Half Moon Bay

Arranged to meet Carlos, Tana & co down on the beach at Half Moon Bay, just over half an hour's drive from Mountain View. We got there first and though the sun was shining there was a nasty cold wind blowing pretty hard, so I kept the kids in the car while we waited. Knowing them I reckoned it was best not to go outside until really necessary as they might not last for long before the complaints got unbearable. However the Palo Altans were running late and these were getting hungry so we bit the bullet, dressed up, and ventured out onto the beach to find a secluded area out of the wind. I was pessimistic and gave us half an hour tops.

Found an OK place for a quick picnic lunch and were just finishing up when the rest of the gang turned up. No complaints from the kids and in fact it got steadily warmer as the afternoon progressed. Had a great time climbing up the cliff and playing pirates in a big hole on the beach. The sea was out of the question - big waves and freezing cold.

Later in the afternoon we went into the town to see the old (1911) jail and grab a quick drink. Then we hurried back home to do some shopping and baths and homework and wash the clothes before heading out to the airport to pick up Esther. Aisha fell asleep so we didn't manage to do the shopping, but we completed all the other missions.

San Francisco airport is a bit confusing, and we got one cryptic message from Esther before her battery died out. But finally we saw her, and rushed together for a big family hug. Then we all drove back for the welcome party back at the hotel.

Aisha has been doing really well with her nighttime nappy so Esther has brought over some insulating/absorbing sheets to put between the mattress and the big girl. Tonight she officially is completely out of nappies.

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Not tasted in a proper wine glass.

Cherry, earth, sweet spices, oak, flowers. Good tannins and acidity, creamy and meaty though without too much body, decent aftertaste. 93+/100. 17 USD.

Sunnyvale

Promised the kids an indoor playground, which are few and far between round here. Finally found one about 15 minutes drive away, in the vicinity (vicinity meaning 10 minutes drive) of a fish & chip and Chinese (!?) restaurant. After lunch we went to the playground but it was too early, so we wiled away an hour and a half at a nearby (another 5 minutes drive) park. It was an especially good one, with a fountain splash area and a skater park.

The indoor playground wasn't particularly good, just 3 bouncy castles in a big room (with an interesting smell of feet). Apparently there was another room but there weren't enough kids (unsurprising, with the lovely day outside) to warrant it's opening.

Esther returns tomorrow evening. We are all very excited, and there has only been a bit of mummy pining. On the way back from dinner we were just in time to pop into a party shop to stock up on sweets and balloons to welcome her back.

Swimming pool

Super hot today, like yesterday. Met Carlos, Tana, Taro and Hana at the Palo Alto swimming pool. By the time they arrived we had been told off various times for breaking virtually every rule in the book. Aisha's armbands were not US coastguard approved. I argued better that than nothing at all but apparently nothing at all is better - otherwise some other parents might complain (though I do see their point of avoiding the "thin end of the wedge", plus it forced me to pay more attention to Aisha). Then Aisha decided she wanted to go "au naturel", which also wasn't allowed. Plus we ran (to avoid burning our feet), which could cause a fall (you'd think architects would have figured a way to put white non-slip floors round a pool by now, this isn't the first time we've encountered this problem). But this is pretty muck par for the course, except for the armbands - the lifeguards were as petty as those at the water park in Vietnam, or another water park we were at in Cadiz.

So, once we got all the rules under our belt we were fine and the kids had a great time. Rounded off the afternoon with an ice cream. Here Aisha found it hard - there is no such thing as a normal ice lolly here, they all seem to have all sorts of coatings and fillings. She didn't like the cup ice cream so she had to settle for a bit of a moan instead. Finally bought her off with the promise of a couple of sweeties from the hotel reception.

La Crema Chardonnay 2012

Not tasted in a proper wine glass.

Apple, peach, oak. Smokey and creamy, complex, fruity, lacks acidity. 92/100. 17 USD.

Science day

Met up with Carlos and Tana & co at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. The museum is full of interactive exhibits explaining the concept of energy, especially renewables. There are also plenty of bugs on display.

After a bit of playing inside for a while we all went out, where there is a small zoo. There was also a big sun, so after just a few minutes we all ran back inside, where we had another hour playing in nice aircon.

