Grey Saturday Tea

I came back to San Francisco in mid-September, right in the middle of our "secret summer." Suddenly the fog is gone, the sun is shining, and every day is filled with blue skies as far as the eye can see. It’s a pretty heady time to be a San Franciscan. Just as folks elsewhere are pulling out their mittens and scarves, we’re basking in a late summer glow, enjoying the sunshine that has been barred from us all summer by the blanket of fog that covers the city June to August.

So you’ll understand how odd it was for me to hear the tap-tapping noise coming from the window side of my bedroom as I got ready to go out for dinner a week or two after my return. It was a persistent clinking sound and, though I knew where it was coming from, I simply couldn’t believe what I was hearing could be true. But, as I walked to the window and looked out, I noticed a clear streak on the glass pane.

It’s raining! In San Francisco, in September! I was so excited I nearly danced around my bedroom. I opened the window wide and breathed deep the damp air. I can’t tell you how happy that rain made me.

My goodness, I think I’ve become a Seattleite.

My plans for hiking the next morning with my friend Krista got downgraded to a walk along Land’s End and a visit to a tearoom when the weather remained persistently Seattle-like. More than one person observed that I had brought the curse of Pacific Northwest weather down with me, but I could only laugh. I love San Francisco all the time, but San Francisco in the fog and damp will always have a special place in my heart.

And a walk on Land’s End is a treat, no matter what the weather is.



Land’s End is a wild bit of craggy coast that juts out beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, the southern side of the mouth that opens into the San Francisco Bay. It is the backside of Lincoln Park, a park and golf course that is home to the Legion of Honor, one of San Francisco’s art museums. Land’s End is the other side of the coin, as untamed and rugged as Lincoln Park is manicured. While I love the park and museum for its grand setting and gorgeous city views, I love the rough and rocky coastline behind it even more.

A walk along Land’s End begins with a backside view of the Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps my favorite view of the bridge, today muted in tones of grey and blue (I say perhaps only because it’s nearly impossible to have a favorite view of this bridge).



The trail passes above rocky coves and inlets far below at the water’s edge. Every year there are people who die in this area, trying to climb around on these rocks, so I stay far back from the edge (but check out that darling little orange starfish on the upper left rock).



The other danger along this route is poison oak, which has an easily recognizable three-leaf formation and turns a convenient red this time of year. Children who grow up in this area, as Krista and I did, are raised with the constant reminder: “leaflets three, let them be.”



But other than that, it’s all stunning views.



And staircases.



And my beloved cypress trees.



And sailboats that look like pirate ships as they steal around a rocky corner.



And you know you’re in Northern California when a five-year-old who is out walking with his family spontaneously sits down cross-legged in the middle of the path and begins to meditate!



Krista and I talk about life and work and passions and love and how you know when you’ve found the right place to be—be it a city or a job—and how to reconcile a love of travel and exploration with a love of home. It’s an ongoing conversation we’ve been keeping up for about seven years now. And I’m reminded of how lovely these sorts of friendships are (and how many of mine reside in Northern California).

There are forests of wild fennel along the way, in full bloom. I have a feeling that my friend Cookiecrumb would be harvesting the pollen, if she were with us.



Not to mention the nasturtium flowers, which are also edible.



But today I am just happy to relish conversation and companionship, and a crashing ocean at my feet.



When we’ve had enough of the cold and the grey and the rocky gorgeousness, we tuck ourselves into a little tea shop in the Richmond district that I have been wanting to visit for years, ever since a friend of mine talked about going to the “polo shop” for tea. Tal-y-Tara is indeed a teashop that is also an equestrian supply store. Where else in San Francisco can you buy a riding crop and a plate of scones at the same time?



We order the Motor Loaf, which my friend had told me about. It is a loaf of New England brown bread (an old family recipe from the mistress of Tal-y-Tara), cut out and sliced into sandwiches, then tucked back into the loaf. The fillings vary from egg salad to cheese and chutney, cucumber and cream cheese, and more.



And when you’re done with your sandwiches, you can eat the rest of the loaf, spread with Devonshire cream and marmalade.



You can stock up on British tea.



And any manner of equestrian equipment and fashion. Krista and I find a great pair of Italian low leather boots, at a discount as they are the last pair in stock.



And we go back out into the grey, warmed by tea and companionship.

Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe
6439 California Street (@ 27th Avenue)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Mon-Sat noon - 7pm
Closed Sunday
Tel. 415-751-9275