I am in San Fran with Peter. The annual new year's in the Bay Area tradition continues! Today we finally made out to the Mission for some delicious burritos, unusual but scrumptious ice cream, and the
Pirate store.
Peter was a little confused by the concept of the shop. It's a store for kids and anyone who like pirates - what is on sale and not tends to be confusing, since the stores primary goal or at least it seemed that way to me, is to create a sense of whimsy.
The store's proceeds go to a writing program for kids.
Because of some parking restrictions we weren't there very long. The whole place (the shop area) is set up like an inside of a pirate ship. With secret trap doors, wooden drawers full of all kinds of
ship supplies, and even some buried treasure maps. They also have pretty hilarious tshirts like this one:
Cannons Don't Sink Ships, Pirates with Cannons Sink Ships. I almost got it. But decided that I might have a slight addiction to tshirts and refrained from wasting another $20.
Before we headed to 826 Velancia, we filled up at the
Pancho Villa Taqueria, the burritos were flavorful, fresh, and cheap. (I also liked that I could order my burrito without rice and beans. Carb counting heaven I tell you.) Much better than what I remember eating at Taqueria La Cumbre.
From there we headed to NYT reviewed
Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream. Everything was delicious, I got chocolate with sea salt and a scoop of Secret Breakfast (very boozey but esp. good when you find that rare corn flake), Peter got Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee and Open Hand Fluffernutter (peanut butter and marshmallow). The guy at shop while super friendly(don't be afraid to ask to try every flavor - Peter reported that the Olive Oil ice cream tasted like Olive Oil)was a bit sleepy. He was yawning throughout the whole time he was helping us, also he might have been stoned.
The day was perfect of lazy exploration of SF. Since we have never tried riding the cable cars we decided to finally give into tourist impulse. We ended up loving it. I got to stand on the side and our trolley driver was quite entertaining. I felt like a little kid. I always wanted to ride on a side of train. It was a little bit magical.
Then we walked around the warf, I spent way too much money on buy toys and cute shirt for Gulka. Shopping impulse is completely erratic when it comes for shopping for my niece. Yeah, not looking good when I have kids. Eeeeek.
I then decided I wanted to walk one of the steepest hills. And then when I reached the top, instead filling accomplished, I felt out of breadth and ready accept the pavement as my permanent bed. Yeah, not in shape at all. After regaining some sort of semblance of normal appearance we walked on, finally catching the cable car as it took its time making it back to Market Street.
So between, pirates and ice ccream, I am officially mourning my childhood, it seems.
