Happy Birthday Pops!

My dad is about to celebrate his 60th birthday and my sis decorated this cake for him. I think its ace and she has managed to show all aspects of his personality and what he likes to do best.

Cake gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606969126322/

I HEART LIVERPOOL

"A scouser - How awful!"
I had to go all the way to California to hear those words coming from a British woman. My good friend and fellow Liverpudlian, Tracy was talking to a store holder in the farmers market in Burlingame where she lives with her hubby Peter and their two dogs Skooch and Lucy Lou. We were both flabbergasted with the womans reaction to our accent.

A woman on the Trek America tour also had an issue with the Liverpool accent. She expressed great relief that my friends accent wasn't 'too strong' as she didn't care much for the scouse accent. I wasn't given the same compliment as my accent is much stronger, and leaves no doubt about where I am from. I didn't realise how ugly prejudice was until it was staring me in the face.

I studied dialects on my MA course in uni so I have always had a great interest in different accents. I have always thought such diversity should be celebrated and I think it would be a boring world if we all spoke, looked, and dressed the same.



I HEART LIVERPOOL
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606795068335/

Burlingame - Home to the Ismerts

Ismert Abode
We arrived in Burlingame late afternoon on that last Friday and the Ismerts cooked us up a great dinner.



Pete made some margaritas and we had a good laugh catching up. We dropped Jen off at the airport as she left us for Costa Rica and more adventures.

I ended up staying for a few more days in Burlingame and had a great time. Tracy and I walked around Burlingame on the Saturday. We passed a garage sale with some interesting sofas. One was 9ft long. The guy wanted $50 for it so long as I paid the delivery.



I picked up some gifts from a cute little shop called Therapy. We also ran into a few of her neighbours. Goldie, who was a part time dog sitter and she drove the stars to and from the airport. She wasn't too fond of Jude Law, but said George Clooney and Brad Pitt were lovely. We also ran into Danny and Debbie, a lovely couple with 4 cute kids. Debbie had the funniest laugh and Danny gave us 2 bottles of his home made wine which was very generous. They were really sweet.

That evening we had a bbq and their friends Duncan and Mark came over. I had the best giggle. They were great company - very entertaining. Duncan had some great stories and I learned a few new catchphrases.

On Sunday morning we went to a flea market where I picked up a gorgeous cherry brooch for the bargain price of $10. Then we picked up some food at the farmers market in Burlingame for dinner that evening. We spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing in the garden which was my last chance to soak up the California sunshine. It was scorching hot and the pool was great for cooling off.



Pete and I took a bike ride early evening to pick up some ice cream for dessert. Then it was another great meal and lots of margaritas and great conversation.

Pete dropped me off at the airport on the Monday morning before work and I began the long trek home. I was so sad it was all over. It was the holiday of a lifetime. I cant wait for my next adventure.

San Francisco - The finale

On the last day in San Francisco we visited SF MOMA. There was some amazing photography by a guy called Peter Wenger which I loved. There was also an exhibition of Lee Millers photography which was quite emotional. She was the official war photographer for Vogue and some of the pictures were very moving. There was one of her in Hitlers bathtub. I also got to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition and of course the roof terrace which had a great view of the city as well as a really cool Dinosaur sculpture.



After a coffee, we headed over to Yerba Beuna park and then onto City Hall. There were a couple of weddings going on inside and lots of photography going on. It was a perfect setting I think to tie the knot. The location was very picturesque. There was a newly married couple outside of City Hall with their kids and I took a picture for them on the famous steps.



We headed back to the hotel and waited for Tracy to come pick us up. It was the only time we had by the pool. We dipped our feet in and a lovely man gave us some chocolate cup cakes which were gorgeous. Everyone we met at the Phoenix was really friendly.



We picked up our luggage from the guy on reception and as I was about to pick up my bag I just heard 'Claaaree'! And there was Tracy with her pooches looking fab as usual. We left the city that afternoon and headed over to Burlingame to spend some time with the Ismerts. I was really excited about seeing them.

San Francisco IV

Haight Ashbury
We explored Haight Ashbury one afternoon. The architecture was beautiful and there were lots of retro neon signs which I loved. There were plenty of second hand clothing stores full of really cool stuff. It was so tempting. I had to force myself not to spend too much money.

