Breakfast before BRIDGE before lunch

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We started the day at 5am. Despite having been away now for almost a week, we are still waking up at a ridiculous hour. But seeing as it’s a Saturday, we decided to head straight to the Ferry Building for the farmers’ market.

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I had heard from reliable foodie sources that the market puts our London farmers’ markets to shame… and it really was something spectacular.

Ferry Building Market

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We had breakfast at Boulettes Larder and used the planned bracing walk across Golden Gate Bridge as an excuse to over-indulge.

Boulettes Larder

He keeps reading about Blue Bottle Coffee so when we noticed their stand there, we immediately joined the ridiculous queue. Again… didn’t disappoint.

Blue Bottle Coffee

Golden Gate Bridge

The walk across the bridge was stunning. As we hadn’t really planned our return journey once we reached the Vista Point on the other side, we decided not to head back into the city but to continue North to the former fishing community of Sausalito.

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Pastel coloured bungalows clinged to the hillside while boats bobbed in the Marina.

Sausalito

We ate lunch at the restaurant, FISH. Owned by the founder of Netscape (a search engine I once worked for!), this one-up-from-a-shack overlooks the harbour and only serves sustainable, locally sourced delicious … you guessed it… fish.

Sausalito harbour

Ps FISH is cash-only with a massive queue but well worth the wait.

 

 

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Alcatraz

Today I went to prison.

alcatraz toilet san francisco

But they let me leave for seriously good behaviour.

leaving the city behind…

leaving the city behind…

Alcatraz is only a mile and a quarter across the water from San Francisco and we couldn’t wait to hop on the ferry for a quick cell house tour.

Alcatraz

The headphones went on and immediately we were rather cleverly transported back into the world of inmates such as Robert Stroud and Al Capone.

Alcatraz

Alcatraz

The cell house, built in 1912, is the largest stell-reinforced concrete building in the world. Imagine how hard it was bringing all those materials and equipment over to the island on barges….

showers at Alcatraz

showers at Alcatraz

Never filled to capacity, the average number of prisoners in the prison was 260. With 5 suicides and 8 murders, many inmates spent at least 8-10 years on the island.

Alcatraz

High operating costs and a seriously deteriorating building led the prison to shut down and the last lot of criminals left on 21st March 1963.

inmate clothes washing and ready to wear

inmate clothes washing and ready to wear

an isolation cell

an isolation cell

Alcatraz

just for a moment… we locked up our Smalls

just for a moment… we locked up our Smalls

… and before we headed back to the city,we met the last guard to leave Alcatraz – Jim Albright – as it closed its doors.  He signed his book Last Guard Out for us while I asked him if he had any advice for managing any Small inmates…

Jim Albright author of Last Guard Out

Jim Albright author of Last Guard Out

 

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First stop: Chicago

He and I had already been talking about a trip to the West Coast of America as our family summer adventure. So when Small broke his arm back in June and the highly anticipated trip to NYC to visit my brother and his family was disappointingly abandoned, a new plan was immediately hatched. Once in a plane heading Stateside, there seemed to be NO reason not to drop by Chicago en route.

Brother, sister-in-law and most divine nephew live in Iowa (when not in NYC, Berlin, London, Australia, Florida etc) where they are professors at the university there. (Actually, nephew isn’t a professor just yet but I’d bet my bottom dollar his IQ is higher than most.) So they drove 4 hours to the mid-west’s largest city – which is where they first met and then graduated with their doctorates – to meet us.

chicago summer 2014

During Brother’s early student days, I spent a brilliantly hot summer in this city: clubbing, concerts, parties and sleeping on blow-up beds in an empty apartment. This time – 20 years older and with the Smalls in tow – Brother had found a great garden floor apartment to rent in the Old Town with plenty of room for the cousins to catch up and hang out.

our garden flat appt in the Old Town, Chicago

The stunning architecture, inviting lakefront and pretty impressive river tour were the other fond memories I had from all those years ago. Of course, there’s a ridiculous amount to do in Chicago but as our trip was limited in time and involved small walking steps, we picked out the following:

Chicago History Museum

Chicago History Museum

a run and a jump on the lakeside beach

a run and a jump on the lakeside beach

a ride (or 2) on the 'L' train as it does the loop downtown

a ride (or 2) on the ‘L’ train as it does the loop downtown

built after the 1871 Great Fire, the tracks are a symbol of hard working Chicago

…built after the 1871 Great Fire, the tracks are a symbol of hard working Chicago

a ride up 1,450ft in the Willis Tower (was Sears Tower) lift for some spectacular views of the city

a ride up 1,450ft in the Willis Tower (was Sears Tower) lift for some spectacular views of the city

a lake and river boat tour

a lake and river boat tour

Ps While in that part of the world, we also so enjoyed visiting some friends who left London last year for the charming village of Winnetka. Visiting real homes and hearing first hand about exciting relocation moves always makes a trip more special.   At home, we are so submerged in our daily lives that we find it hard to imagine a different way of living. Anyway, we adored their new home (walking distance to school and beach!) and can’t wait to hear more of their adventure as it unfolds…

 

 

 

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Speedo’s GET WET competition

Kick! Splash! Blow some bubbles! Let’s dive straight in and find out what all this wet fuss is all about…

my Speedo illustration

my Speedo illustration

A few of you might have seen this month’s ad banners on my blog.  Maybe you’ve spotted the bottom of swimming pools as well as a healthy bunch of googles, swim hats and a few toned bodies in the ads?

speedo life of yablon

Well, I’ll tell you more about my swim obsession in a week or so (when I’m near a mouth-watering pool in sunny California) but right now it’s time to turn on your competition antennae.  Because the lovely peeps at Speedo have given me a whacking great £100 for one of my readers to spend!

All you need to do is click over to Speedo’s site and leave me a comment on this post as to what you would choose… if you were lucky enough to win. An Endurance+ Flyback swimsuit features a core stabilizing system? A pair or Biofuse fins?  Or Fastskin3 Elite Mirrored Goggles?

One winner will be chosen on 31st August 2014.

Get wet and good luck!

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