Alemany Farmers Market & Sutro Baths

On Saturday, August 4, 2007, a friend and I realized we needed ingredients for dinner. As it was early afternoon, most farmers markets were already closed. After a bit of research, I discovered the Alemany Farmers Market is open for most of Saturday. Hence, there we went.

The Alemany Farmers Market is a good size. Most in-season fruits or vegetables are carried by at least three or four stalls. The atmosphere, judging by when we went, is more relaxed than, say, the Ferry Building's or Mountain View's market. Perhaps it's the time of day we went. Perhaps it's that the market has fewer certificated organic farmers and thus attracts a smaller crowd. (The smaller crowd could also be because the fruit didn't seem as perfect as at other markets. I sampled many that seemed either under-ripe or over-ripe.) Perhaps it's the setting--the market is located in what appears to be an old bus parking lot. Perhaps it's the colorful murals of produce and of rural scenes on the walls behind each stand.

After the farmers market, we decided to spend some time along the coast. First, we re-acquainted ourselves with Sutro Baths, a cool old ruin I hadn't visited since a Game took me there many years ago. While at Sutro Baths, we discovered something new: puffy plants. On parts of the hills overlooking the baths, there were some bushes, three or four feet tall, with very soft leaves. They're so soft one can sit on them. It's like laying in an easy chair. No part of one's body touches the ground. The bushes are easy to grip, walk through, and climb, as long as one is comfortable taking a step without being able to see the ground due to the density of the branches. The bushes cushion each step, just as they do one's tush when sitting.

After being chased from our recliners by some bees, we finished exploring Sutro Baths, then took a walk along the beach, passing a huge number of resting birds and a small number of very active beach ultimate players.