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| Whichways Part
I
I’m sitting here in Cleveland Hopkins Airport Terminal gate C29 waiting for Yvonne to return with some much deserved coffee. I have a horrible cold…at least I hope it’s just a cold. Ordinarily I wouldn’t travel all the way across the country for a wedding. I HATE weddings. I usually sit there thinking…”These guys aren’t gonna LAST!!” But this is lifelong friend Craig so I gotta be there…even if it doesn’t last. But I have a hunch it will. And that’s why I’m going. Still I wish I felt better. It’s a drag to plan a vacation three months in advance only to wake up with a sinus infection 3 days before you’re scheduled to leave…sigh. Life goes on. Coffee and the Cleveland Plain Dealer with my life partner at C26.
Margaret and Craig’s wedding on Saturday was incredibly beautiful. Friends and family gathered in their next-door neighbor’s backyard garden…, which was gorgeous. The weather was perfect…at least by Ohio standards. The locals seem to think standing in the sun when it’s 75 degrees is tantamount to the gates of hell. It’s all in the context I suppose. The ceremony began with a young woman singing Etta James’ “At Last” while Craig, Margaret, an entourage of two or three, a very young ring bearer and a graying bearded man who may or may not have been a minister…depending on who you asked…strolled out to the middle of the yard.
Most of us stood on the deck and looked down on the couple. It was kind of like being in the upper deck of a tiny ballpark. I had my camera and proceeded to click off picture after picture. And when the ritual began in earnest I though perhaps I should cease. But it was like a crowd of paparazzi. Seven or eight people…mostly guys…were running all over the place for a plethora of camera angles. So I kept the shutter clicking myself.
The exchanging of vows was the centerpiece of an incredibly short yet awesomely endearing wedding. And of course the young boy with the rings screwed up…which is always darling when a child does this. Everyone was either smiling, crying…or both. When Craig and Margaret kissed all was right with the world for one brief moment. The gray bearded sage announced “I now pronounce you husband and wife” and even us paparazzi stopped taking pictures to applaud in approval. As the couple turned to exit our sage wisely observed, “That’s about it! Time for a party!” And we all made our way next door for a wonderful feast created by a chef who happens to be Margaret’s son. This may have been the finest wedding I have ever attended…including my own. It was genuine, unpretentious, honest…and brief. I can think of no better beginning to Craig and Margaret’s married life together. Congratulations!!!!
Monday Yvonne and I drove leisurely up the coast on Highway 1 through San Francisco eventually arriving at El Bonita…a funky but quite charming motel in St. Helena in the Napa Valley. . http://www.elbonita.com/ We decided to hit a couple of tastings before dinner and our first choice was Cakebread. . http://www.cakebread.com/ Now I certainly do not claim to be an expert on wine. But…as they say…I do know what I like and I believe what I like is better than what a lot of people like. (Are those credentials or what?) Cakebread makes very good wines and they aren’t what most folks would consider inexpensive. And we’d been here before so both of us expected a quality experience. Still…if there’s one thing aging is good for it’s the realization that life can turn on you…and life can be pretty ugly about it in the process.
We got to Cakebread as they were gathering people around for their final tasting. A group of say 15 meandered in front of the tasting guide as she tried in vain to talk over the two screaming kids whose parents obviously wanted them to grow up to be as classy as themselves. Next to me was a couple who showered the event with epiphanies such as “Billy Bob had sumpin’ like this at the Daytona 500 Party!” These comments were enhanced by the peppering of children’s wailing, “WHAAAAH!!! AAAAAHHH!!!” And to top it off was the guy who obviously had to leave early, perhaps to get to yet a final wine tasting that afternoon. While the guide made her way through the throng pouring, he ran up to the table to pour himself “shots” of wine…which he chugged down in succession until he had finished off all 7 wines. And he managed to have “seconds” with a couple of his favorites. This was a cultural sight to behold. Any Creationist would have become a Charles Darwin fan immediately. It was like a wine tasting for chimpanzees. I was waiting for these people to start hurling their pooh at each other. I know I’m being an elitist here…but c’mon.
Since that rude baptism in tourist gaucheness, Yvonne and I have wandered around the delightful Conestoga and managed to drink some fabulous wines at St. Supery http://www.stsupery.com/ and Charles Krug. http://www.charleskrug.com/ This afternoon we had a delightful experience at the Niebaum-Coppola Vineyard. . http://www.niebaum-coppola.com/site.php This is a famous old vineyard bought by Francis Ford Coppola and his wife in the 70’s. Between the museum and the wine it made our trip to Napa. In fact we decided to splurge and buy a bottle of their top shelf estate Rubicon. There’s got to be a special occasion coming up soon.
Thursday, May 26, 2005 10:25 a.m. Gables Inn, Sausalito, Ca. The Gables Inn is a 19th Century Victorian building (1869) that is now a lovely bed and breakfast. http://www.gablesinnsausalito.com/ Refurbished in 1995, the place is simply gorgeous. Our third story room has a view of the bay. And although not quite as dramatic as I envisioned, I certainly cannot argue with a view that includes Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline.
Once settled in our room with a view, the two of us wandered around this quaint little artist community known as Sausalito. We had a delightful time meandering into the town’s many galleries and specialty shops. I even did some shopping…which is something I usually find loathsome and do maybe 3 times a year…including Christmas. We both threw caution to the wind and indulged ourselves with some personal purchases. Who cares if the shirt I bought cost more than the ’57 Chevy I bought in 1968? Hey…the car cost me $50 so don’t go assuming I bought a $200 shirt. Besides…I’m on VACATION!!!
Thursday afternoon and evening were definitely the culmination of this trip. We drove up to Muir Woods and spent the good part of two hours walking amongst the breathtaking giants know as Sequoia and Redwood. Of course it was another one of those parks where all you had to do was walk about half a mile into the forest and the crowds dissipated considerably. There was a gentleman taking signatures for the Sierra Club and he…as well as the park rangers…minced no words concerning George Bush’s lack of environmental sensitivities. Only 4 percent of these magnificent trees remain and by the time the very un-dynamic, shortsighted W. leaves power that number will diminish to 3 percent…if we’re lucky.
We returned to wander again the cozy confines of Sausalito…taking in the local artistry and Victorian architecture. Thursday evening we had a scrumptious meal at a genuine Italian restaurant (run by actual Italians) called Angelica’s. We capped off this fantastic dinner with a toast of Lemoncello.
From there the two of us wandered into the No Name Bar and listened to some local jazz musicians while sipping a nice cabernet. The music was great and the ambiance was warm and friendly. By the time we returned to the Gables Inn, took in the lights of Alcatraz, San Francisco, Oakland, and the cities respective bridges from our balcony the evening seemed like a “third date” (If you catch my drift.) And we celebrated that feeling before retiring.
The flight home had the usual “end of vacation” foibles. I’m sure no one…especially a guy with one eye such as myself…could ever find the car rental return at S.F. International without a co-pilot in the car. If Yvonne hadn’t helped look for signs I’d still be circling the airport. But we both were so mellow from the night before that the aggravation never turned into the usual marital bickering that often accompanies wacky directions…a ride on an air train…and an hour of sitting in a cramped airplane before takeoff…followed by a four hour flight. It was a testament to almost 31 years of predominantly marital bliss. And it was fantastic to come out to the West Coast to see our good friends Craig and Margaret off on their own personal life adventure. These two are like family…perhaps better. And I wish them the best in the years ahead.
For those of you interested, who might be traveling to these wonderful places in the near future, I have critiqued the restaurants we took in as well as the accommodations we stayed at. Check the Food and Drink section. |
