Saturday, July 24, 2021
I woke up at 06:30 but decided to sleep until 07:45. Inna, I went for a short walk to Crissy Field.
Inna hoped to photograph some of the local Night Herons and other birds who frequently inhabit the Palace of Fine Arts. She managed to take a few excellent photos.
We stopped by Dynamo Donut + Coffee on the way to Crissy Field. I ordered a regular coffee while Inna tried the latte. We also decided to try one of the specialty donuts.
Inna wanted to try the "Maple, Bacon Apple," but it seemed too odd to me, so we settled on the "Berry Almond Crumb." I am not a donut connoisseur, and this flavor did not impress me much.
After the short walk, we returned to our 3038 Baker Street apartment and decided to eat breakfast somewhere on Chestnut Street. Eventually, we settled on Le Marais Bakery. Inna ordered green tea for herself and me, a mocha for Alex, and a few delicious pastries to share.
The day before, Inna reserved tickets to the Last Supper in Pompeii Exhibition at The Legion of Honour Museum for the 09:45 showing.
When we returned around 9:30, we drove the Sienna minivan, arriving in time for the exhibition.
In 79 A.D., the Bay of Naples was rocked by the fiery eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii and nearby villages and farms were completely buried under pumice and hot ash, which killed thousands in the midst of their daily activities. Plaster casts of these bodies are a dramatic reminder of this disaster but, like a fly caught in amber, what was preserved gives us a picture of what life was like in a thriving Roman city. The exhibition brings us back into this world by focusing on everyday life and especially on food and drink. Along with the pots, pans, and other paraphernalia in the distribution, preparing, and serving food, this exhibition includes glorious works of art, which reveal the splendor and luxury loved by the wealthy Romans who called Pompeii their home.
I was surprised by the many dishes, glassware, and cookingA.D.nsils in Pompeii in 70 A.D. (before the eruption of Vesuvius).
The glassware that was 2,000 years old would be difficult to tell apart from today's offerings. I was also surprised by the volume of wine grown and drunk by the citizens of Pompei (100 million liters per year!)
After the exhibition, I felt tired, so we returned home to Baker Street for some additional rest before traveling to North Beach and Coit Tower.
After resting for an hour, we ate lunch at the nearby Cote Ouest Bistro on Baker Street. We ordered the following items:
- Alex: Pan Bagna with Ahi
- Boris: Quiche du Jour with Salad
- Inna: Eggs Benedict
My quiche was fabulous, and the Pan Bagna (with Ahi) was exceptional, too! We really enjoyed our French bistro!
With clear skies and warm weather, viewing the city from the top of the Coit Tower would be great.
Thus, as we finished paying our lunch bill at Cote Ouest Bistro, we ordered UberX to take us to Coit Tower ($13.00 one way).
Once at Coit Tower, we paid $27 for 3 tickets (2 adults + 1 youth) to take the elevator to the top of the tower (13th floor), where we could have an unobstructed view of the Transamerica building. The views were spectacular, and we could see the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marina, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, Bay Bridge, and other San Francisco landmarks.
When we returned to the base of Coit Tower, we followed Google Maps, down Filbert Steps to Levi's Plaza, and then continued south to the Ferry Building.
At the Ferry Building, Inna purchased fresh pastries and bread from Acme Bread Company and delicious ice cream from Humphry Slocombe. She loved the Secret Breakfast flavor (Bourbon + Corn Flakes) and the Strawberry flavor.
After hearing that Sasha and Irina were coming to meet us, we ordered UberX to take us back to Baker Street.
Our friends wanted to eat Japanese, so we tried the Wago Sushi (2365 Chestnut Street) near our temporary residence. We ordered the following items to share among us, family-style:
- Tea
- Miso Soup
- Lion King Roll (California roll with salmon wrapped and baked special sauce)
- O.M.G Roll (Spicy tuna, jalapeno, crab inside topped albacore avocado tobiko green onion)
- Bay Scallop Roll (California roll with baked scallop tobiko and house special sauce)
- Cherry Blossom Roll (Tuna, salmon, and avocado tobiko)
Overall, I found the quality of the sushi average and the service very slow. Moreover, the green tea was tasteless, the miso soup was just average, and the sushi rolls were uninspiring.
The only sushi roll I enjoyed was the Lion King roll. I don't plan to eat here again. It was an absolute disappointment. It's hard to believe such a restaurant has so many 5-star reviews on Yelp!
After dinner, we walked around Lyon Street, exploring local houses.
There were many fancy houses in this expensive neighborhood.
