Would you drive a hundred miles to spend your morning at City Lights Bookstore and to have lunch at L’Osteria, your favorite pizza place just up the street from said bookstore?
I would.
In the alley behind City Lights, you step around words like these:
And while you wait for them to open, you stare longingly through the window:
A couple of hours later, you’ve bagged your swag:
And after the best sausage and mushroom pizza on the planet, you head back to where you parked your car in Chinatown and spot this under your bumper.
___________
What’s your idea of the perfect Sunday?
Not driving anywhere is my perfect Sunday. Not being in a car for a single second. Not one. Home, bed, good food, newspaper, books, computer, TV. Cats and kids wandering in and out. Nothing I MUST do.
On the other hand, if I’m going to drive the 125 miles I drive Monday through Friday I’d much rather have a bookstore and pizza at the end of the road. Your Sunday looks lovely.
My number one priority might have been the pizza ….
What a perfect Sunday. Mine was spent reading the beginning of “Life Among Giants” while the laundry tumbled. Today in Dallas, it’s going to be 85 degrees, and I’m going to take a long walk either by the lake or at Cedar Ridge Preserve.
85 degrees. Yum. It was 60 and sunny in the city yesterday, unusually warm and dry for this time of year. We lucked out.
I’m with Lisa on the not driving aspect. A good book, some green tea, and all the cats piled on me as I read. Then a long walk by the lake, a homecooked meal, good conversation. Then more reading.
And allow me to congratulate you on your future comfortable old age!
There was an even better “fortune cookie” under the car next to us, but I’m trying not to be picky.
I would drive even further than that if I could come along with you.
I’ve been meaning to read the Patrick Melrose series for ages ever since I heard St Aubyn on Radio 4 – probably two years ago! Thanks for the reminder.
I, too, have been wanting to read these St. Aubyn books since I first heard about them. My expectations are high.
Throw in a morning set of tennis and that *was* my perfect Sunday
I do feel a smidgen guilty that there was zero exercise involved….
Okay, maybe not even a smidgen, though I know I should feel guilty!
One of my best mornings ever was a cappuccino in North Beach (?) and a trip to the City Lights. A whole room of poetry. I almost swooned.
North Beach, yes ma’am. You would have swooned if you’d have had my pizza, I’m sure of it.
I believe you.
You have to stop reminding me that I live in Detroit. For me, my perfect Sunday (or any day) occurs during my annual trip to visit my MFA alums on Whidbey Island. Rather than partake of the B&B’s fare, I prefer to walk down to the waterfront, to the Mosquito Fleet Cafe. I sit outside in the morning cold with a big cup of coffee, an incredible view, and inspiration just happens.
Hey, I spent many many years in Minneapolis, so I understand. There was a tiny, independent bookstore, attached to Caribou Coffee, by the Lake Minnetonka. I used to love going there. I’d get a coffee, browse the books, and then go sit on a bench across the street (when it wasn’t 40 below zero). It was heavenly.
Then the bookstore stopped allowing coffee in their store. I guess too many people had spilled on the books and carpet. That ruined the whole thing.
I’m with Lisa. My perfect Sunday involves going nowhere, not in a car, not in a train, not by boat, not by train.
However, second would be to that pizza joint followed by a trip to the bookstore. All rules are broken for pizza and bookstores.
Like Lisa above, with your daily commute, no wonder. I continue to be astounded at your daily car, train, walk. But oh Lyra, that PIZZA. It’s about $12 to feed 2 hungry people, the waiters speak Italian, and they serve wine in water glasses.
as i’ve said before, i’d drive 500 miles for a really good milkshake.
your sunday sounds like the most perfect sunday ever. i love a good road trip all by my lonesome to someplace where i can veg out with books and coffee and then drive home listening to episodes of radiolab that i downloaded to my phone.
isn’t life beautiful when street signs, store signs, etc. are actually the very signs you’ve been searching for?
I’m just thinking, now that you’re going to be working at home, you can go to Carmichael’s for coffee and book browsing on your “lunch hour.”
Wow! You have in inspired me to plan a day trip up to the city. Your day sounded perfect.
Have you seen that Girl With A Pearl Earring is at the deYoung? Maybe we could go up for that one day, have lunch, and drive home!!
Yours sounds pretty damn unbeatable. How about Sunday in bed with that stack of books? A little rain glazing the windows so I don’t feel guilty for not going out. The phones unplugged. Someone brings me a plate of fruit and cheese at some point and oh, and don’t forget a foot rub.
Speaking of rain glazing the windows ….. the rain’s coming tonight and will be here all day tomorrow. I’m ridiculously excited about this. I’m following your lead with the fruit and cheese plate.