Today was Rebecca's formal introduction to the best city in the USA. We managed to dodge the (heavy) rain showers as we caught the bus in, and then planned our day over a cup of Blue Bottle coffee.
First came the Nordstrom Mall, and the Crumpler store where Becs picked up a case for her camera at a frankly unbelievable price. We took in Macy's, where customer service was less than stellar, and moved on to Vietnamese sandwiches for lunch before a wander around Chinatown.
But where was the free alcohol today? Well may you ask! The answer is the Haas Wine Club. Andy Peay from Peay Vineyards brought along a large selection of his bottles. More interestingly, he brought along some herbs, spices, fruits, minerals, etc. We had to taste each wine and compare it directly to the smell and taste that we might associate it with.
It was an amazing exercise. Sauvignon Blanc had pear, pancetta and ginger. Pinot Noir evoked butter, fig, and vanilla. I could go on but, honestly, after the fourth glass I'd forgotten we were meant to be only smelling the dark chocolate and started eating it. Time to polish off the bottle of Chardonnay we snuck home with...
The best cappuccino in the world...?
Hard to argue with (and the half-eaten biscotti).
The iPad, and extreme meta-blogging madness.
Becs shops Chinatown.
Later, at Haas, with Andy Peay.
The fruity table.
Three very attentive ladies...waiting for their wine.
Mmmm! Hints of pepper and nutmeg. And glue.
Becs fully embraces the Berkeley lifestyle.
