who wouldn’t want to talk to you?! Of course, the accents helps ;) Glad you had such a wonderful trip. So near, and yet so far…hope someday we can connect somewhere on this planet! Hugs! JuliaB
Staying with friends must be the best way to get to know a country properly, especially when you’re able to stay for so long.It sounds a wonderful holiday. When we were in Florida, we were often asked if we were Australian – I hope you weren’t mistaken for Britons too often!
I loved following your holiday – it looks like it was fantastic. I’m looking forward to an upcoming trip visiting friends in San Fran in January!
sounds like the best of everything in your holiday with being able to spend time with locals and be a tourist when you wanted and glad to hear you were sharing your sourdough skills and chocolate delights with your friends
What a fantastic foodie vacation. All your pictures had me wanting to be there too. My brother lived in Oakland for a coup,e years though I never had a chance to visit him. Some day we’ll have to get out here for a visit. I’ll have to research chicken salt, maybe I can find somewhere to order it.
I’m so happy that you and your family had a wonderful visit in San Francisco. Wish I could find a selection of mushrooms like in your photo…haven’t seen anything like that since the markets in Munich.
I feel similarly about San Francisco. I’ve been at least once a year, every year for the past ten, and every time it gets a little harder to leave.
I feel the same about San Fran – it’s such an easy place visit and so much to offer. And it’s beautiful too. Look at those faces looking at the Golden Ticket chocolate bars! you made their day xx
I am so happy for you all, Celi. What a vacation and with 26 days, you did right!! San Francisco has always been a favorite destination of mine and I see it hasn’t lost any of its charm. Welcome home!
Such a fun post to read, Celia! That photo of you smiling in your Zenni specs says it all! xo
What a divine place and how lovely to spend all that time discovering one place. That mushroom display is mouthwatering! And Celia, those glasses are absolutely fabulous!
What fun…You’ve had a great holiday! Thanks for sharing…
Just from reading your blog posts all this time I knew you’d love San Fran and fit right in. There’s something about your personality that is very in tune with the San Francisco attitude.
Long ago when I visited your country I felt the same sort of comfort level with the people & think we share a lot. Glad you had such a fabulous trip. Sometime you’ll have to visit the east coast & we’ll show you around.
Your SF trip sounds wonderul! I’m originally from Marin County, just over the GG bridge! Forgive me for posting this question here, but I could not find your email address and I need your help with my Presidential Plum Brandy. When I opened the container after a few days to add more sugar (I had to run out and buy more) it was like opening a bottle of champagne, it was gassy! Is that okay?
I’m sorry, but ours didn’t do that, so I can’t advise you! I hope it’s ok, we didn’t get bubbles at all in ours. We visited Marin County – it’s a beautiful area!
Thank you so much for your quick reply! I’m worried there might have been a bit of bruised plum that rotted, but I don’t see how that could happen with all that alcohol! And I hate to throw it out because now the plums on our tree are finished! I’ll try some internet research before tossing. Glad to hear you enjoyed Marin County!