Sunday, July 25, 2021
We woke up at around 9:00 (we were exhausted from the day before) and decided to walk to
Equator Coffees in Fort Mason. Inna and I thought about trying the
Spin Scooters to ride along the waterfront, but we could not get the
Spin app to work.
We walked along the waterfront and waited for some time at
Equator Coffees. Inna ordered the following items for us:
- Alex: Fogcicle, Breakfast Frittata
- Boris: Mocha, Almond Croissant
- Inna: The Habibi Latte, Ham & Cheese Croissant
After breakfast at Equator Coffees, we walked to the nearby Farmer's Market, purchasing a few groceries, including the following:
- Firecracker Organic Apples
- Organic Strawberries
- Organic Tomatoes
- Artichoke Hummus
- Greek Labne with Fig
- Pita bread
I also stopped by Safeway to pick up a package I ordered from Amazon (stored in the locker). Inna and Alex tried to unlock one of the Spin scooters but could not succeed. We walked back home and rested a bit after the long morning walk.
For lunch, we decided to try Sessions Cafe in the Presidio. After making reservations for 1:30pm, we walked the 5 minutes to Presidio.
After sitting down inside, we ordered the following items from the menu:
- Alex: Salmon (Heirloom tomato salad, summer beans, fricassee, tarragon, champagne vinaigrette)
- Boris: Bolognese (Skywalker Ranch Wagyu, papardelle pasta, parmigiana reggiano, herbs)
- Inna: Brioche French Toast
Both Inna and I enjoyed the
Bolognese pasta with wagyu beef. After lunch, we ordered UberX to take us to the
Batteries to Bluffs Trail.
In about 4 minutes, we were picked up in a white Toyota Camry and driven to the Batteries to Bluffs trailhead. We started our hike in windy, cold weather on the coast of San Francisco. Our trail descended to the beach below and ascended uphill to the Golden Gate Bridge.
After walking underneath the bridge, we continued toward the Crissy Field, where we saw a few kiters and wing foilers skimming in the Bay.
We decided to eat Burmese for dinner at the local Karaweik Burmese Cuisine.
At around 19:30, we walked down Chestnut Street to Steiner Street. We sat down outdoors and ordered the following drinks and entrees family style:
- Royal Tea Leaf Salad
- Street Noodles
- Beef Masala
- Coconut Rice
- Drinks: Jade (Jasmine Green Tea), Royal Burmese Milk Tea, 805 Blonde
We enjoyed the Burmese entrees, especially the Beef Masala over Coconut Rice and Street Noodles. It was fresh, inexpensive, and delicious! We will surely return!
After dinner, we decided to try gelato at GIO Gelati on Union Street. Inna and I shared a medium cup with the following gelato flavors (Alex picked precisely the same flavors):
- Pistachio
- Salted Caramel
- Bacio
The freshly made Pistachio was my favorite flavor at GIO Gelati, but Inna was partial to Salted Caramel.
Monday, July 26, 2021
In the morning, I woke up at around 07:30 and decided to walk to Safeway, near Fort Mason, to pick up an
Amazon package. The 3-mile walk took me about one hour, and I returned at 08:30. For breakfast, I filled a bowl with fresh
blueberries and
strawberries, topped up with Greek yogurt.
While I was out, Inna managed to walk to the Palace of Fine Arts and photograph more Night Herons.
At around 10:50, I needed to drive Inna to
Integrative Dentistry (her annual teeth cleaning) near Golden Gate Park for her tooth cleaning. While there, I parked my minivan and waited for her at the nearby
Tartine Bakery (Inner Sunset). I selected a "
pain au chocolat" croissant with a mocha. The
chocolate croissant was delicious, and the
mocha was not bad either.
In the late afternoon, I walked to Crissy Field, but the wind was not very strong, so I decided not to windsurf.
Inna reheated the baked chicken and cooked Jasmine rice in the rice cooker for dinner.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
At around 06:45, I woke up, showered, dressed, and ate my usual breakfast of blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt. I unloaded my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan and dropped Inna off at Alla's house, where the 2008 Lexus RX350 was parked. Inna was going to drive to her work at Genapsys.
I drove straight home to attend the 09:00 meeting scheduled on my calendar. After the meeting, I loaded the two bicycles in my van before going to Nvidia to pick up my employee badge.
Inna explored San Francisco and stopped by Mademoiselle Colette for a coffee and a pastry.
After finishing my workday, I returned to our temporary
Airbnb home in San Francisco. As the wind was favorable (at least on iwindsurf.com), I set up my Exocet RF81 and rigged my Ezzy Elite 4.5m sail. The wind was relatively light before Anita Rock but increased drastically. I sailed past the rock. I had an enjoyable windsurf foiling session, getting to fly the board much longer.
