Well, it took over an hour to get to - there's a free flyer that goes to the Caltrain station (if only I'd known that on Sunday!), then I could get another bus, which stops right outside. I booked onto the last tour, which starts at 5 - so I had to leave early. Imagine my chagrin when someone organised a meeting with me for 4.. I put my foot down, and he moved it earlier. As he remarked, that sounded more interesting than talking to him! :-)
Well, my first time taking buses in America! I checked the route on my phone before I left the office, while I still had WiFi. The Flyer stop is just down the road - and I didn't need to pay on this one, just took a seat. I was soon educated as to how to get the bus to stop - unlike the buttons I'm used to, there's a pull-cord. Not that there was any need of it at the Caltrain station - he stopped for a break there anyway, and when he saw me checking my phone, he asked where I was going, and directed me around the corner for my next stop.
Which wasn't due for a while. I used some of my change on this trip - yes, I remember when that was a handy way to get rid of change - they don't accept cash on London buses any more, of course. While on this longish trip, I realised that only the important stops were announced - well, there was a transit centre three stops away from mine - and transit centres are announced - so after that, I just carefully counted the stops at the side of the road as we passed. And got off right outside the mansion!
More photos here. Moseyed down to the entrance, which is through the gift shop - they have some cool things, but I left the buying of them till I came out. Went to wait in the courtyard, where the various tour groups were going from - I could have made the 4:20 tour, actually (the bus was early), but who knew! or certainly the 4:40. Mind you, I got confused when the 4:55 was called.. I asked, and it turned out that no, there was also a 5pm tour, which would be mine. Closely packed, eh?
They were tearing people's tickets - I had mine on my phone, whose details she checked, then jokingly asked whether she could tear my phone.. First, you're led into the carriage house, where you have the chance of a souvenir photo - $20 to pose with a Winchester rifle! Ornate they may be, but no thanks. Then our guide - in a long skirt, appropriate to the period - took us around the twists and turns of this maze of a structure. It sure is an odd place - strange staircases, windows and doors looking onto walls, the famous Door to Nowhere:
Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside the house - the film company owns the rights, it seems. Pity - apart from the weirdness, there are some gorgeous period features, beautiful stained glass windows and patterned wallpaper. And some surprisingly modern features, for convenience. At least you can photograph as much as you like from the gardens, which form the way out.
Now, when I told someone I was headed out there, he said I'd find lovely places to eat on Santana Row - I didn't have internet access (no WiFi, and prohibitively expensive to use data), but I found it quite easily, and sure enough it looked promising. I finally decided on LB Steakhouse - one of these places with low lighting, frequented by businesspeople on expenses. Like me. :-) Hallelujah, here they didn't ignore me! The lovely lady on reception said she'd see whether they had a table - and yes they did, and I was seated in no time. Service in general was lightning-fast - before I knew it I had a menu, before I had time to peruse that, a waiter arrived to ask whether I wanted a drink. I said I'd like a half bottle of white wine, and he proceeded to point me in the direction of a couple.. of what turned out to be the most expensive on the menu. $80 for a half bottle, I ask you!!
So I hummed and hawed, and he said he'd be back - which gave me time to find the cheapest half bottle of white. It cost $29, and was delicious. Naturally. He asked me whether I'd like oysters to go with that.. at the price they are, I'm glad I don't like them! None of the starters really enthused me, so I went straight to the main course. They do burgers as well, but I had the cheapest steak on the menu - the smallest fillet mignon they had, 6oz for $38. With a red wine sauce. Happily, the smallest usually does me just fine. And I ordered onion rings.
OMG, it was all gorgeous. Melt in the mouth steak, delicious sauce, a huge pile of good onion rings ($6). Bread rolls were £1.50 each - but they were warm. I had two. Dessert was a chocolate fondant with a scoop of ice cream - served with a long stick of dark chocolate and the ice cream sitting on dark chocolate shavings. $10, worth every penny. I was pogged at the end - the bill, with tip, came to three figures, but you know - that only translates to about £67, which puts it in London range. (And hey, my dinner averages $50 over each night that I'm charging them for - I think that's reasonable, what with the cheap motel I booked n all..
Afterwards, I scurried back to where I'd seen a bus stop - they run hourly after 7pm. I was sure I'd missed it, and there it came. Sadly, I just missed my connection to the Flyer, which was disappearing down the road as I arrived, but the wait was under half an hour, and it wasn't that late - or that cold. No blogging when I got back to the motel though - I paid for WiFi on a 24-hour basis, and didn't bother with the extra to tide me over last night and this morning.
When I fly back tonight, arriving tomorrow lunchtime, I'll be turning straight around and flying to Ireland for the weekend. With nothing much on Meetup for Monday, I was thinking of a film: but gee, Makala came top again. Or a film called Raid, whose closest showing is in Shepherds Bush at 10.05pm! So, film not enthusing me - instead, back with Funzing (via London Speaks Sessions), for a "dim sum talk" about "Why the Universe Shouldn't Exist". Should be interesting. Oh, and LDN Talks @ Night just advertised the same thing, so I signed up with them as well. They also offered a 10% discount code.. but then, I did get a 10% discount. Unless I could've used both..
On Tuesday, back with Funzing - a Walking in London tour of Ghosts of the Old City. (Yes, it's different to the last one..) For both of these events, got a 10% discount - they alternate between the codes crazy_fun and LoveFun, these days.
On Wednesday, back at a proper Meetup at last, to the Park Theatre with Up in the Cheap Seats for the opening night of Pressure. Then I'm back to Ireland (yes, again!) for Easter, flying back on the 2nd.
On the 3rd, Meetup is throwing up a couple of things I'd have been interested in - Up in the Cheap Seats is off to the ballet at the Opera House, and North London Friends is off to see a play called Black Men Walking at the Royal Court. And wouldn't you know it, by the time I got around to checking, they were both sold out! Blast. Although it seems there are now seats for the ballet again, starting at £40 - nuts. Anyway, in the meantime, I got the last £15 ticket - from the official website - for Bat Out of Hell, in the Dominion Theatre. Rear stalls - not so shabby. Should be fun. Then a couple more events were advertised that I'd have been interested in - too late, guys, I usually book earlier than that!
On the 4th, I'm headed (finally, it's been so long!) to see the Crick Crack Club perform The Gods and Monsters Show at Rich Mix. Now, I don't know what's with the head of their Meetup group, but she seems to think it's on two days later - I did comment on the event page to that effect. Just check the venue website, as I then said. Or indeed, the Crick Crack Club's own website. Daft woman hasn't changed it yet. Not that it wouldn't have suited me to have it on another day - I'd be missing London Literary Walks' first outing of the year, damnit! But it's for a very good cause..
And then I checked, and wouldn't you know it, he subsequently shifted the walk to the 5th! Seems he now works alternating shifts, so dates can change at short notice. Well, this one worked out great for me. Sadly, I'll be missing North London Friends' trip to the Moors Bar Blues Jam and Drinks - well, you can't have everything. I'd never be up to Crouch End in time after the walk.
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