After we left the Palo Altans we headed for a quick stop to the NASA Ames Research Centre. It is actually a bit pants, so we only spent about half an hour there, though it is free, so you can't look a gift horse in the mouth. Most of the interactive displays weren't working, but at least there were some cool spacesuits.

As a reaction against US car culture I decided to take the kids for a walk from the hotel to the shopping centre, about 3 blocks away. Never again. Even with scooters it was way to far (and hot, even though it was nearly evening) - each block went on for miles. It got me thinking of the conundrum faced by the lifestyle out here: living in low-rise villas with lots of space is a good thing compared to pent up in high-rise flats, but it also means that the low population density forces shops and facilities further apart, especially large shops that offer more choice. This means car culture is almost inevitable, although bicycles would really be the way to go if they had carts attached to them to carry the shopping (and then what do you do with the kids?) Either you cut down on choice or you accept higher priced (and more inconvenient) specialist shops.

Esther leaves for Madrid

Spent last night at a hotel by the airport as Esther has an early flight. Typically, no sooner were we alone, Lucas had an enormous nosebleed. Luckily it was nothing, just over-enthusiastic booger-hunting.

Me and the kids then drove down to Palo Alto, where we has a great day with Carlos, Tana, Taro and Hana. We didn't do much, just hung around together round the 'hood. Had ice cream, visited the playground and just walked around. Lucas is fine without mummy (in fact he really loves the idea of presents when she gets back) but Aisha is more impressionable. Last times without mummy (some trips to Central America for work) she was to little to notice, but today she threw a wobbly and just broke down and cried in the middle of playing with Hana's toy kitchen. A short cuddle later she was right as rain, though later in the evening there were a few more mummy moments.

Rockus Bockus 2010

Not tasted in a proper wine glass.

Dark, jammy fruits, balsamic, plum, earth. Smooth but bold, strong tannins. 92/100. 15 USD.

Sonoma again

Second stop in Sonoma. This time round we made it to the Mission and the barracks, lovely old whitewashed adobe-brick buildings. This was the last of the Missions which started in Guatemala in the 1500's and reached Sonoma 150 years ago. 8 years after being built it ran into the Mexican government's secularisation and soon after that, after a short-lived Californian Republic, became part of the USA.

Turning round

This is as far as we will go this trip. The plan was to continue to Redwood National Park but a friend of ours is really ill and Esther will be travelling to Madrid from San Francisco in a couple of days on a lightning visit. Me and the kids will hang out for a few days near Palo Alto and hang out with Carlos and Tana and their kids. There is plenty of child-friendly fun in the area so we will be fine for a few days.

We drove back to Santa Rosa on the more civilised 101 Freeway. This route is very pretty as well, especially the small road from the coast to the 101. Stopped for lunch at Ukiah. The waitress seemed surprised to see us there - apparently nobody stops in Ukiah. Unsurprising as there isn't much to see (even tried Lake Mendocino, which is a dump - all dry and smelling of rotten fish) so after filling our bellies we continued to Healdsburg where we walked around the main plaza ("Spanish style" the guidebook said, though I have never seen a grassy plaza in Spain). Found a playground where we hanged out until it was time to head off to our hotel.

Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Not tasted in a proper wine glass.

Plum, flowery, blackcurrant, vanilla, touch of smoke. Creamy, rounded tannins, good acidity, slight jammy sweetness. 93/100. 27 USD.

North Californian coast

Bodega is a small town a few miles from the coast where Hitchcock shot The Birds. In the plain light of day it is much more pretty than ominous, but blink and you miss it. Which we did. We were just admiring the lovely church when we passed a Hitchcock poster and too late we realised what we had passed. Since there wasn't much opportunity to turn round we carried on. What was very ominous was the cloud we could see straight up ahead. The microclimate here is amazing: Bodega Bay on the coast was cold and foggy, but only a mile inland it was sunny and hot.

Even with the bad visibility we could see the coast was amazing, as pretty as the Big Sur. Passed through Salt Point State Park without managing to stop either. All over the place you see "no parking" signs. Too late we realised you are supposed to park in the campsites - there is a special price for day-only use.

At least we managed to stop in Gualala for lunch and to do a short walk down to the beach. After an hour there, just as we were halfway back, the skies opened and let in the most amazing light. I nearly ran back to the beach with the camera but we had to press on.

