Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

We actually arrived Sunday night, but were still pretty blurry yesterday so just sitting down to write a little something this morning. The usual morning fog is starting to burn off (and now I'm talking about the literal fog) and the Marina is brightening. Off in the distance San Francisco is lit up in a way it wasn't yesterday. But this trip we're going to leave San Francisco as the backdrop and spend our time in the East Bay.

Yesterday we had a layabout morning at the hotel and then ventured out to the Fourth Street neighborhood of Berkeley which is a formerly industrial area that then became studio space and is now a trendy shopping and eating area -a trajectory familiar to Brooklynites. Even since our last visit a few years ago, the increased affluence is apparent. Will have to ask Jim where the artists have relocated to.  Dinner last night at Skates On the Bay - which really is right on the bay, built on pilings in the water. Arrived just in time for sunset over the Golden Gate. Not a lot to report because we're not doing much. Focusing on the R&R aspect of vacation.

Last day. We had breakfast at a local pub. No black pudding for me though - they said they were all out. The only childhood food I disn't get to have this trip. Then off to Heathrow in the late morning via a car service I found on line - good thing because we were still a little stymied by how to use the telephone codes. Smooth flight back to Newark where trusty (if not clear) Arecibo Car service took us home to Brooklyn. Good trip. 

We celebrated Chris' birthday a little belatedly at the Blueprint Cafe in the Design Museum only a couple of blocks from our flat. The location was lovely, looking out on the Thames and Tower Bridge as the sun went down and the lights came on. The food was quite elegant and the service was excellent. A perfect ending to a great week.

I think it has something to do with beer, but I have no idea what:

Spent another lovely day with my childhood friend, Peggy Stone, in Brockley. Here's a photo from our VERY early days and a couple from today (the fellow in the later photos is Peggy's husband Ted):

t's our last night in London.   We had a very nice dinner at the Blue Print Cafe -- part of the Design Museum -- which is right on the Thames.   We were celebrating Chris' birthday as well as a wonderful trip together.   Here are a few last photos from London.

Today Linda and I had a more relaxed morning and then met Chris and Marg at th eBritish Museum for lunch (BTW the Gallery Cafe has great food at reasonable prices). Then we piled in a cab to go to a Good Friday Performance of the Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall. The space was opulent and had surprisingly good acoustics

. We decided to splurge on a private box - lots of fun and made me feel like I was in a Victorian novel.The singing was uneven and the directing not up to Mragaret's, but we enjoyed ourselves and Marg and I actually spent some time discussing scripture - my Dad would have fallen off his chair.

Here are a few pictures:

Here are a few more Borough Market photos.   As you can probably tell, we liked it a lot -- especially after eating the wonderful dinner Emily prepared with the ingredients she bought.

While walking to the Tate Modern yesterday I came across this handy public pit stop for bikes: