On the road to Monterey

Tuesday 18th August. Packed up the car and cleaned the cottage this morning for our departure for Monterey. In keeping with the solemn nature of the event, SF's fog rolled in and the morning was cool and cloudy. We head up to Solarno Ave for the last time for a coffee at the famous 'Peets Cafe', top up the tank with gas and head north. Yep, Monterey is actually south, but Lady P wants to go over the San Rafael and Golden Gate Bridges, through the downtown SF and out to the 101 South to Monterey. 

We make it without too much anxiety, although we fail to pay the toll over the Golden Gate Bridge because there is 'No Stopping' and no cash lane. Flashman has visions of being dragged off the plane at LA and spending two weeks in a Federal Prison somewhere. Anyway, we make it to the Interstate and head south for Monterey. Half way there we ignore the "do a U-Turn' from the Bitch and go off the Interstate to a little pit stop at Morgan Hill and get a really good turkey and Swiss on white and a chicken salad from Safeway. Then we continue into Monterey and find the 1887 BnB called Gosby House. We are a little early but our room is ready. We have booked the smallest room deliberately as it is cheap. We get offered an upgrade to the second smallest room and grab it. Very 19th Century but cute. Drop the bags and head to Carmel-By-The-Sea. More cute but with lots of $$ signs on everything. Hotter now, and thirsty work this sightseeing, so a cooling Stella and a diet Coke at a local Italian Bistro and then back to happy hour at our Gosby House. Now, listen to this. At 4.30 to 6.30 each night, they put on free cheese and crackers and wine for the guests in the downstairs parlor. How cute. We made it at 5.30 and yes we did partake. Of course, as you will have guessed, at these sort of functions, you meet other guests; and we meet Greg. A stand up comedian from Las Vegas, en route from LA with his sister to somewhere in the Sierras for a family reunion. What a hoot. Skillfully disengaging from 'travellers' conversation syndrome', we head out in search of cool evening air and a dinner booking at the number one seafood restaurant, 'Passionfish'. This is actually very good. We decide on five appetizers. Two for Lady P and three for greedy Flashy. Scallop on artichoke patty, a wonderful fish stew, crevice of striped bass, tuna carpaccio and a fish taco, were accompanied by a sparkling Gamay, a Californian Chardonnay and a cute Napa Rose (glasses of course, there's only two of us!). We enter into a delightful conversation with a chap on the next table who is probably a famous tennis player, as he has been to Australia and well, sort of expected us to know him. Back to the BnB to discover the wonderful owners have left chocolate cake, cookies and a whole decanter of sherry out for tired guests returning from dinner. Of course!