DEliTOUR: SssanFran, streets, Sonoma, Shasta

SF exceeded expectations. We explored most of the areas of town briefly and enjoyed the trolleys, cable cars, driving the zig zag Lombard street, stayed on the hill and downtown, ate Italian, saw cool Jazz, had the best burrito we will ever have, and dug the whole vibe. We can totally understand why people rave about it - so much more charm than LA and so much more accessible physically and spiritually. And we fell victim to the City Lights bookstore as Kate predicted and we came away with far more cool books, especially about Central and South American politics, than we can realistically carry.

Our plan to do Sonoma valley wineries by bicycle worked a treat. This was the first time it became apparent how lucky we were to be travelling off peak in spring. The roads were clear, the wineries empty, the amazing picnic store was easy to shop in, the weather hot but mild, and again we were able to take our first chpoice accomodation by turning up on the day (in fact as I write this we only had a hitch with accomodation when we first arrived in Santa Monica/Venice - fingers crossed we stay lucky). I don't know if Otso has planned a next vacation but I couldn't help think how much you would love this. The wineries were so cool and relaxed and the rolling hill views made it a really special day.

We checked out some big trees on the way out of SF on the Avenue of the Giants. The trees were big, very big, but didn't really grab us so we decided to didtch the other redwood park we were planning to go to and we went to Mount Shasta. This place was a big surprise. The mountain itself is awesome, looking like a perfectly sculpted peak that can be viewed from all sides that dominates the landscape. It is the size of Mont Blanc and casts a mystical shadow over its surroundings. I cant remember if Robin told me about this place but it is head heaven and I couldn't help but think how Bob would love this place. We found our own surprise at the Finlandia motel where a Finnish family laid on the Finn discount, piped up the sauna and hot tub and entertained Anna by, er, speaking in the native tongue.

Three songs about wine:
#3 Lilac Wine, Jeff Buckley
#2 Water with the Wine, Joan Armatrading
#1 We don't have to take our clothes off, Jermaine Stewart