Napa Valley in May
Once again this year, I rode in the Diabetes Tour de Cure in the Napa valley, at the suggestion of my daughter, whose firm fields a large team every year. They are nice enough to make me an honorary member of their team, complete with jersey.
I came up early--Friday after work--for a little unwinding time. I had a lovely prime rib at the Trancas Steak House, which they were nice enough to cut in half for me (prime rib and baked potato), for purposes of portion control and to provide me with a lunch for Saturday. It was cool and windy at sunset, but I ate outside because it was quieter. As you get older, you appreciate quiet. When the Chronicle recently rated SF restaurants for quiet, Vicki and I downloaded the list and sorted it so we'd have a list of the quietest restaurants. Anyway, I could not help but think that 60 and windy was perfect weather for a bike ride. Alas, Sunday's prediction is for a high of 80. I have stopped looking at the prediction for two reasons: first, it is hardly ever right, and second, there's nothing I can do about it. Because I now sunburn very easily, I have to wear long sleeves and long pants regardless of the temperature, and there's nothing I can about the weather, so why borrow trouble (as my wife often asks).
I saw two movies, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Baby Mama. Both were as funny as my younger daughter had insisted.
M decided not to join me Friday night; instead, she spent the night
frolicking with friends in
We dined Saturday night at the vegetarian Ubuntu Napa, which, according to the New York Times, is the second-best restaurant in the United States outside of New York City (with a few caveats; you can look up the review yourself). We had almonds dusted with sea salt and lavender sugar as an appetizer, followed by peas in a consommé of pea shells, dusted with white chocolate and nuts. I think you get the idea. I even ate the beets and the asparagus, and as anyone who knows me will tell you, I never eat beets and asparagus. I liked the pickled rhubarb so much I asked for more--and I got more. Also, since I love avocado, they added it to a dish that normally does not include it. They served us their signature dish, cauliflower cooked in an iron pot. You'd think it was stuffed with cheese, but we were assured they achieved the effect with cream and pureed cauliflower. Fresh local strawberries on brioche were the dessert. It was $54 each for the tasting menu, but the food was amazing. The wine list was impressive too. The interior is high-ceilinged and spectacular, but noisy for my taste, so we ate outside on a lovely spring evening. The mean took 2.5 hours, and was worth every minute of time and penny of money. The wine list, by the way, was to die for.
Then Sunday morning, off for the ride. Not a race, but a ride. Fifty miles, up Highway 29 and back down the Silverado Trail. Rest stops about every 12 miles. We did it in 3 hours 50 minutes, including rest stops. That is a pretty good pace--about 12 miles per hour. I ate lunch in the tent of M's employer, and, as an honorary member, sat in on the team picture.
M is one smart cookie--she suggested in advance that we arrange for massages after the race. We kept the room for Sunday night, even though we were both going home Sunday evening, so we'd have a place to rest and change after the race. It was great!
