September 6, 2012
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I had a great, long weekend. Thursday (okay, so not technically the weekend), my friend Sandy set up a dinner and show. Kathy, Melissa, Sandy, Dana, and I shared cheese and chocolate fondues at The Melting Pot before heading over the watch ‘Crazy for You’ at a quaint local theater.
Friday, I picked up my best friends from college, Carol and Natalie, at the airport. They flew in from Austin, Texas to spend the weekend with me in Napa. Friday night, they stayed at my place, and we had a leisurely breakfast Saturday morning before heading to the Napa Outlets for some shopping. It was funny how well we knew each other’s styles … and sad how little we’ve changed in the past years. I had to try very hard (and was only semi-successful) in veering away from my typical solids and stripes. After shopping, we ate a late lunch at Siena in The Meritage Resort. And following lunch, we indulged in spa treatments at Spa Terra, a day spa, complete with Jacuzzi, relaxation area, and steam room, all in an underground wine cave.
Sunday morning, we went on a 3 hour Segway tour around Yountville. None of us had ever ridden (driven?) a Segway before. It was more difficult than I expected and required some practice to get balanced, and comfortable turning and stopping. It was an absolutely gorgeous and perfect morning to Segway through the vineyards. We went by a pasture with Longhorn cattle, a pole barn, a veteran’s home, and did an outside tour of Domaine Chandon grounds.
We also did some wine tasting at Goosecross, a boutique winery. The pours were quite generous, especially since the owners knew our tour guide. We tried a few extra wines outside the tasting menu, and afterwards, sat outside and enjoyed unique local cheeses and more wine. At this point, we were all slightly drunk. So of course, we get back on the Segway and on the highway. As we had a private tour and weren’t in a rush to get back, we took a detour to visit the French Laundry restaurant and garden. If you haven’t tried it, Segway’ing is definitely a neat experience … highly recommended!
Taking the parallel and lesser known Silverado highway instead of HWY29, allowed us to bypass a lot of holiday traffic, and we arrived at Castello di Amorosa (in Calistoga) early. We walked around the castle, and did some grapeseed oil tastings. Since my friends had to buy plane tickets to visit me, I treated them to a tour with a wine and food pairing. The tour included a brief history of what went into building the medivial inspired castle, a visit to the chapel, underground tunnels where oak barrels of wine were stored, and even a torture chamber.
Then we went to a ‘royal apartment’, where we tried 8 wine and food pairings … very delicious! We had a great, unpretentious group, where I sat across from who I can best describe as a Chilean Robin Williams … and for some reason I couldn’t stop quoting Borat. I hadn’t laughed so much in a long time. Afterwards, we took pictures on the grounds and purchased some wine to take home. We drove back in time, before “dinner” at the concierge lounge closed, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in our room.
My friends’ flight was Monday afternoon, which meant we were able to get in an hour of bike riding through neighborhoods and vineyards after breakfast. There was a bike rental at The Marriott, and for only $10/hr, we could use their Specialized bikes, helmets, and map on recommended, scenic routes. Great deal, and fun last minute activity! We were surprisingly slow bikers, as it took the full hour to cover 6.5 miles … although we did stop for photo ops. I was bit sore afterwards too, whereas I run 6.3 miles with no problems at all. Hm. Maybe it’s time to mix up my exercise regime!
So there we have it. A 20 year reunion with my MIT college roommates. Since when are my friends considered ‘experts in the field’? Since when do they give keynote addresses? And do my friends really fly so much for work that they get free flights and hotel stays? We’re too young for that, right? There are times I still feel like a lost freshman, but then I think … wait … we’re pushing 40! We are literally more than twice the age we were when we first met. ACK! And how wonderful that we have remained best friends. It’s so awesome to have close friends like them … people who share similar values and interests, who are happy, confident, and successful, yet still down to earth and fun. Thank you Natalie and Carol for visiting! I really appreciate our friendship!
Back at home, James played with the kids, helped Zach with a school project, did crafts with Calie, read a gazillion books, and took them to the Children’s museum … where the kids played with Legos and Lincoln Logs, toys we already have at home.
