Beware the unwary!

Despite today's false dawn, bright blue sky followed by midday drizzle, we did eek-out a full day, Bay-side! To begin, we set off along Highway 101 towards Sausalito where we soon arrived and was able to park close to the town's water-side (probably because it was out-of-season and a weekday!) It didn't take long to establish that we could probably live there! The place overlooks the Bay, with views of the San Francisco skyline, and has a Mediterranean feel with lots of houses set into the overlooking hills.

Of course, with its scenic views and easy commute to San Fran, by ferry or car, its not a cheap place to live! But it costs nothing to look and it does have some fine shops.

AS the sky turned grey and with the first spots of rain appearing we reclaimed our car from the parking lot and turned our attention to Muir Woods National Monument. This was only a short twisting drive away and once there we managed to bag a parking spot in the overflow area. (I'd hated to have visited at weekend!). My Parks annual pass came in handy again and after coffee and a world-famous cheese-melt sandwich (don't ask me why!) we walked the trails and took in the sights and aroma of the magnificent Redwood forest.

Sunshine would have completed the picture, but not today. Mid-afternoon we decided to visit the Golden Gate Vista Point and with our GPS directing us ever-closer to the famous bridge, we eventually drove over said bridge and, of course, back again! Now, here's a lesson learned for the unwary. Approaching the bridge in five lanes of high-volume traffic, which eventually whittles down to two, one passes a couple of roadside signs, indicating that crossing the bridge is subject to a toll and that 'there is no cash payment' (or indeed, stopping at the toll plaza!).

So having sailed through the toll plaza both ways, I was left feeling that (a) it was my lucky day to have crossed for nothing; or (b) something bad would catch-up with me, later down the line. On past experience, the latter was far the more likely outcome and so on returning to the hotel, I Googled the obvious and discovered that I had 48 hours to get back into a state of grace! (Fingers crossed!!) Anyway, immediately following the bridge incident, we made a brief pass through Tiburon, another neat community by the Bay, and then headed through the already heavy traffic, to a Safeway in Corte Madera. Supplies loaded, we set the GPS for our hotel, only to discover it was only four-hundred yards away!! I decided that today's musical aid memoir should be provided by Leonard Cohen and his rendition of 'Halleluja'. Why? well I remembered that an old friend who has a close association with San Fran, was a fan of Mr Cohen, back-in-the-day!