Walk about.

Remember when your goldfish wasn’t feeling well and he’d float to the surface desperately gulping for air? Well my desire to breathe wasn’t that dramatic, but today I did feel that same sort of ‘want’ for greenery. So after a quick trip to the Haight I legged it to Golden Gate Park and dove right into the deep end and entered the Conservatory of Flowers.

Nothing like a bit of home to make you feel at home, all those bromeliads, orchids, ferns, bananas, hibiscus, anthuriums, etc most of which seem to grow in my garden! Though I confess for the smell the water lilies I have to jump in my truck and drive to my chum Martins house.

I grew up walking; to school, the shops, my friend’s houses and if it was too far to walk I just took the bus. Consequently, I have moments on Maui of ‘car dependent frustration’ and am always happy to find myself in a walking city. Hence, in the bliss of the park I just started strolling, relishing the smell of eucalyptus and taking in the pleasure of being off the cities 'eat-shop-work' hamster wheel.

It was a clear, cloudless, warm autumn day and I needed a beach, so a few hours later my stroll had become a hike and I found myself at the ocean. It’s not exactly a crop circle, but I like it! I was starving so went to the new and improved Cliff House and tucked into a bowl of squash soup and Ahi sashimi fortifying myself and contently watching the surfers and seagulls which (I swear to God) are the size of small dogs.

4pm; what a bloody lovely day, as I stepped back outside it was a bit nippy (those surfers are mental catching that slop) so I donned scarf and gloves and said to hell with the bus and walking, TAXI!