Wine in Napa Valley

The world is colourful and so are the autumn colours in the Napa Valley - autumn has arrived and in the sun even these beautiful autumn colours sparkle. I see that this time of the year people are calming down and people are getting busy thinking about Thanks Giving or Christmas. 

The trip from San Francisco Airport to Napa was very relaxed. Highlight was the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog and then the streets became less and less crowded and it became countryside. The wineries lined up along the road like pearls on a chain. 

I am here for the first time but after Las Vegas - just a bit more relaxed without permanent noises. The first stop is Napa and the Andaz Hotel - the welcome very warm and the room also very cool. Meanwhile I'm already looking forward to a shower where the water is hot and not just drops from the tap. Small shops in the Mainstreet and it's a little bit about individuality and not only about chain shops. Dinner was served in the Bashalt Restaurant and I believe that someone from Germany got lost there was rare, in any case the care of the well-being and the satisfaction of the food was the service even by American standards was very  good - extrem care I would call it. 

The next day the Wine Train waited and honestly I thought - what a tourist trap but I can really recommand it - with lunch and 3 h driving time you get a first impression of the cultivation areas and which wineries you should see.  

Afterwards simply with the car in the direction of Calistoga - but before  in the launderette and to get  the dirty laundry washed - if one can call 30 min wash and 30 min dry normal. 

In addition, an experience, at each washing machine you can pay with credit card and it goes also fast - not to be missed, the interesting people,  a good place for people watching.

Back on the way to Calistoga - the road leads past the vineyards and you can just stop and do a winetasting - if I was already enthusiastic about Californian wines before, I am now more in love with them. 

Calistoga is known for its hot springs and a highlight is the geyser there - it is supposed to be an early warning system for earthquakes. Therefore time was dedicated to this tourist highlight and it was a bit like waiting for Gudot - until finally something more came up from the deep shaft.  

After 2 nights, shopping was on the list and then to Cupertino to see the Apple Visitor Center. Stylish as always and overflowing with busloads of Chinese - what's going on here? I don't know - why there were so many. 

Back to the airport, giving back the rental car and direct checking into the new Grand Hyatt. It's the only hotel which is directly connected to the Airtrain and since the plane was supposed to leave for Hawaii pretty early the next morning - it  was the best solution.

The days in Napa were relaxed and spontaneous- I notice more and more that only restlessness and chaos did occupy me the last months and therefore I enjoy the days just drifting away. 

Now heading to warmer climate  - Aloha Maui - here I come.