A few blogs ago, I announced the birth in San Francisco of my 6th grandchild, and I’ve been back to see her (and her parents, of course) twice since then!  I spent February and March in their household when Allison went back to work, and then another week last month when she had to be away.

I did a fair bit of sightseeing on both trips, and I wanted to share with you the most unusual field trip of all – a wine-tasting tour of the Quixote Winery in Napa Valley.  My San Francisco friend Bob took me there.

The winery building, including grounds, is the only project built in this country by Viennese architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000). It’s designed in a whimsical, exotic way with ceramic tiles, irregularly rounded and painted columns, and deliberately uneven floors designed for their tactile effect on occupants’ feet.  There are no right angles, except in the basement. The design style has been called phantasmagoric, psychedelic, and Dr. Seuss-like, and also likened to “the creation of a beautifully demented child.” The winery structure is dominated by an onion dome covered in gold leaf, as well as a living roof (seen here in the foreground) topped with grass, bushes, and trees.

Oh yes, the wine was delicious, too.  Quixote is deservedly famous for its Petite Syrah.  And it was the best Rose´ I’ve ever tasted.

Here’s the bathroom, decorated with those outrageously irregular and colorful tiles Hundertwasser is known for.  And that’s one of his prints on the wall.

In case you’re wondering how the cottage gets along when I’m gone, I always arrange for a friend to stay in my (separate) home, ready to answer questions or help with any problem that arises.

And in case you’re wondering why I’ve made 2 trips to San Francisco in the last 4 months, here is the answer!

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