Day #38 - Good Vibes and Vampires

While we're in California, were going to be enjoying a different pace of life and a different rhythm to our days. After a month of quite hectic sightseeing and moving around, we are using our time with friends to chill and hang out, rather than be too frenetic with our time.

Today was a perfect example of that. After enjoying a nice lie in, we took the streets to track down a good breakfast to set ourselves up for the day. The part of town we are staying in has a strong Mexican community and vibe and we found a lovely restaurant serving great breakfasts.

We could tell it was a good choice because it was busy and many locals appeared to have made it their regular hang out. I went for a traditional cooked breakfast of eggs, sausage (although these were more of the burger variety), potatoes and toast. James opted for a Mexican omelette which did look rather yummy.

Afterwards, we headed back to the apartment to spend time with Jose and Javier before we ventured out into the warm afternoon sun to see more of this part of the city and grab some lunch. 

My "half" salad!

We dined at a the eclectic Curio Bar which was a great combination of bar, restaurant and a live DJ. The food was great and in keeping with my goal of dropping some of the extra pounds I've put on while in the States, I ordered a "half" salad. Well, there was definitely no half measures with this serving size so I am glad I opted for the smaller dish!

We walked to Dolores Park which many will recognise from film and TV shows. It's a popular place to hang out and enjoy views across the city. It has recently been remodelled apparently and I liked the way the ground has been shaped to create curved tiers that people can use to spread out on and get an equal slice of the sun! In recent years, the park's popularity among San Franciscans looking for outdoor relaxation and recreation has increased, and as of 2016 it was attracting up to 7,000–10,000 people on a sunny weekend day according to Wikipedia.

On our way back, we stopped off for ice-cream at a local independent ice cream parlour. (Bi-Rite Creamery) The variety of flavours on offer wasn't the greatest I've ever come across (although, still extensive!) but the flavours were the most intriguing and imaginative I've seen: SALTED EGG MULBERRY SWIRL, PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE, BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY, SILVER LININGS and Roasted Banana to name a few. Apparently it's the best ice cream in San Francisco and I can definitely say it was delicious (I had Silver Linings - white chocolate ice cream featuring chunks of triple chocolate cookies and a salted caramel swirl).

On our return we settled in for the evening and chilled with movies and the new series of Interview with the Vampire which we are thoroughly enjoying. It's on BBC iPlayer for those in the UK. Might have to plan a trip to New Orleans next!