Did one last short stop at Mendoccino just before sunset. Lucas was asleep (he got up really early after hearing this morning's breakfast finished at 9) so that limited our movements a little. Then we drove on for the last few miles to Fort Bragg, a pretty large town compared to what we've seen today.

It's weird but feeding the kids in California seems more of a challenge than feeding them in, say, Cambodia. They like pretty plain fare, like a simple chicken breast or plain pasta, but everything here seems to have some sort of sauce, many times so integral to the dish you can't ask for it separate. And even dishes on the children's menus are spicy or hot. Supermarket delis seem to be the way forward, but the choice is limited.

Wine country: Sonoma

Kiddie's day today. Spent the morning at a playground in San Rafael (where we had spent the night) and then headed to Sonoma... to another playground.

Sonoma is next to Napa and both valleys are prime wine growing locations in California. I went into the information office to enquire about wine shops where they told me I had two options: I could spend a fortune in any of the specialised shops or just go to the local supermarkets where they would have a wide selection of the local tipple. Armed with my trusty tablet and subscription to the Wine Advocate I chose the latter.

When I got back I wanted to drag the rest of the family to the old barracks and Mission (the oldest of the California missions) but it turned out it was farmers market day, so it was too late. The stalls were up, the band ready to play, and the kids wanted to spin the wheel to try their luck for a fluffy toy. Had loads of fun walking around and trying the local delicacies. It was a shame we were still half an hours drive from our hotel or we would have joined in with everyone else and opened a bottle of wine.

If you are going to San Francisco

Spent the whole day with that wretched Scott McKenzie song in my head. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

We've been away from big cities for too long. San Francisco proved too much for us. It all felt too hectic driving round the centre trying to find a place to park. We were also woefully unprepared and hadn't even read the guide to know which places to visit. Drove through Mission district and then towards Chinatown and the financial district, where we turned tail and fled. Ended up, more by luck than by design, by Russian Hill (a crazy road where cars have to zig-zag down through gardened sidewalks), from where we got a glimpse of Alcatraz. To get there we had passed through some of the crazy hills San Francisco is famous for, and the kids had a great time pretending we were on a roller coaster.

Got a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge and then walked (in the freezing cold - due to a bizarre microclimate it is colder here in summer than in autumn) to the Palace of Fine Arts, which was designed and built in 1915 as a sort of fictional Roman ruin. We wanted to visit the Exploratorium museum, but sadly it was closed on Mondays. That was the final straw, so we booked a hotel just North of town and fled over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Stanford University picnic

Driving through Palo Alto it takes all your willpower not to jump out of the car and set up a startup. This is where the likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, PayPal, Logitech and Sun started out, and where HP, Skype and VMware still have their corporate headquarters. The catalyst that fertilises the area to attract and produce brilliant, restless minds is Stanford University.

Carlos and Tana, some friends from Madrid, came over here on a scholarship last year. They have 2 kids nearly the same age as Lucas and Aisha, and we had arranged to meet up for a picnic in the Oval, a park just on the way in to the campus. The kids didn't remember each other but in no time were running together all over the field.

Had a short tour of the campus which is actually a mini-town. Most students here hardly leave the place. Got back to find not one but two traffic fines: parking in permit-only space (enforced even on Sundays) and taking 2 spaces because we had crossed a white line. I hope that by the time we leave the US we will have got this parking business sussed.

Steinbeck country: Monterey

Completely ran out of time today. We had great plans of going back to Carmel to see the mission and Point Lobos, and maybe even squeezing in a visit to Steinbeck's home town and museum in Salinas. Alas, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. In our case a combination of late morning and too much time at the aquarium meant nothing else was achieved today.

We had completely underestimated the amount of time needed for the aquarium - it is huge and has plenty to see. At least it is next to Cannery Row, so we did get to see "something Steinbeck". The road nowadays looks a bit like a cross between London's redeveloped Southbank and the back streets of Covent Garden, with slightly more touristy shops and minus any of the local population.

We had a great time at the aquarium, and only left when our stomachs clamoured for food. TripAdvisor came to the rescue to navigate us away from the shoals of overpriced eateries. By the time we were back in the car it was 4pm, which is when we realised the futility of visiting the mission at Carmel, half an hour away and which closed at 5.