After finishing wind foiling, I drove home and met Alex, who had a fun day exploring San Francisco. He visited Chinatown, the Transamerica building, and ate lunch in the
Ferry Building. In Chinatown, everyone was wearing masks.
We reheated the empanadas for dinner and topped them off with potato salad. It was. a very long day, and. I was exhausted.
When Inna returned home, she told us about her fun day. She mentioned that there was one bakery we needed to try -
Arsicault Bakery.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
In the morning, at around 07:15, I woke up, showered, dressed, and ate my usual breakfast of blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt. I had an early 08:00 meeting to attend.
After the meeting, Inna and I took a short stroll to Crissy Field. On the way there, we saw many night herons in the trees at the Palace of Fine Arts.
After we returned, I continued to work. At around noon, I called the local
Sports Basement in Presidio about arranging a bike repair on Inna's Specialized bike. Her bike's wheels were not true, and the brake pads were rubbing on the wheels. The
Sports Basement tune-up was $125, but it was done quickly - the same day! (Long term, the fix was useless - when I detached and re-attached the front wheel - the brakes are running again!)
I also needed work on my Specialized S-Works mountain bike - the Rock Shox on my dropper post was not coming down. The bike mechanic at Sports Basement did not have the proper tools to fix the hydraulic dropper post. I called
Roaring Mouse Cycles, but the mechanic there also said that he could not repair it - he could send it to Rock Shox.
After picking up Inna's Specialized bike, I rode it back to our Airbnb apartment. It definitely paddled and shifted much smoother.
At lunchtime, Inna and I decided to sample pastries at our favorite
Le Marais Bakery. We ordered the following items:
- Boris: Coffee (Americano), Peach Scone
- Inna: Latte, Ham'n'Cheese Croissant, Kouign-Amann
I really enjoyed the
Peach Scone and the
Kouign-Amann. Inna liked the
Ham'n'Cheese Croissant, too.
We also stopped by Souvla to sample the highly recommended frozen Greek yogurt. I tried the Greek Sour Cherry Syrup, and Inna tried the Baklava Crumbles & Honey. We liked both flavors.
In the evening, I decided to go windsurfing at Crissy Field. When I arrived, I saw many windsurfers on the water, so I prepared my 2018 Fanatic 105 FSW and an Ezzy Elite 4.5m sail. The weather forecast called for 15-25 knot winds with gusts to 35 knots.
When I sailed my Fanatic, the wind was very up and down, and I could not get planing most of the time (not enough sustained wind power).
I returned to the beach and swapped the Fanatic for the Exocet RF81 with the Slingshot Infinity 76 foil. Now, I was definitely powered up nicely. Even the 4.5m sail seemed too much at times. I had a few sustained flights and now need to work on longer foil flights, using footstraps and foil jibes.
While I was windsurfing, Inna was exploring downtown San Francisco, near Chinatown. I picked her up from California & Sutter Street.
We reheated the leftover Enchilada for dinner and supplemented it with fresh potato salad, chicken salad, and hummus (from the Farmer's Market).
Thursday, July 29, 2021
At around 7:15, I woke up and went for a short stroll to Crissy Field. It was still relatively foggy, but I enjoyed the walk. When I returned home, I showered, dressed, and ate my usual breakfast of blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt.
After multiple company meetings, Inna and I went for a coffee and pastry at our favorite watering hole -
Le Marais Bakery. On the way to Le Marais, we stopped at
Lucca Deli to purchase
potato salad,
chicken salad, deli-sliced
ham,
cookies, and freshly prepared
ravioli (for dinner).
At
Le Marais Bakery, Inna ordered a coffee for me and a mocha for herself. We also enjoyed the freshly baked
Kouign-Amann and the
Pain Au Raisin as we played with the golden doodle next to us. We enjoyed sitting outdoors, basking in the morning sunshine as we sipped our delicious drinks and munched our pastries.
Since Alex was returning to San Francisco from his short trip to San Jose, I picked him up around noon and drove him back to our Airbnb apartment. He was hungry, and Inna prepared him a delicious lunch.
In the late afternoon, I dropped Inna off at Height-Ashbury for her Devichnik (Girl's Night Out) while Alex and I drove back to Crissy Field for windsurfing or foiling.
At Crissy, a few wing foilers and windsurfers were already in the water. I wanted Alex to try to windsurf foiling, so I rigged an Ezzy Elite 4.5m sail with an Exocet RF81 board using the Slingshot Infinity 76 foil.
Alex slipped into his 4/3mm Ripcurl wetsuit and gave it a go. He tried to uphaul the sail but kept falling off. After many more attempts, he was tired and a bit frustrated.
