Tortilla Flats

It was good to see high pressure building, beating back the weather systems from Alaska making 'sunshine' the order of the day. We checked-out late morning to avoid the peak early morning traffic and filled-up with supplies at the Corte Madera Mall, where we spotted an array of classy European cars. Driving out of San Francisco, we passed San Quentin and drove over the huge double-deck bridge spanning the Bay. We hit traffic in Oakland (six lanes of it!) and again in San Jose. Nevertheless, we made good time and having driven past mile-upon-mile of fruit farms (including the artichoke fields of Castroville, the world's capital of artichokes, apparently!) we arrived at our hotel, at 2:00 pm. This is our third stay at the Comfort Inn and its one of my favourite places to stay. Its clean, comfortable, well situated, the staff are nice, and everything works! I'd like to say that its cheap too, but it ain't!! Usually the rates are OK, but during the Jazz Weekend ...... well let's just say the laws of supply and demand hold true!! (Who knows? When I check out, I may discover that I've bought the room!).

So, after a day of doing practical things and travelling, it was soon time to walk over to the nearby, classy, mall for dinner. I guess we just need to avoid contact with the Jazz crowd! Driving along Highway 101 we listened to sounds of the 60's and the following classic seemed to evoke the right atmosphere: "The Watusi" by the Orlons