I did buy some cds at Amoeba Records on Haight - The Pippetes, Albert Hammond Jnrs new album and some Flight of the Conchords. We had some tasty crepes in a little place on the Haight then took the bus back towards the hotel.



We had a drink at the Bambuddha lounge which was part of our hotel. The staff were really friendly and so helpful.

There was a great Vietnamese restaurant called Mongosteen just over the road from the Phoenix which we ate in 2 nights in a row. The food was amazing and the location pretty convenient. It also meant we didn't have to venture far out after dark down 'crazy' street.

San Francisco Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606233390917/

San Francisco III

Golden Gate Park



The conservatory in the park was as pretty as I had seen in pictures. The stark white structure stood out amongst the trees and grass and colourful flowers that surrounded it. The funniest object I saw a double coconut. It looked like a woman with too much junk in the trunk bending over.



The De Young museum was an impressive building and we arrived at the Japanese Tea Garden just in time to take a guided tour with Ted who turned out his family were originally from Liverpool. We learned a little of the history of the garden and the family who maintained it. The gardens were really beautiful, full of ancient trees that were imported from Japan. We drank some tea by the pond where we threw in coins and made some wishes.



San Francisco Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606233390917/

San Francisco II

Angel Island via Tiberon
We made our way back to the wharf and took the ferry over to Angel Island, stopping at Tiberon on the way. The houses on the side of island looked amazing, each with a view of the pretty harbour down below.



The ferry trip was cold due to the fog but once we arrived on the island the sun was shining. We didn't have enough time to see all of the island which was a shame. The views were breathtaking.



San Francisco Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606233390917/

San Francisco I

Phoenix 60



The Phoenix hotel in San Francisco was the coolest hotel but it was in the craziest location I think I have ever stayed in. It was located in the Civic Centre close to City Hall. The walk to Union Square and Market Street was certainly interesting. So many waifs and strays and crazy ass people.

Fishermans Wharf
On the first night we walked to Fishermans Wharf and watched the sunset on the waterfront. The sea lions had already departed the Bay Area. It woulda been nice to have see them again.



San Francisco Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606233390917/

Marin County

It was scorching hot on the day we left Santa Cruz. The plan was to stop at Half Moon Bay for a short while before passing through San Francisco up to Marin County. Headed up to Muir woods with in the intention of hiking the Mt. Tamalpais trail.

Because of the cool air conditioning in the car we failed to realise how hot it was. The heat hit us when we got out of the car at the start of the hike point. We quickly changed into out bathing suites and headed down to Stinson Beach to soak up the sun instead.

I had been to Stinson on a previous trip to California with my friends the Ismerts. It was still as beautiful as I had remembered it. I slept in the sun then dipped in and out of the ocean to cool down.



Marin County Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606229975408/

Santa Cruz

After the disappointment of Big Sur, we decided to spend that time in Santa Cruz. It turned out to be an excellent alternative. We found a room at the Knights Inn. It was very basic but it was a 2 minute walk from the boardwalk where everything was happening. We ate our first chilly dog, which turns out is a hot dog in batter. Not the most appetising meal. I will be avoiding these from now on. We took the chairlift to the other end of the pier and I bought a hula girl statue in a tiki style shop at the end of the pier.



We explored downtown in the afternoon, sat on the beach and walked along the boardwalk which was my favourite place. Mostly because it was used in one of my favourite movies, The Lost Boys, but also because of the fair rides. I couldn't wait to get on the rollercoaster. We tried the pirate ship first and it was so much fun. I had forgotten how much fun it could be. I convinced Jen to try the Giant Dipper and I laughed so hard, even squealed at one point. It made me so giddy, I couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes after the ride had stopped.



We ate at a lovely restaurant on the pier and watched the sun go down and pelican fly onto the roof. Their silhouettes looked amazing in the dusky sky.



After dinner we walked along the rest of the pier and I had a delicious chocolate strawberry. We found some sea lions resting on a jetty under the pier. It was quite spooky under there.



We were heading up to San Francisco the next day and I was starting to feel a bit sad that my trip was coming to an end.

Santa Cruz Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606225081516/