Arriving, bit by bit

After a quite exhausting 12h flight I arrived well in San Francisco. While waiting at the bulky baggage claim I saw people picking up their skis, the baby buggies… and also some bike bags of a bunch you guys off for biking in the Monterey area. Only my bike-suitcase didn’t arrive and when the conveyer belt stopped I knew that I was not good off. So I filed a lost report and received a strange little slip (a Xerox copy of a Xerox copy of a Xerox copy of…..) which was blacker than anything with a phone number of the Swiss Baggage tracking in Belp and my reference number.

So off I went with quite mixed feelings to pick up my rental car, which is a brand new Chevy Equinox with not even 100 Miles on the odometer. The first night I stayed in San Bruno not 15 min. from the Airport. Next morning I drove towards Santa Rosa not stopping much at San Francisco and checking out already some of the routes I would like to bike. The Marine Headlands will be definitely a highlight.  The first stop I made in Sausalito harbour with all the house boats. Weather is perfect and will stay so as long as the 10 days forecast can predict.

I decided to take the old costal route, the famous Highway Number 1 and the first stop was Muir Beach and Muir Beach overview.

At Point Reyes Station I followed the route to Petaluma (which now also is on my ride calendar) and from there over the freeway to Santa Rosa.

The little studio I rented here is just great. Its modern, very well furbished kitchen and quite, with a Jacuzzi. A Saveway super market is in walking distance. 

After having made the first shopping, buying the essentials, like milk, butter, bread, eggs and so one, I had time to try to inquire about my lost bike and that was definitively a big mistake… This endeavour took me on a Kafkaesque tour with the following stages: wrong phone numbers combined with endless waiting lines, time shift to Switzerland and American service attitude (“Why do you ask me? I only work here!”). Can you believe that there is no baggage lost and found office at SF Int. Airport? At least I couldn’t find it. My Sister (bless her) inquired at Swiss and could finally get the information at the bike arrived a SFO and should be delivered to me in Santa Rosa. Indeed after two days it arrived and now it is assembled and waits the first ride today.