Sanoma, Yountville, St. Helena

Today was the funnest day yet. We had been to Napa once before, but only drove past Yountville and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. I was really excited to be able to get into the little towns a little and check out some of the wineries. It is so beautiful in the Napa Valley. Many of you already know this, but it really is a magical place and so full of charmth and a big blast of Italy. Everywhere you look there are rows and rows of perfectly lined up fields of grape vines delicately tied to wires which are now turning from a cheerful green to golden brown. The wineries are amazingly constructed. Some very old with rock walls like a castle. Some more modern looking but all rich with culture. Sometimes they have their cellars tunneled underneath hillsides. Everyone around hear breaths and lives wine so, for me, that is not what I am drawn to but the culture is intriguing and magical. I don't drink alcohol but Claude does enjoy some wine, mostly the sweeter Reisling type of wine.

We first drove to Sonoma and that was adorable. There is a Plaza there in the heart of town with a big tree ladden park in the middle. Shops and restaurants rim the park on all sides. We chose to have a late breakfast/lunch at the Sunflower Cafe. The best part of it was that we got to sit outside in the cozy, sun filled patio under a big shade umbrella alongside arbors. I had an omlet (spinach and goat cheese) and Claude had a breakfast sandwhich. It was good but not fabulous. After strolling around for awhile, we headed toward Yountville. Yountville is about the most pristine and perfect little town anyone could ever imagine. It has one main street with a side walk and it is so quaint and friendly. There are winery stores, shopping and restaurants everywhere. The residential streets that run near town are picture perfect pristine little cottages and craftsman style homes with white picket fences and rose bushes and hanging grape vines. We stopped to take a photo of a community garden right off the main street (see photo) where people can have a plot and tend to their gardening. It is really sweet. We headed North from there and as you drive along, you drive by one big winery after another. We turned into one where it looked like there were a lot of people and wine tasting. It was a beautiful old building (see photo) You can go into the store there and buy wine and cheese and picnic things then sit out in the garden and eat and drink till you pass out if you want. Nobody does that because everyone is really well behaved and proper. Claude chose a tasting of six different wines. See him tipping the glass! They gave him just enough to get a good flavor, not too much. He bought a bottle of some sort of some Reisling that he really liked.

I wanted to find a culinary school I had noticed the last time we had driven past this area and couldn't stop. We headed north some more, past St. Helena and found the Culinary School. It is the Culinary School of America and very cool. (see photo) My sister Cathy would love it there. We went in and saw where they have cooking demo's (not till Friday) and lectures for the students who learn and practice right there at the school. It is an ancient old stone building with lots of old charm. There was an amazing kitchen store in there that had all kinds of wonderful kitchen gadgets, pricy chef pots and pans, quality cooking utensils and gobs of cook books. Claude bought a very sharp knife which he is going to love. Once you go up one road, you have the option of coming back down the other side on another winery lined road. Everywhere there are miles of grapes and winery after winery.

Claude wanted to check out the MUM winery so we went there. They specialize in sparkling wines. It was fun. He got three samples of sparking wines "sweeter wines" and I got to have a sparkling non-alcohol Chardonay that was so tasty. I bought some to go and Claude bought two bottles of what he liked. It was really fun.

We went back to Yountville for dinner. We chose to eat at a place called Bouchon. It was suppose to be really good according to the tour book. We got to sit at a little round table outside at the front under the awning just as the sun was setting over the hillside. It was warm there and so comfortable. We ordered al la carte (I won't show food photos) Claude's main dish was a halibut dish and my meal was the "muscles". It was fun just being out on the sidewalk, warm eating our meal.

Tomorrow we get to go to hear and see the Hymalyan Singing Bowls. I made an appointment with the guy who has the ancient bowls. He doesn't have a store, only a warehouse. I am very excited about it and hope to buy a "family" of Tibetan singing bowls, the antique authentic ones. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow. We may see Sausalito tomorrow too.