A Leisurely Breakfast in Sausalito

A LEISURELY BREAKFAST IN SAUSALITO

By Lu Sobredo

Known as the early riser in the family, I lived up to my reputation on Sunday morning. No wind or rain to rock the sailboat. My task to step off the boat made easy. The remnants from the old, sunken boat by the pier are visible to my eyes, barely awake at 6:58 a.m. The tide, being extremely low, meant my climb to the street level would challenge my achy knees.

I’d say it was sweater weather as I watched the fog roll in from the San Francisco side of the Bay. Our Sausalito hillsides are covered with it. I could hear the applause of joy from the vegetation in the neighborhood. If my hubby knew what I was thinking, he would say, “there you go again, anthropomorphizing.” He is sleeping in today. It was a well-deserved extra rest after yesterday’s lecture for the Piedmont Gardens residents in Oakland and the scrumptious lunch and conversation that followed.

I am convinced the fog is the reason the verdant leaves keep growing. The sun visited a little later in the day ensuring the greenery shines in all its various shades of green. The whole scenery of calm waters in Richardson Bay and the fog-kissed outline of Mount Tamalpais in the background distracted me from worry. I had to walk up the steep incline from the docks to our marina parking lot. It was less of a struggle as I eagerly visualized what to have for breakfast at Osteria Divino.

The tourists will soon swarm Bridgeway for the day. To rediscover the delight of joining the locals in a serene neighborhood hidden from tourists, a blessing. The demure smile from behind the counter is just as lovely as I remember. Elizabeth serves us a few mini-croissants of all types. The scrambled eggs with thyme and parmesan cheese delicately woke up my taste buds. I savored each bite slowly as I sipped the wonderfully strong cappuccino capped with foamy cream and sprinkled with cocoa powder. What a glorious start this Sunday.

Leisurely Breakfast in Sausalito. ©Lu Sobredo

Freshly Made Breakfast Treats at Osteria Divino. ©Lu Sobredo

Organic Fruits. ©Lu Sobredo

Eggs Scrambled in Thyme and Parmesan Cheese. ©Lu Sobredo

Life throws us curve balls for sure. My health for the last six years after diagnosis of severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has been an extreme lesson of patience on its own: whether it be patience from me in confronting and managing the disease; patience from my darling husband who is my main caregiver, or from my son who serves as secondary caregiver. Lo and behold, the past six months presented another set of health challenge for me and my family. December 2018 did not go unnoticed as medical staff of the Emergency Room at Mercy General Hospital discovered a mass in my brain after a violent bout of vertigo brought me there while we were in Sacramento. Three months after that, a brilliant neurosurgeon announced that my tumor was benign soon after a successful craniotomy at University of California Davis Medical Center. So, this simple yet elegant breakfast this morning is my way of celebrating how healing from my brain surgery is well underway. Never mind that the frequent flares of pain from the RA refuse to play second fiddle; life marches on. Time keeps pace with the journey. And I am writing again much more consistently, even though travel abroad has not been on our radar. Next year when I fully recover from brain surgery, many more leisurely breakfasts are in store for me in California and abroad. If you linger long enough at Osteria Divino on a Sunday morning, you might enjoy live music during the Brunch hours starting 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find more eating places in Sausalito in this essay: Sausalito: A Hidden Gem in San Francisco Bay. 

Norris Clement on the Piano at Osteria Divino. ©Lu Sobredo

The thought of discomfort unabashedly creeps in when least expected. But the universe has been kind with love and affection from family and friends. My healthcare  providers have been a God-send. My faith stays unshaken. My God has been a constant. Just as my husband and son have been. There is nothing more satisfying than a leisurely breakfast with beloved family. But, today seems extra special. This leisurely Sunday morning is all mine to embrace. My son who drove me to the Café is humming Beatles songs in the background, sipping a cup of coffee, to which he exclaims, “this coffee is so much better than our usual.”

Caregiver #2. ©Lu Sobredo

Caregiver #1 Sitting on the Dock of The Bay at Sunset. ©James Sobredo

Sausalito is our respite from the heatwave in Central Valley of California and a respite from curve balls life tosses in our direction. A respite from the undulating roadways in our lives. And definitely a haven for leisurely breakfasts.

©Essay by Lu Sobredo
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Thanks to my son Adrian for being my onsite editor, caregiver #2, and breakfast companion.

About the Author 
Lu Sobredo is writer/publisher at Lu Travels Abroad, a blog dedicated to folks whose limitations do not hamper them from traveling. A year into early retirement her world collapsed from the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Her total life changed, but she did not let RA define her. With love from family, friends and an awesome doctor, she regained some functionality--her new normal. She will have RA all her life. And she now writes about life and travel with RA. During the pandemic of 2020, she stays put and writes poetry and a first novel, a travel of sorts but in the heart and mind.