Travel Gourmande

10 Things to Do in SF: # 3 A Stroll Along Jack Kerouac Alley

12:00 PM

On the way to Chinatown connecting Grant Avenue and Columbus Avenue is a one-way alley named after the American novelist and poet, Jack Kerouac. It is known to be the world's most literary intersection and a walk in this colorful paved street with engraved Western and Eastern poems is full of creative vibe.

Stopping by City Lights Bookstore in front of the historic Vesuvio Cafe will make you travel back in time.

Vesuvio Cafe @ Jack Kerouac Street

Jack Kerouac Alley on a typical day

An espresso break at Caffe Trieste is a must-try. Francis Ford Coppola wrote most of the screenplay of The Godfather here.

Caffe Trieste Espresso Break

Left: Caffe Trieste/ Columbus Avenue

A Fair to Remember is celebrated along Jack Kerouac Alley monthly where San Francisco's creatives come out and showcase their talents. Music Performances echo along the alley filled with painters, musicians, print makers, jewelry makers and artists.

After an artistic stop in this historic alley, San Francisco Chinatown is walking distance from here.

Have a lovely weekend!

Love & light,

Arni

Check out the previous 10 Things to Do in San Francisco posts:
#1 Get Breakfast at Mama's

#2 Watch Tai Chi

10 Things to Do in SF: #2 Watch Tai-Chi

12:00 PM

After a sumptuous meal at Mama's on Washington Square, check out folks performing Tai Chi in the morning at Washington Square Park across the street.. If you're brave enough, join in. :) You'll also find elderly Tai chi'ers training young martial artists at the Taichi Park in San Francisco Chinatown and SF Golden Gate Park.

The slow synchronized movements are energy lifting.

Enjoy a stroll at the weekend market before heading off to Telegraph Hill

Check out the previous post: 10 Things to Do in SF: #1 Get Breakfast at Mama's

Check out # 3 tomorrow. :)

Love & light,

Arni

10 Things to do in SF: #1 Get Breakfast at Mama's

3:00 PM

U.S. is a country I'll never tire of visiting. The greatest discovery for me there was how amazing the food is! It was obvious by the 2 kilograms we've gained within 2 weeks. A two-week vacation in San Francisco was a delight. Restaurants, breweries, food trucks, heavenly fast food, quaint coffee shops, record stores I can spend hours in and the antique book shops! Speaking of great food, Mama's on Washington Square served the best breakfast I've ever had in my life!

Check out the long queue everyday. Definitely worth the wait!

Mama's on Washington Square is a family run restaurant serving freshly baked goods, made to order breakfast and lunch for over 50 years. A long queue is expected daily. Expect to wait for half an hour.

I asked my cousin who's a frequent visitor of the restaurant why they didn't expand the dining area. The restaurant aims to preserve the quaint atmosphere sticking to quality, ensuring that the same number of diners are served.

Corner of Filbert and Stockton Street

Opening Hours: Open daily from 8AM-3PM. Closed on Mondays.
Location: Right in front of Washington Square Park, at the corner of Stockton Street and Filbert Street. How to get there? Click here

Check out nearby destinations after breakfast: Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill

The queue extends inside as we place our order and wait to get seated.

Farewell Abuela

2:11 PM

Abuela and I on my 4th of July birthday in San Francisco

Several days ago, I received the sad news from family in the U.S. that my 96-yearold Abuela left us. I was at a loss for words. As my facebook newsfeed were filled with words of love for her, I dealt with it in silence. I wondered for a moment if my deceased father fetched her that day, partly happy that she'll reunite with her son and husband in paradise.

She has lived a full life, blessed with a wonderful family who loves her dearly. I've always known her to be a strong and intelligent woman. Before I was born, she was a college Chemistry professor at a university in the Philippines. She was also an excellent cook. She indulged us with Spanish inspired cuisine when we were little whenever she comes home for holidays in the Philippines where I spent summers with her and my cousins. She was a stickler for proper etiquette and poor table manners were never tolerated on the table.

Alzheimers started eating away her memories during her last decade. There were times she'd remember me after introducing myself along with the name of my father. It was sad though seeing her cry whenever she heard his name. She referred to him as "my son who passed away." On a lighter note, she never forgot the Periodic Table and all the Elements.

I am always grateful for the opportunity to see her and the entire family based in the U.S. in 2009. Coincidentally, it was also my birthday. For the next posts, I will reminisce on our vacation in San Francisco. While I do so, I'll be thinking about her.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Love & Light,

Arni

Adventure Filming

2:32 PM

When traveling to far off destinations, we aim to pack the lightest possible. One of the most valuable investment we ever did was purchasing a GoPro Camera. It's a revolutionary and innovative piece of video equipment that captures the minute detail of our experience. Especially moments where we need a hands-free device that we could strap on anywhere. Like any typical GoPro Camera, there are available accessories that make it waterproof, ideal for scuba diving. There are attachments for your type of gear whether you want them strapped to your helmet, chest, snow/ surf board or bicycle. They've just released the GoPro Hero+3 which is even smaller, lighter and more powerful in resolution and sound. I'd like to share this Go Pro video. It ignites that passion for wanderlust. Just watching this makes me want to go for an adventurous expedition.