A Veritable Smorgasbord of Scrumptious Surprises ~

at the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace!

It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely. ~ Cole Porter






I recently started taking the Tiburon Ferry home from work. The company I work for provides public transit subsidies to all employees and they even have their own bus line. The Genen-Buses transport employees to and from work for free all over the Bay Area. There is no direct bus to and from Marin County so I take the ferry boat that runs between Tiburon and San Francisco and catch a Genen-Bus at the Ferry Building. The ferry ride across the bay is breathtaking and relaxing so it’s not exactly a bad way to travel to and from work.

On the way home from work, I have about a 20-minute wait until the ferry departs so I often walk through the Ferry Building, circa 1898. Inside the Ferry Building is a wonderful Marketplace filled with Bay Area-produced artisanal foods. Shops and restaurants line the walls of the building and kiosks adorn the aisles displaying their goodies. One can purchase organic herbs, fresh fish, meats, produce, cheeses and delectable freshly-baked breads. There are cafes and eateries and they even have a stand devoted just to mushrooms! There is a Honey Shack and Fine Wines and a shop that serves homemade Gelato. Every time I enter this delightful building, my eyes light up and my senses are brought to new heights. It is a foodie haven.

Inside the Ferry Building Marketplace

Mushrooms for Sale

I weave through the various vendors and browse. I am intrigued as I explore this luscious land of culinary heaven. At first I just browse and take it all in; but this past week I can no longer remain just a window shopper. I have to dig in and finally taste the treats.

One night I picked up some delicious organic beef hot dogs. (I do not eat hot dogs very often but had to try these and they were good!) Last night I stopped at the San Francisco Fish Company and bought some fresh Sea Bass and then wandered through the Village Marketplace and selected some fresh Pugliese pasta and tomato vodka sauce. And I just found out that they have an outdoor Farmer’s Market in the Ferry Plaza three days a week. Oh my! I get excited just thinking about what I am going to try next!

I have a feeling we are going to be enjoying the delightful and delicious cuisine of the Ferry Building Marketplace on a regular basis. It’s de-lovely!.

Springtime in Tiburon

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. ~e.e. cummings

There is nothing more peaceful and comforting than being outside in an open field of wildflowers on a beautiful, sunny Spring day. We discovered Old Hilary's Open Space Preserve in Tiburon with its grassy camelbacks and sweeping panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and Mount Tamalpais. There are no houses being built on a chunk of this paradise because the concerned neighbors pitched in and saved the land. But beyond the fence on the southern border, extending to the ridgeline, the land is in danger of being turned into a housing development. People are trying to stop that from happening and after experiencing this place, I hope they succeed.

We drive up Lyford Drive off Tiburon Blvd to Heathcliff Road....doesn't the sound of that just remind you of the romance of Wuthering Heights? Oh, my! We park the Jeep and open the back door to let Walter and Henry out. They immediately run to the rolling hills where there are trails and grass and wildflowers and we can see beauty for miles and miles on end. It is heavenly.

I learned that the endangered Tiburon Jewel-flower (or Black Jewel-flower) grows here and nowhere else. How special that we can find it growing in the grassy hills of this beautiful nature preserve in the town where we live.




As we wander along the trails, Walter finds a mud puddle and plops down into it. Henry goes off the path and explores the terrain, sniffing and frolicking about. It warms my heart that we can bring our dogs up here and let them roam and that we all get to enjoy the beauty of it all.

Note: I am disappointed that I forgot my camera to include photos of Walter and Henry amid the purple wildflowers so I will have to post a photo of them later. In the meantime my photos today are borrowed from the Internet but are true photos of this magical nature preserve.