I wore my
Promotion 4/3mm wetsuit and had my turn wind foiling. I was able to get moving right away and started flying the foil. It was a lot of fun! The wind increased when I passed Anita Rock, and I was quickly overpowered and flew my foil out of control.
When we returned home, I made dinner by boiling freshly prepared
ravioli from
Lucca. They were incredibly delicious! I am not usually a fan of
ravioli, but these were exquisite. I also toasted some pita bread, which Alex and I shared with hummus.
Friday, July 30, 2021
Alex's 19th Birthday!
In the morning, at around 7:00, I woke up and went for a short stroll to Crissy Field. It was still relatively foggy, but I enjoyed the walk. I saw many people jogging and a few cute dogs (a king poodle and a labradoodle).
Inna and I purchased fresh pastries at Le Marais Bakery for Alex's birthday breakfast. After waiting in a long line for 15 minutes, we selected the following pastries:
- Chocolate Croissant
- Peach Scone
- Kouign-Amann
- Pain Au Raisin
We prepared the following presents for Alex's 19th Birthday:
- 2021 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, 128GB)
- Logitech Folio Touch iPad Keyboard Case with Trackpad for iPad Pro 11-inch
- Boat Surfing Session with Rob Case (surfpaddling.com) for Saturday, August 7 (11:15 - 4:45)
Before lunch, we decided to stroll to Crissy Field and
Equator Coffees. At Crissy, it was quiet and foggy. We continued along Marine Boulevard. We thought about riding the
Spin scooters, but they were not working.
At
Equator Coffees, Inna ordered a mocha for me and a matcha latte for herself. We returned home and continued working.
We ate late for lunch at
Cote Ouest Bistro, our favorite local French restaurant near our Airbnb home. After sitting down outside, we ordered the following items:
- Alex: Burger (organic beef served on a brioche bun with sauteed onions, aioli, and raclette cheese)
- Boris: Salmon Quiche du Jour (with green salad)
- Inna: Burger (organic beef served on a brioche bun with sauteed onions, aioli, and raclette cheese)
- Dessert: Creme Brulee
My quiche was exquisite, as usual, and both Inna and Alex loved their burgers.
After I finished my work, I drove Alex to Crissy Field to teach him some wind-foiling techniques. I rigged an Exocet RF81 with an Ezzy Elite 4.0m sail so Alex could practice uphauling and controlling the sail on land.
After about 30-45 minutes of practice, I thought Alex might want to try foiling on water, but he was unsure. Since he would not sail, I decided to try foiling myself. I de-rigged the Ezzy Elite 4.0m and rigged an Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail - as I thought the wind backed off a bit.
I also attached the Slingshot Infinity 76 foil to the Exocet RF81 and carried it to the beach. I managed to sail for about 30 minutes, as I had to return home by 18:30 so that we could attend Alex's birthday dinner. I enjoyed sailing in the Bay, though the wind was very gusty. On multiple occasions, I got the board flying and felt more confident about controlling the foil in flight.
At 18:30, we returned home and rushed to Ghirardelli Square for dinner at Palette Tea House. Alex and Inna managed to unlock the Spin scooter and got there much earlier. I ended up walking all the way there, arriving at about 19:20.
After looking at the extensive menu, we ordered the following dishes:
- Palette Soup Dumpling "XLB" Sampler (5)
- Lobster Ha Gow with Butter Sauce (3)
- Jumbo Scallop Siu Mai (3)
- Wonton Dumpling Noodle Soup
- Lotus Wrap Abalone Sticky Rice
- Jade Jasmine H.K.arl Tea (3)
- Drunken Boba
- H.K. Milk Tea
We really liked the Palette Soup Dumplings - they were exquisite! Although the Wonton Soup was delicious, the noodles seemed overly bland and lacked flavor.
After dinner, we stopped by
Ghirardelli Chocolate Marketplace to sample some delicious ice cream sundaes. Alex selected the
World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae, while Inna and I shared the
Muir Woods Sundae. The chocolate part of the sundaes was overly delicious, but the ice cream was not outstanding. Since it was very crowded inside, we decided to eat our sundaes outdoors, where it was less crowded but also a bit chilly and windy.
On the way back to our Airbnb home, we stopped by Safeway/Amazon Locker so that I could pick up my bicycle lock. We noticed a lot of skaters with lights and loud music flying by. This must be the
Friday Night Skate.
San Francisco Workation Report Card
Highlights
Lowlights
- Frequently foggy weather
- Loud street noises during the day and night
- Dinner at Wago Sushi
- Inability to use Spin Scooters (cannot unlock at Crissy)
- Nightly Fog Horn from ships they wake us during sleep)
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